Thames Valley Premier League

Division 2

Saturday 22nd May 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Goring United 8 Twyford & Ruscombe 1, attendance 30

8’ 1-0

10’ 1-1

21’ 2-1

30’ 3-1

54’ 4-1

65’ 5-1

73’ 6-1

83’ 7-1

90’+ 3, 8-1

@ Sheepcot Field

Gatehampton Road

Goring

RG8 0EN

No Admission or Programme.

With the amount of teams now failing to fulfill fixtures, it was a case of finding a game with something on it, although even that can’t be enough to guarantee games will actually take place at the moment. The game wasn’t being played at their normal ground in Upper Red Cross Road, due to cricket taking over there, but was some 400 yards away, on the other side of the railway line, at a ground that is also home to the local tennis club. I wasn’t able to confirm the game was definitely going ahead, so set off more in hope than expectation. Goring did reply to my text that the game was indeed on…..but, three minutes into the match!

Goring were second in the league table, where any of the top five teams could still make the two promotion places. Twyford & Ruscombe were second from bottom, but a single win could see them climb two places, so relegation is certainly not guaranteed. An early free kick put Goring ahead, but a deflected shot brought the visitors level within two minutes. By halftime it was 3-1, as a header from a corner, and an angled shot across the ‘keeper put Goring in command and an early second half goal for the hosts put the points beyond doubt. Twyford & Ruscombe battled well throughout, but had nothing to offer in attack. Four more goals rounded off an emphatic 8-1 win for Goring, although it wasn’t as easy as the score line suggests.