Leighton lose narrowly to Newbury & Thatcham 5s

In a fairly even game the goalscoring ability of Newbury's no. 42 tipped the balance in the away side's favour.

The first half was fairly even until Newbury opened the scoring when their number 42 fired home. It was the first of four goals for their star player. One down at half-time Leighton needed to better their opponents for effort to overturn the deficit. However a quickly taken free hit led to Newbury's second and a lapse of concentration their third goal.

But at three down the Buzzards found some rhythm. Player of the match Chris Bourne chased the ball down and crossed from the right for Ed Kerr's goal bound shot to be blocked by a foot. P-flick awarded and scored by David Jackson for Leighton's first. Leighton's second came when Jackson's shot hit the post and Tom Billington seized on the rebound, to force the ball home. Almost immediately Newbury scored again, their short corner expertise proving decisive.

Some fantastic shot stopping by goalkeeper Jim Galloway, aided by David Thompson's overhead, "Morris dance style", goal line clearance kept Leighton in with a chance and gradually the home side got the upper hand. Centre mid duo of Kane Sanders and Clive Warncken kept winning the ball and driving forward. Sanders passed to Peter Gale who found Kerr on the left, Kerr passed on to Bourne who cleverly won a short corner. Bourne then injected for Warncken to smash home a terrific drive from the edge of the D.

Leighton sensed opportunity but couldn't convert; Gale had the ball in the net but it was disallowed due to the initial back stick deflection in the D. All too soon the final whistle halted Leighton's rally. Well done to Newbury. Forty-two may or may not be the answer to six times nine or life the universe and everything but he was just greater than thirteen 3s.