WOODLEY United’s testing start to the Premier Division continued as they were beaten 3-0 at Abingdon United on Saturday.

Despite starting the match strongly with good possession in the home team’s half of the pitch, the Kestrels fell behind when a through ball split the defence allowing forward Sam Wharton to slot pass the advancing Alex Reed after nine minutes.

The visitors’ responded well with positive moves by Charlie Oakley and Greg Beckett, and it was these two who set up Josh Drew on 19 minutes, only for Harry Whitehead to smother the shot.

This was the start of a period of end-to-end penalty area action with Abingdon failing to capitalise on a misunderstanding in the Woodley defence, Drew shooting wide and Reed comfortably collecting a tame header from Kyle Moss before the same player fired a free-kick wide in the 27th minute.

Oakley saw a header cleared off the goal-line from a Beckett cross, but the forward was flagged offside while Reed denied Wharton a second to leave the hosts leading by the single goal at the half-time interval.

As with previous games this season, Woodley started the second half well.

Oakley saw a shot deflected for a corner which Reid Brown failed to connect with when the ball was played into the penalty area at the second attempt, while Nat Robinson was causing problems on the left flank.

Although Jasan Smith hit Woodley’s cross-bar, it was the visitors in the ascendency with Beckett seeing Whitehead parry a shot before tipping a Drew shot over the bar and saving a Michael Porter header from a Robinson cross.

However, this pressure was undone when Jared Jones extended the lead with a header with 18 minutes remaining. Substitute Marvin Hinds injected pace down the right wing, but his crosses were evading his forwards.

The home team completed the scoring two minutes from the end when they capitalised on a mistake at the half-way line allowing Graham Bryan to run unchallenged to beat Reed.

Woodley United visit Bracknell Town on Saturday (3pm).

  • AFC Aldermaston lost 6-2 at Bicester Town in Division One East, with Kai Parton-Edey and Dan Alliston on target for the Atom Men.

They have a week off before hosting Oxfordshire-based Chinnor on September 2.