WOODLEY United battled to a 2-2 home draw against Didcot Town Development in their Hellenic League Division One East fixture on Monday night.

On a frosty evening, both teams put on a good footballing display which saw the points shared and Woodley extend their unbeaten run to five games, despite the hosts allowing a two-goal lead to slip.

The Kestrels took the lead which was reward for their early enterprise when Max Laschok fired home in a crowded penalty area past Town keeper Sam Eeles.

Woodley lost influential midfielder Harry Hawkins to a head injury which required hospital attention in the 34th minute, but with substitute Sam Wood stepping into Hawkins’ role United maintained their rhythm and extended the lead in the 41st minute with a low strike by Ben Anderson.

However, Harry Hudson reduced the deficit two minutes into stoppage-time when he reacted first to a loose ball following 'keeper Pete Davies’ fine block of a Town shot.

It needed Davies to produce another good save in the 70th minute to keep the hosts in front, but he could only watch Ty Hamilton curl a shot into his top-right hand corner to level the scores seven minutes later.

Not deterred by this setback, United’s Joe Sissons, who was enjoying an excellent game, saw a shot saved a minute later and then hit the side netting with six minutes remaining.

There was controversy in the 86th minute when good build-up play saw Gareth Ainsworth pass to Lamin Ceesay, who rounded Didcot’s substitute keeper and with an open goal fell to the ground following the keeper’s contact.

Referee Thomas Kelly immediately stopped play with United expecting a penalty kick, only to see the game restart with a Town free-kick and a caution for Ceesay.

With the pitch freezing in places both teams played out the final minutes with honours even.

Woodley, whose home league game with AFC Aldermaston was postponed on Saturday, travel to Penn & Tylers Green this coming Saturday (3pm), before visiting Aldermaston in the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup next Tuesday (7.45pm).

Meanwhile, the Atom Men, who have not played in a fortnight, return to action with a league trip to Chalvey Sports on Saturday (3pm).

In the Premier Division, Reading City sit ninth following a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Brimscombe and Thrupp at The Meadow on Saturday.

In a game of two halves, Simon Johnson’s men had a hatful of chances in the first 45 minutes, but they failed to make the most of them before going 1-0 down just before the break when Jack Smith put the Stroud-based club in front.

James Campbell’s long throw caused havoc in the Citizens’ box and Smith fired home following pinball in the box.

The Citizens fought back and with 25 minutes to go Lorenzo Medford’s cross found McKoy Palmer who fired home.

The state of the pitch became an issue with a heavy surface following a downpour overnight which had threatened to postpone the game, and a point was fair for both sides.

Reading City next face another trip to the West Country when they travel to Bishops Cleeve on Saturday before visiting Windsor next Tuesday.

JOSH Baptiste struck a brilliant hat-trick and Danny Nicholson and substitute Tino Zembe were also on the scoresheet as Tilehurst YM recorded an excellent 5-1 victory at Woodley Wanderers Reserves in the Senior Division of the Reading & District Sunday League.

Alex Ray grabbed the consolation for the home side.

Kieran Chard bagged a brace and George Dallarda was also on target as Division Two leaders AFC Lowfield Green earned a 3-3 draw in their top-of-the-table clash at Rose & Thistle, Mikia Fogl, James Maudin and Fred Kirby on target for the home side.

A brilliant Andy Taylor (pictured below left) hat-trick inspired Division Four trailblazers to a resounding 13-0 demolition of Tilehurst Titans.

Archie Helas, George Scoffham, Dan Wallace and substitute James Mugford all bagged braces, with the other goals coming from Matt Hayden and Dan Carter.

A Harry Adams double and a Ben Tait strike gave Shinfield Rangers a 3-2 win against Royal Albion, Charlie Vass and Kieran Absolom netting for the visitors.

Emmer Green reached the semi-finals of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at home to Twyford Comets.

The decisive goal arrived on the half-hour mark when a fine Kaser Chowdhary ball was tapped home by Jordan Lovelock.

Green continued to have the better of the play in the second period as Ashley Searle saw his effort hit the bar, and both Luke and Dan Donegan come close.

In the Junior Cup, goals from Simon Bowman and Luke Maze fired Wokingham & Emmbrook past Denham United and into the last four.

WOODLEY United ladies came-from-behind to earn a point following a 1-1 draw in their Southern Region Premier Division game at home to Ascot United.

Hannah Evans had put the away side in front midway through the first half, but a brilliant Rosie Page-Smith (pictured above) strike three minutes into the second stanza earned the Kestrels a share of the spoils.

Rebecca Chitolie and Jo Walsh-Perks netted for Newbury in their 2-2 draw at Winchester City Flyers, Ellie Reed and Lorna Kinder-Parr the stand-out performers for the visitors.

In Division Three South of the Thames Valley Counties League, an Amy McNab brace earned Newbury Development a 2-2 draw with Mortimer. Sam Richards was their player-of-the-match.