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Dean Stockwell double gives Burghclere victory at Marcham (01-02-2025)       Burghclere travelled to Marcham and collected all three points thanks to a Dean Stockwell double as they posted a 3-1 victory in a well contested game. Marcham took an early lead when Tom Partington-Smyth headed back a long cross into the path of David Murphy who fired home past Burghclere keeper Callum Freemantle and into the net. Moments later Marcham’s Partington-Smyth was denied by keeper Freemantle saving from a close-range header which followed with Burghclere going close when Jack Stockwell saw his close-range effort go over the Marcham crossbar following a Burghclere long throw. Both sides then had half chances either saved or missed before Burghclere pulled level following great work on the Marcham right from Josh Stockwell he somehow got over his cross where it was met by the head of Dean Stockwell whose close-range bullet header fizzed past Marcham keeper Matthew Hutton and into the net. Marcham then came close with efforts from Alfie Kingsbury and Partington-Smyth both being denied by keeper Freemantle saving low down. The second half started and for the first twenty minutes neither side created any chances to note as both defences held firm until a David Murphy free kick for Marcham was well saved by Freemantle. Then with twenty minutes remaining Burghclere took the lead when following a long free kick, the ball was knocked back into the path of Dean Stockwell on the edge of the Marcham area and he rifled his shot past the diving Hutton and into the corner of the net. Then moments later Burghclere added a third when Josh Stockwell picked up a loose ball around thirty yards out and fired his shot over keeper Hutton and into the back of the net. Marcham then looked to get back into the game and came close twice with a David Murphy free kick going just wide which followed with Craig Dredge firing wide following a long throw. Then as time was running out Burghclere’s Dean Stockwell was denied his hat-trick when clean through as Marcham keeper saved well with his feet with Burghclere then seeing out the remaining minutes to claim victory in an entertaining game played in very good spirit. Around the Grounds Cards popping up like a toaster as Drayton seal victory over Kingston Goals from Dan Pear and Billy Tulloch put Letcombe Reserves back on top of the Division One table after they posted a narrow 2-1 victory over Didcot Town Youth with Kai Crouchman scoring for Didcot. There were cards popping up like a toaster where Kingston received three reds including their manager and Drayton one red card as Drayton recorded a 3-0 victory thanks to two goals from Josh Dennis with also a rare goal from Pat Walsh. In Division Two Woodcote Development are nine points clear at the top of the table after they beat Berinsfield Reserves 4-2 thanks to two goals from Toby Nowell with further goals coming from Archie Clark and Fraser Sharples with Howard Hawkins scoring both for Berinsfield. Drayton Reserves continued their rich vein of form posting a 4-1 victory away at Watlington Reserves thanks to goals from Chris Hunt ,Lewis Waters, James Bishop and Grant Harris whilst James Blackmore scored for Watlington. There were goals galore at Long Wittenham as Steventon Reserves came away with a high scoring 5-4 victory thanks to two goals each from Tyler Gibney and Alex Rodman with Andy Gibney also hitting the target whilst Wittenham replied through two goals from Ollie Hopkins with Liam Leighton and Archie Barlow Matthews also finding the target.       Drayton in seventh heaven as they reach the last four. (08-02-2025)       Drayton Reserves booked their place in the last four of the North Berks War Memorial Cup when posting a deserved 7-0 victory over AFC Grove in this quarter final encounter. Drayton started well and James Bishop saw his twenty-yard drive hit the outside of the post before Foley Sercombe shot just wide. Then minutes later Grove keeper Sam Cross denied Bishop from close range before tipping over a close-range header over the cross bar. Drayton then took the lead after twenty minutes when Foley Sercombe collected a pass on the edge of the Grove area and his shot was somehow turned over the cross bar by keeper Cross but from the resulting corner Sercombe gathered the loose ball took a touch and fired the ball past the diving Cross to give Drayton the lead. Grove keeper Cross then produced a few fine saves before Drayton doubled their lead when Sam Watson collected the ball in the Grove half ran beat his marker and fired a low twenty-yard drive past the diving Cross and into the net. Grove nearly pulled one back just before half time when Kian Walker saw his low drive go just wide of the Drayton far post. The second half started, and Drayton hit a third on fifty minutes when Chris Hunt turned home a low cross from close range before Sercombe and Bishop went close with good chances. Drayton made it four when James Bishop curled a fine twenty-five drive past the diving Cross and into the corner of the net before Drayton’s Chris Hunt some how failed to make it five hitting the cross bar from around two yards out. Drayton did make it five with fifteen minutes remaining when Mitch Gardiner tapped home a low cross from short range before the goal of the game came on eighty minutes when super sub-Lewis Allen collected the ball mid-way through the Grove half, he took a touch and unleashed a fierce drive from thirty yards out that flew over the outstretched Cross and into the roof of the net. Unbelievable Geoff !! Then just as the game was coming to its end Drayton made it seven when Luke Meehan fired home a low cross at the back post through a crowded six-yard box and Drayton saw out the remaining minutes and now go on to meet Burghclere in the semi -final. Around the Grounds Berinsfield remained top of Division One after they posted a 5-1 victory over Sutton Courtenay thanks to a Luke Holdsworth hat-trick with further goals coming from Chris Howlett and Jack Hinkin. Bradley Moon scored the only goal of the game as Didcot Youth posted narrow 1-0 victory over Lambourn Sports Reserves whilst Kingston Colts recorded a 3-0 victory over Steventon thanks to goals from Sam Bailey, Ollie Bradbury and Harry Dixon. In Division Two leaders Woodcote Development posted a 5-2 victory over Hagbourne United thanks to a hat-trick from Zak Fanstone with further goals coming from Sam Primmer and Archie Clark whilst Hagbourne scored through Ross Coker and Reggie Gesner. Burghclere continued their fine run of form with beating Long Wittenham 6-0 thanks to two goals each from Dean Stockwell, Harry White and Jack Stockwell. Berinsfield Reserves claimed all three points when they posted a 4-1 victory away at Steventon Reserves thanks to two goals from Chris Rowland with further goals coming from Cameron Lee and Tony Beechers whilst Nick Townsend scored for Steventon Reserves. In the other War Memorial Cup Quarter final Marcham recorded a 5-2 victory over Watlington Town Reserves thanks to two goals from David Murphy with further goals coming from Josh Taylor, Chris Murphy and Tom Dowdell whilst Watlington replied through Jaiden Hawkins and Brohden Hawkins.       Smith hits two as Berinsfield go eight clear at the top (15-02-2025)       Berinsfield went eight points clear at the top of the Division One table after they travelled to Lambourn Sports Reserves and claimed a 3-1 victory . Berinsfield started well and Jack Hinkin missed a fine chance when he was put through on goal by a forty-yard ball by Joe Bennett but only could fire his effort wide. Moments later Berinsfield took the lead when a fine ball found Luke Holdsworth on the edge of the Lambourn box and his shot was saved by keeper Kyle Clough, but the rebound fell to Jack Hinkin who fired home from ten yards. It was not long before Berinsfield doubled their lead when following a fine move between Mark Ingram and Holdsworth the ball found Kyle Smith and he ran took a touch and fired the ball past the advancing Clough and into the corner of the net. Lambourn were struggling to create any worthwhile chances and on the half hour mark Berinsfield made it three when Kyle Smith fired over a corner that went over all in the six-yard box and nestled into the bottom corner of the net to claim his second goal of the game. Then just before half time Berinsfield saw half chances missed by Hinkin and Charlie Jamieson who saw their shots go straight at keeper Clough. Lambourn came out in the second half and played a lot better and pulled a goal back on the hour mark when following a long ball Ben Lampard-Leek ran on to the loose ball and chipped the ball over the advancing Chris Hewitt and into the back of the net. Berinsfield then saw chances fall to Ingram and Jamieson but these went wide of the target before Lambourn keeper Clough pulled off a point blank save to deny an Ingram close range header. Lambourn’s Kieran Ratcliffe then saw his forty-yard effort go wide of the target after Berinsfield keeper Hewitt mis-timed a clearance which followed with Lambourn keeper Clough making a double save to deny Berinsfield’s Chris Howlett. Then with ten minutes remaining Berinsfield were awarded a penalty after an infringement in the box as tempers started to flare and a few yellows were issued and Holdsworth stepped up only to see his penalty kick saved low down by Clough. Berinsfield saw out the remaining minutes of the game to claim victory in a game which was played hard but fair on a pitch that was hard at the end to control the ball. Around the Grounds In Division One two goals from Ryan Hooper moved Didcot Town Youth up into third place in the table after they posted a 4-1 victory over Kingston Colts with Mckenzie Hedges and Alfie Grisbrooke also hitting the target. Sutton Courtenay got back to winning ways when they travelled to Steventon and came away with a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Riley Saunders and Lincoln Moreton with Jon Stephens scoring from Steventon. Frilsham also bagged all three points when they recorded a 3-1 victory away at Drayton thanks to two goals from Ty Stanley Driscoll with Josh Johnson also scoring whilst Shaun Harris scored for Drayton. In Division Two Burghclere moved into second place in the table following a 9-1 victory away at Stanford thanks to a hat-trick from Josh Stockwell with Charlie and Jack Stockwell both scoring twice with Canberk Caner and an own goal completing the scoring .Hagbourne United also claimed all three points with a 3-2 victory over Berinsfield Reserves thanks to goals from Reggie Gesner, Jack Speckels and Charlie Winslow whilst Dan Osbourne and Jon Welch scored for Berinsfield. A hat-trick each from David Murphy and Sam Ricketts helped Marcham to a 12-0 victory over Steventon Reserves with further goals coming from Tom Dowdell, Joshua Rough, Josh Taylor, Alfie Kingsbury, Jason Spraggs and a rare Dan Barnes goal.