Newbury hit top spot with late winner

[caption id="attachment_30146" align="alignleft" width="345" caption="Match-winner Chris Blackford"][/caption]

Leaders Highmoor Ibis surprisingly went down 2-1 away to Abingdon United Reserves, enabling Newbury to go to the top of the table with a vastly superior goal difference.
Any hopes of boosting that with a repeat of their recent 6-0 win at Hungerford never looked likely as Hungerford more than held their own while making her game's best chances. Harry Goodger was always threatening against his former club and strike partner Sam Hamilton also gave the home side plenty to think about as they rarely looked like a side almost a division clear in the placings.
Newbury had half-chances only in the first period while Lee Hamilton wasted the best opening at other end when teed up by Goodger but rolling his shot wide from the edge of the area. Simon Digweed twice denied Goodger while Darren Jones rattled the post at the other end from a free kick.
It was another free kick that won it when Newbury substitute Bradley Shaw was brought down, and Chris Blackford curled in a delightful set piece finish with 10 seconds to play, leaving Newbury with three games to go and possibly needing to win only once.

had edged closer to the top with Saturday’s 4-1 win at Chinnor. The hosts were unbeaten in six games but faced an uphill battle after having defender Mark Avery sent off for head-butting Darren Jones on the half-hour mark.
It was 1-1 at the time after Newbury had gone ahead in the 12th minute when Jones capitalised on defensive hesitancy to nip between two defenders before firing home, only for Chinnor to pull level when goalkeeper Simon Digweed sent a clearance straight to Stuart Braun to plant back into the unguarded net.
But Avery’s reckless act was punished when Jones beat off three challenges to restore Newbury’s lead before the interval and Chris Blackford stretched the advantage 10 minutes after the re-start when he blasted the ball home from distance.
Jeff Kalejaiye wrapped up the scoring to take Newbury within three points of leaders Highmoor Ibis with two games still in hand.