HOLLAND FC 4

LITTLE OAKLEY 2

Essex and Suffolk Border League premier division

THIS was a classic tale of two halves.

The first belonged to Oakley, while the second was dominated by Holland.

The Acorns started well, going two-up in ten minutes.

They went ahead when Matt Geen headed against the bar from Liam Duly’s corner.

Rory Harman was on hand to follow up and give his side a fourth-minute lead.

Oakley’s second was a bizarre own goal.

Rob Pratt worked space for himself and crossed – only for Dave Chapman to accidentally slide the ball into his own net.

Alex Ball, in the Holland goal, was the busier of the two keepers and he parried away a Harman effort, from Shaun Kioussis’ free-kick.

At the other end, some indecision by Nicky Palmer and Lewis Wood allowed Steve Eaton a half-chance, but he shot straight at keeper Glenn Morrison.

On the half-hour, Mark Palmer was fouled in front of goal, 20 yards out, and Oakley were unlucky not to score from Kioussis’ free-kick.

His effort took a slight deflection, with Ball, at full-stretch, tipping it round the post.

Holland pulled a goal back when, with the assistant flagging for a foul throw, referee Buda played on.

Oakley’s defence were guilty of not playing to the whistle, allowing Eaton the chance to lob Morrison into an empty net.

Oakley surrounded the referee, who thought the assistant was flagging for offside so played on.

The second half saw Oakley outplayed, but they should have gone further ahead when Pratt headed straight at Ball.

Holland pulled level on the hour-mark when a free-kick into the area fell to Oldhamstead.

He cleanly dispatched the ball into the corner of the net.

Good work by Oldhampstead saw Eaton’s header go over, while at the other end Neil Goldsworthy recovered well to halt Geen’s progress.

With 15 minutes to go, Oakley were reduced to ten men when a poor back-pass by Wood put pressure on Morrison.

He eventually brought down Eaton, leading to him being red-carded and also conceding a penalty.

Nicky Palmer went in goal – only to pick the ball out of the net as Goldsworthy put Holland ahead.

Eaton added a fourth when a hopeful lob came off the post and he followed up for an easy tap-in.

Tomorrow, Oakley’s first team entertain Boxted, while their reserves travel to Wormingford (both 2.30pm).