Clinical First-Half Blitz Sees Reserves Secure Festive Three Points

Long Wittenham 1 – 4 Woodstock Town Reserves Saturday, December 20, 2025

Woodstock Town Reserves signed off for 2025 in style, delivering a commanding performance away at Long Wittenham to secure a vital 4-1 victory. Following a frustrating result last weekend, the lads showed immense character to bounce back and ensure they head into the Christmas break with all three points.

Dominant Opening

From the first whistle, Woodstock looked the sharper side. While both teams moved the ball well in the opening exchanges, it was Town’s dominance in the "ugly" side of the game—winning first and second balls—that prevented the hosts from building any real momentum.

The deadlock was broken following a moment of individual brilliance and team chemistry. Felype and Eduardo combined telepathically down the right flank; Felype drove to the byline before cutting a precise ball back to Eduardo, who deceived the keeper with a clever back-heel finish to make it 1-0.

The Chebbron Double

Woodstock refused to take their foot off the gas, utilizing the full width of the pitch to stretch the opposition. The pressure told when a dangerous corner from Adam caused chaos in the box. The initial clearance only fell as far as Chebbron, who drilled a low, hard strike into the bottom corner.

Minutes later, Chebbron was at it again. Another recycled ball from a corner found him unmarked in the area, where he rose highest to power a header home for his second of the afternoon, extending the lead to 3-0.

The rout was seemingly completed before the interval when Woodstock intercepted a loose pass and played Felype through on goal. He kept his composure, slotting a confident finish into the far corner to send Town into the break 4-0 up.

Seeing It Through

The second half proved to be a tighter affair. Long Wittenham emerged with renewed energy and applied early pressure as Woodstock struggled to find the same clinical rhythm of the first period. Despite several chances to add a fifth, the scoreline remained unchanged until the hosts pulled one back with a speculative strike from distance.

While the clean sheet eluded them, Woodstock managed the final stages of the game professionally to see out the 4-1 win.

Manager’s Post-Match Reflection

"I couldn’t be prouder of the reaction from the group today. After the 5-0 defeat last weekend, it would have been easy for heads to drop, but the character shown by every single player was first-class. We spent the week talking about accountability and a return to basics, and from the very first whistle, you could see the hunger was back.

The most pleasing aspect wasn't just the four goals, but the way we won the physical battles that we lacked last week. We dominated the first and second balls, which allowed our creative players like Felype and Eduardo the freedom to express themselves.

Scoring four before the break effectively killed the game and proved that last week was just a blip. We’ve shown today what we are actually capable of when we play with that level of intensity. We head into the Christmas break with our confidence restored and a clear blueprint for how we need to perform in 2026.

I would like to wish Long Wittenham all the very best for the rest of the season. To the readers, fans players and all at Woodstock Town FC a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"