Okeford United Football Club

This match was full of drama throughout and with a finish that would beat any match on TV.

Okeford started the better and scored a good goal after ten minutes when Olly Chaffey was put though on goal and with a sweeping left foot slotted the ball past the advancing keeper.

The game changed in the 27th minute when the home side equalised.  Two minutes later the match came to a halt for thirty minutes following a serious injury to a Stickland midfielder, an ambulance was called and the player was taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle.

Okeford have been handed a tricky tie away at Hamworthy United Reserves in the Dorset Senior Trophy Second Round.  Okeford have performed very well in this competition in the last two years, reaching the final in 2010/11, and falling a round short last year as losing semi-finalists.

Both teams received a bye in the first round of the comeptition this season, and Okeford will travel to the Magna Dorset Premier League side for the second round tie on 10^th November for a 1.30pm kickoff.

The Butterboys arrived at the reigning league champions with six regulars missing though injury or illness, although they came away with no points they did come away with their heads held high after a hard working team performance from start to finish.

The home side pushed forward from the start looking for the early goal, but the visitors kept their shape well.  The islanders thought they should have had a penalty after ten minutes when Adam Stockton made contact with the attacker but the referee waved play on.

The Reserves ended up being well beaten by their hosts, but were in the game up until the last twenty minutes.

The home side took the lead after 15 minutes, but Okeford were level in the 32nd minute when a long kick from Steve Pike in the Okeford goal beat the advancing defender which allowed Chris Wareham to run on and fire past the home keeper.  The score remained 1-1 in the first half.

Sturminster took the lead after 55 minutes, Okeford should have leveled when Tony Wooldridge met a good corner from Sam Pike, but he failed to keep the ball down and fired over the bar.

This was an excellent performance from the Reserves from start to finish against a very useful Bere Regis side.

With players absent from both teams three signings were done pre match, two of these went straight in to the team.  The match was fairly even for the first twenty minutes, until the visiting keeper made an error when he threw the ball out which was intercepted by Tony Wooldridge who chested the ball down while at full speed, progressed in to the box and fired past the keeper.

Okeford suffered a heavy defeat on their visit to Stourpaine.  In what was a fairly even first half, Stourpaine went in to the half time break with a narrow advantage.  Following a corner from the right, the ball was headed clear to the edge of the area, where a first time volley found the top corner.

Okeford worked hard to try and get back into the game in the second half, but Stourpaine got the crucial second goal as a drilled cross from the right was diverted by a defender into his own goal.

Okeford United remained unbeaten this season, picking up their first win with a narrow 2-1 victory over Sturminster Marshall.

The Butterboys started brightly and were a goal up after just 10 minutes after a super strike.  The visitors’ left back got caught under a long diagonal ball from Chris Cole from just inside his own half, and the ball sat perfectly from Adam Stockton, who volleyed into the top corner from the edge of the area to record his first goal for the club.

The Reserves picked up their first win of the season, but had to work hard against the visitors.

The home side took the lead after thirteen minutes when Tim Westlake cut in from the left, crossed the ball from right on the goal line on the edge of the eighteen yard box and somehow the keeper managed to divert the ball in to his own net.

The visitors were level within seven minutes with a breakaway down the left wing.  A good cross was swept in to the net from the edge of the six-yard box.

The Reserves were always second best in their opening match.  The home side took the lead in the third minute and never looked back.  Okeford had a chance to come back into the game after 15 minutes but with no joy, Chris Wareham who was playing up front went off injured after 20 minutes and was replaced by Tristian Brown.

The home side went further ahead with a simple goal and should have been three up at the break but for a well-saved penalty from Matt Wareham who was keeping goal due to Lee Grays work commitments.

Okeford got off to a sluggish start in their opening game of the season, and it was only ten minutes into the game that the visitors had the ball in the net.  However, it was ruled offside as the winger had gone a fraction early before rounding the keeper.  The visitors were pressing the Butterboys high up the pitch, and their reward came on 25minutes.  They won a corner which the defence could only clear to the edge of the area, where a sweetly struck shot found the top corner.