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Saturday
26th May 2007
Weald of
Kent Charity Cup Final
Platt
Utd 1 Woodstock Park 2
Last
season Woodstock were the underdogs in this final but
defeated the heavy scoring Ashford Borough 2-0. This year
they were the definite favourites. After all Platt Utd were
bottom of the same league without a victory all season and
Woodstock had never lost to them in four meetings. Woodstock
were also the holders and determined to keep the cup for a
second year.
Even
though Woodstock had three ever present key players missing
in Warburton, Faithful and Rogers manager Mick Rees was
confident of victory and even left himself out to give
others a chance. They might have spared a thought for how
Platt were able to reach a final with such a dismal league
record but it soon became clear to the Sittingbourne side
that they were not playing Platt's usual league side but a
team loaded with players registered from a senior team of a
much higher standard with this cup in mind. Only three of
the usual Platt players were in the starting line up and the
eight new players clearly played together on a regular basis
with another team further up the pyramid.
A hard
fought first half where Platt played most of the football
but Woodstock matched them for effort and determination
ended with the Sittingbourne side taking the lead on the
stroke of half time. It was against the run of play when the
hard working and brave Ricky Baverstock got on the end of a
cross to steer the ball home. The second half started with
Platt pressing and the first fifteen minutes of the half
saw them on top without creating too many clear cut chances.
On the hour Woodstock put together a sublime move of five
passes and with skipper and leading goalscorer James Ellis
on the end of the final pass there was only going to be one
outcome. Giving himself that brief couple of seconds to
steady himself as good strikers do he finished into the
bottom corner following what was the move of the game.
The two
nil lead was short lived and Platt pulled one goal back
within minutes of the Ellis goal. Twenty difficult minutes
in front of them and Woodstock's manager made three inspired
substitutions taking off the overworked fullbacks Chris
Mannering and Luke Simpson who had done their jobs but had
their work cut out all day and defensive midfielder Andy
Wenzel who had run himself into the ground. The fresh legs
of Paul Holliday and Adam Coles out wide together with the
experience and determination of the player manager himself
was enough to see the Sittingbourne side home but there were
a few scares on the way as Platt dominated. None more so
than the 91st minute scare when veteran keeper Mark Rees
made a fantastic one handed save to help his side retain the
cup. Overall though it was Mick Rees tactics as Manager and
a very good team spirit that saw them home with all members
of the squad contributing.
Woodstock and everyone thought that they had the player of
the match in centre back Peter Halls who defended well
throughout. Unfortunately a caution for Peter the only
yellow card of the game for his only mistake of the game
cost him that honour. That award went to Platts central
midfielder who looked a class above anyone else on show in
this match. Halls did have the satisfaction of winning the
game however, sadly his 97th and last for the Club as he
emigrates to Canada during the Summer. The club are hoping
visits back to England will see him eventually reach the 100
mark.
A nice
gesture by skipper James Ellis and Manager Mick Rees saw
Club Secretary David Brown go up and receive the trophy. A
fitting reward for David who in only his second season has
become a very valuable addition to Woodstock Park FC working
his socks off behind the scenes. Woodstock are set to focus
on next season now and have every desire to improve on 5th
place and get in among the promotion places. With Halls
leaving the country and a couple of senior retirements the
door will be open for a few new players of the right
ability. Local lads interested should call Maurice on 07774
654912 to find out next seasons details.
Monday 7.5.07
Weald of Kent Cup Semi Final
Woodstock Park 3 Smarden 1
Holders Woodstock had what
should have been an easy passage to the final
again and with skipper James Ellis returning to the fold
after a two week
absence that seemed assured. When Ellis netted after just 30
seconds the
writing was on the wall.
Woodstock dominated the first half and overlapping full back
Chris Mannering
soon made it 2-0 with a fine finish. Andy Wenzel made it 3-0
by half time
and it seemed game over. Manager Mick Rees took himself off
at half time and
shortly after the experienced Rob Warburton with the game
seemingly won.
With all subs used things turned for the home side. Smarden
got a goal back
and shortly after Woodstock keeper Mark Rees was injured and
had to leave
the field. Carl Davies took over in goal with the home side
down to 10 men
and having to preserve their two goal lead for the last 25
minutes.
Davies had to make one good save from a one on one and the
visitors did hit
the crossbar. It was however reasonably comfortable and at
least all the
subs got a run which was crucial with the final not until
Bank Holiday
Monday 28.5.07 with a 2.30ko at Otford Utds ground where
they will meet
Platt United.
Tuesday 1.5.07
BEKCFAL Div Two East
Still no sign of the missing forwards for Woodstock in the
return but in
truth both they and UKP just about managed to field teams
for this game.
With manager Mick Rees out of the Country senior players Rob
Warburton and
Andy Faithful took charge of the Woodstock side and they
crafted a simple
system that suited the players they had at their disposal.
As with the previous week Woodstock dominated the first half
and winger
Terry Smith added a rapid hat-trick to Ricky Baverstock's
very early strike
in what was a far more clinical display. 4-0 at half time
was the end of the
contest. The second half UKP did much better and scored a
consolation
penalty goal but Adam Coles neat finish gave Park a 5-1
victory and the
double over their rivals.
With their league season over and 4th or 5th place assured
Woodstock turn
their attention to this Bank Holiday Monday's (7.5.07) home
Semi Final in
the Weald of Kent Cup when they host Smarden with a 11am
kick off. They will
be hoping that they can progress to the final and defend the
trophy they won
last year.
Tuesday 24.4.07
BEKCFAL Div Two East
UKP 1 Woodstock Park 2
Parks' Saturday season ended weeks ago but they still had
two midweek games
to fit in against near rivals of 1 mile away UKP who are
playing catch up
with their fixtures. The first fixture took place last
Tuesday 24.4.07 when
Woodstock went to UKP minus one or two regulars including
all their usual
forwards and in particular leading scorer and skipper James
Ellis.
Defensive midfielder Andy Wenzel and winger Terry Smith were
asked to play
in more advanced positions and it was Wenzels first goal of
the season a
header from a Smith corner that gave the visitors the lead.
A few minutes
later Wenzel had the ball in the net again only to find his
effort ruled out
for an infringement. Woodstock dominated the first half and
really should
have scored more. Carl Davies doubled the score to 2-0
before half time with
a close range effort but the score really should have been
more.
UKP dominated much of the second period but the home side
could not find a
way past the defence of Woodstock well marshalled by Jonny
Wright. UKP did
get a consolation goal a shot that actually went through
Wrights legs on the
line but Mark Rees in the Woodstock goal was rarely troubled
in the 90
minutes.
24.03.07
Pembury 1 Woodstock Park 2
Three players called off on the morning of the match for
Woodstock all with
flu and when they lost player manager Mick Rees with a
twisted ankle ten
minutes into the game things did not look too good for the
Sittingbourne
team. Skipper James Ellis had already put the visitors 1-0
by that time when
he latched on to a Rees through ball for a trade mark goal.
Richard King put
Woodstock 2-0 up before the home side Pembury pulled a goal
back.
2-1 at half time became the final score with a very good
solid second half
performance from the Parks defence. The win pushed them up
into 4th place
but promotion hopes have in reality completely faded. Next
Saturday
Woodstock visit Putlands in a rearranged fixture kick off
2.45.
25.03.07
Old Oak 0 Star Sports 3
Six changes from the week before and many positional changes
were not helped
by a couple of players forgetting to alter their clocks.
Still at 1-0 down
at half time and plenty of attacking options Oak were always
in this game.
Sadly those on display had left their shooting boots at home
and Oaks good
run finally came to an end. Oak now have just two away games
left but even
two victories will not keep them in second place with
several teams having
many games in hand.
17.03.07
BEKCFAL
Division Two East
Platt
Utd 0 Woodstock Park 3
Last
weeks home thrashing by Sutton Ath 6-1 has put paid to
Woodstock's outside chance of promotion and they visited
bottom side Platt Saturday in a rather flat mood with
several regulars missing and the deadline now past whereby
they could have signed new players to inject extra zip into
their end of season games. They are still in with a chance
of holding onto the Weald of Kent Cup so the final games
will at least contain some interest.
They got
just the lift they needed for this seemingly meaningless
league game with skipper James Ellis coming back from injury
for his 108th appearance stuck on 99 goals. A very bumpy
pitch made for a dismal first half with neither teams coming
to terms with getting the ball under control for any length
of time to enable decent football to be played. Several
chances fell the way of Ellis all squandered but you can't
keep a good man down forever and goal number 100 came ten
minutes before the break with an exquisite lob over the
keeper.
The
second half and both teams played a much more direct style
which suited the conditions and it meant a much better game
took place. Mid way through Ellis scored his second and if
the first one was good his second was top draw. Right Back
Anthony Dipper Woodstock's steady eddy switched the ball on
the half way line to the left flank, Ellis collected, run a
yard inside and hit a stunning swerving shot into the top
right hand corner.
The
visitors were now well on top but they could not add to the
2-0 scoreline with several acceptable chances going begging
although it was not Ellis who was the culprit this time. A
third goal did finally come and it was to be the skippers
hat trick and if he scores a better one in his career it
will be worth the entrance fee. The third being a stunning
volley that hit the net before anyone moved. 20 for the
season and 102 for the Club.
A late
penalty awarded to Platt would have given the home side a
consolation but yet another fine save of a spot kick by Mark
Rees in the Woodstock goal. The old warhorse continues to
laugh off retirement and keeps on stopping most spot kicks
that come his way.
Woodstock go to Pembury in the league next week kick off
2.45pm.
18.03.07
MMSFL
Division One
Old Oak
2 Spartac 1
So many
teams could go past Oak into second place but they keep
winning and making it as difficult as possible for the
chasing pack. The pitch at Woodstock has held up well this
year despite the wet weather and Oak now have only three
fixtures left. It is their aim to win them all and end as
high as possible.
They had
to come from being 1-0 down to narrowly see off lowly
Spartac at 2-1 with goals from Alec Johnson and Chris Leah
on Sunday. Oaks final home game of the season takes place
next week when they entertain third place Star Sports and it
is hoped the game can be of the same quality as the 4-4 draw
they had away in January. Oak will end the season with
visits to Sarena and today's opponents Spartac.
03.03.07
Weald Of Kent Cup
MALGO 1 Woodstock Park 2
Woodstock made the short journey to Maidstone to play MALGO
in the Weald of
Kent Cup Saturday to find themselves playing on a surface
best described as
a chocolate cake with water filled holes. Their player
Manager was missing
and two other regulars so it was the chance for some of the
others to get a
chance.
Both Woodstock and their young opponents wanted to play a
passing game which
was impossible on a pitch in that state so as a match it was
sadly lacking
with even the simplest of passes almost impossible. Kicking
up the slope
into the wind holders Woodstock were finding things very
difficult and after
a half of backs to the wall stuff they were looking to go
into the brake
just the one goal down which the home team scored on 40
minutes. On the
stroke of half time however skipper James Ellis hit a superb
equaliser from
the edge of the box and there was not even time for a
restart as the half
time whistle was blown with honours even.
The game appeared to be heading for extra time but with 10
minutes left
Ellis did it again this time from close range injuring
himself in the
process. The skipper had helped the holders through and is
determined this
year to play in the final which he missed last year. Ellis
has now played
107 games for the Club and Saturdays winner was his 99th
goal. The injury
might mean he has to wait a little while before he can reach
the 100 but
after not scoring himself for a few weeks he was more than
happy with the
two.
Woodstock will now play either Smarden or Staplehurst in the
Semi Final with
a date to be arranged. Next week Woodstock are back in
league action home to
Sutton Ath with a 2.45 start.
04.03.07
MMSFL Division 1
Swallow Rise 2 Old Oak 5
Last weeks narrow win by Oak against the same opponents 3-2
looked for a
good deal of this game that it was going to be reversed but
in the end the
visitors cruised home 5-2 mainly because of the very poor
discipline of
their hosts. Swallow Rise had three players dismissed late
in the game and
Oak brushed aside the 8 men with Darren Rogers 2, Alec
Johnson 2 and Ben
Jones grabbing the five goals.
Oak are sitting in second place but with only four games
left and with other
teams with lots of games in hand it is unlikely they will
stay there.
24.02.07
BEKCFAL Division Two East
Woodstock Park 6 Pembury 2
Park kept their very slim promotion chances alive with a
good win on
Saturday after a recent bad run. Relying on one person James
Ellis to score
all the goals is their weakness these days but pleasing
for once it was not
the skipper who produced the goals although he was in the
thick of the
action.
A good spirit in the camp with players turning up in the
morning to fork the
surface water off the pitch to get the game on carried to
the game in the
afternoon . Carl Davies a new player to the club this year
did his share of
hard work in the morning which he transferred to his best
performance in a
Woodstock shirt to date. Park started well and the pace
of Rogers and Ellis
were causing all sorts of problems for the visitors defence.
On 15mins the
ball was played back to Davies on the edge of the box and
his low drive gave
the home team the lead. The second 15 min period of the
half following the
goal Woodstock completely switched off and the visitors
deservedly
equalised. The equaliser jolted Park back into action and
the final 15 mins
of the half they killed the game as a contest. Darren Rogers
scored from
close range following a Ellis pass and Davies followed up
his fine first
goal with an even better second from a bullet diving header.
Ellis set up
Rogers for his second giving Park a 4-1 half time lead.
The second half started with the visitors on top and a fantastic
long range effort brought the
score back to 4-2. Just as the visitors first goal jolted
Park into action the second had the same effect. Davies completed his
hat-trick with a header direct from a Terry Smith corner and the match was
wrapped up at 6-2 when sub Richard King cashed in on an error in Pemburys
defence.
Park are away in the second round of The Weald of Kent Cup next week to
Nalgo a trophy the Sittingbourne side are hoping to retain.
Sunday 25th
MMSFL Division One
Old Oak 3 Swallow Rise 2
Oak were coasting at 3-0 through Chris Leah, Peter Halls and Alec Johnson
but they had to hold on following a late fight back from the visitors
Swallow Rise. The result was enough to see them move up to second in the
table although they have played more games than most of their rivals.
23.9.06
BEKCFAL Division Two East
Woodstock Park 3 Putlands
Ath 1
Putlands had the better of the
first half of this game but the visitors were simply totally
inadequate in front of goal. Despite carving out a number
of chances some of them very acceptable indeed they never
really worked home keeper Mark Rees and he was up to anything
that did finally come his way. In a half where Woodstock
were very unhappy again about the way they were defending
they did at least put together one very slick move with
a speedy interchange of passes involving several players.
Danny Vecchiolla however could only smash the final ball
against the crossbar.
The second half started even
but the deadlock was broken on the hour when centre back
Peter Halls converted a corner for Woodstock to take the
lead. Woodstock immediately went to kill the game off taking
off two defensive players and bringing on wingers Matt Daw
and Paul Holliday. Woodstock were now on top and they managed
to force a number of corners and four decent saves from
the visiting keeper. On 70 minutes Halls centre back partner
Mick Rees headed another corner home for 2-0 and from then
on the visitors tried everything to get back into the match.
They managed to pull the game back to 1-2 on 80 minutes
to set up what should have been a tense last 10 minutes.
Woodstock used their third sub
at this point giving a debut to Latvian youth International
Aleksandrs Sazonovs and one slide rule pass from him set
up Carl Davies to smash home Woodstock's third from the
edge of the box for a good 3-1 win and a more comfortable
closing period.
With several key players missing
next week Woodstock will be looking to test the depth of
their squad when they play at home in the County cup.
24.9.06
MMSFL Division One
Old Oak 2 Featherby 1
Four straight wins is their
best start to a season for a long time but Oak were not
quite as good this week as they have been for the last three
games.
Darren Rogers gave the home
side the lead and when the visitors equalised it was to
seem that Oak were going to look back on a large number
of missed chances in the match. In all they did hit the
woodwork on five separate occasions!
They left it late to settle
the match when that man Rogers firm shot was well saved
by the visiting keeper only for Chris Leah to follow up
with an even harder shot into the bottom corner.
Oak are home again next week
for the fifth consecutive time in a sequence which will
see them play seven times at home before they have to travel
for the first time this season at the end of October!
16.9.06
BEKCFAL Division Two east
APM Mears 2 Woodstock Park
2
Looking to bounce back from last
weeks disappointing defeat Woodstock travelled to APM Mears
one of the two clubs relegated from Division One last year.
They started very brightly indeed with tall new player Justin
Hodge featuring upfront giving them a different dimension
than in recent years and something for the usual quicker forwards
Smith and Ellis to work off. For a half an hour they dominated
the game and quite how they did not score was largely down
to the incredible heroics of the home keeper who made several
saves from the three forwards.
With five minutes left of the
half another Woodstock new boy Matt Daw got through on the
right hand side heading for goal. Daw was brought down and
for a moment it looked as though the visitors would get an
obvious free kick. The ref played on and the ball was swept
to the other end of the field for a surprise goal for APM
to take the lead against the run of play. All the defensive
frailties of the previous week were back to haunt the Sittingbourne
side with another lapse in concentration.
The second half started with the
home side on top and it was not surprising when a good move
and cross and yet another lapse in defensive concentration
gave APM a 2-0 lead. If the first 15 minutes of the half belonged
to the home side the visitors laid siege on the home teams
goal for the rest of it but time and time again they were
foiled by a mixture of last ditch defending and APM's superb
keeper.
With ten minutes left Woodstock
went for broke sent on their final two subs and played with
four forwards. It paid off when at last James Ellis pulled
a goal back with a shot that was so well placed it would have
beaten any keeper. Long serving veteran defender Wayne Cook
was one of the subs and he was asked to play in his old position
of some years ago as a central striker. With only time added
on being played an incredible goalmouth scramble of blocks
and shots ensued until the ball come back to the edge of the
box. The one time striker remembered all the old habits and
crashed a superb left foot strike right into the top left
hand corner for a deserved equaliser. The final whistle followed
shortly but it was one of those occasions when any more time
would have most likely seen Woodstock win the game.
17.9.06
Kent Junior Cup Preliminary
Round
Old Oak 6 Park Lane 2
Old Oak and Park Lane were both
in division two of the Medway League last year but with Oak
moving up to one and Park Lane down to three they were parted
by a division this year when they met in the Kent Junior Cup.
The division one side proved that the divisions did not lie
as they won easily 6-2. New striker Darren Rogers looks to
be the find of this season as he scored an impressive hat-trick
to add to a header from Peter Halls and single strikes from
James Day and sub Kevin Dunk playing his first game of the
season after shrugging off an injury.
Saturday 9.9.06
BEKCFAL Div Two East
Woodstock Park 1 Saga Sports
& Social 3
As well as they had defended
the previous week against good opposition Sutton Ath,
Woodstock let themselves down badly this week in their
first home league game against league new boys Saga Sports
& Social. The unavailability of a few players from last
week and a couple more debuts should not have produced
such a poor all round performance against competent but
not outstanding opponents.
To be fair the home side made
most of the early first half running but they were unable
to convert a host of chances. Two in particular stood
out and both fell to the usually reliable Terry Smith.
The first was a very strong header that was well turned
over by the visiting keeper and the second a one on one
which he hit straight at the stopper. If both chances
had been a few inches either side they would have
been converted. The visitors came more into
the game late in the half and Mark Rees in the home goal
had to be sharp to turn away one good effort. The goal
that gave the visitors the lead was a very soft one indeed
with the home defence seeming to freeze rather than attack
the second ball in their own box. To their credit the
home team did come back into it and just before the break
they equalised when a visiting defender put a Danny Vecchiolla
cross into his own net whilst under pressure from James
Ellis and Terry Smith.
The second half started as
the first with Woodstock Park on top but this time with
no end product at all. Against the run of play the visitors
got a corner and they took the lead with a firm unchallenged
header following poor marking in the Park defence. Andy
Faithful playing at centre back made a slip for the third
goal that sealed the game.
The home side huffed and puffed
for the last 15 minutes af the game sending on several
substitutes but to no avail. It was a bitterly disappointed
home team that left the field and they will be looking
to improve their all round performance next week when
they visit APM Mears.
Sunday 10.9.06
MMSFL Senior League Cup
Old Oak 3 Club Star M 2
Six players from the previous
weeks league win were missing and neither registered goalkeeper
available for the cup home game for Oak against Club Star
M from the Premier Division above them. It was scratch
team that took the field then with centre back Peter Halls
wearing the keepers jersey. They need not have worried.
The Sittingbourne side fought
back from being 2-1 down to win 3-2 with goals from Darren
Rogers, Steve Clarke and the winner from Faizal
Bousfield a young player who has returned to the club
this season. Oak at are home to Park lane in the Kent
Cup next week kick off 10.30am.
Saturday 2.9.06
BEKCFAL Div Two East
Sutton Ath 0 Woodstock
Park 1
With a squad containing six
new signings Woodstock Park opened their account for the
season with a 1-0 win away at Sutton. Woodstock had drawn
the corresponding fixture last season. This year they
deserved to win for the excellent way they defended. The
new signings have given the squad a decent depth and the
signs are that once they get use to one another the Sittingbourne
side could have the potential to improve on their previous
years mid table standing.
It was however a couple of
the old boys they had to rely on for the narrow win on
Saturday.
On the few occasions their
tight defence was breached they had to rely on veteran
keeper Mark Rees, as usual he rose to the task with yet
another man of the match performance. They also had to
rely on another old boy James Ellis their leading scorer
every season since the Club started. He forced home the
only goal of the game from close range in the first half
for the win. It was the strikers 90th appearance and his
86th goal for the club.
Next Saturday Woodstock have
their first home league game of the season when they take
on new boys to the league Saga Sports and Social with
a 2.45kick off at Woodstock.
Sunday 3.9.06
MMSFL Div One
Old Oak 4 Sporting Sittingbourne
1
The two newly promoted clubs
who both play at Woodstock Park met on the opening day
and it was the landlord Old Oak who defeated the tenant
4-1 in a game that was much tighter than the scoreline
suggests.
It was a brand new strike
force that did the damage for Oak. Winger Alec Johnson
moved upfront to replace long serving goal scorer Roy
Sams who has retired and new signing Darren Rogers who
has been registered to replace last seasons player of
the year and leading scorer Terry Smith who has left the
club.
Alec Johnson gave Oak an early
lead but Sporting levelled from the spot when James Day
returning to he club after a two year absence made a clumsy
challenge.
In the second half Anthony
Dipper with a rare goal gave Oak the lead and this was
increased by James Day who scored and redeemed himself
for the penalty he had conceded. New boy Darren Rogers
scored a much deserved 4th in the closing minutes. Long
term Oak Manager Darren Small has also retired due to
work commitments so it was a winning start for their new
management team of Jom Monaghan and Kevin Dunk who have
worked hard this season putting a squad together.
Oak are at home next week
in the Senior League Cup when they take on Premier Division
Club Star M kick off 10.30am.
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