by DAVID CHOPPING

LITTLE OAKLEY 4

NEWBURY FOREST 1

Thurlow Nunn League

division one south

OAKLEY produced another excellent second-half performance to take their unbeaten run to four games with a resounding win at the Memorial Ground.

A good chip by Mark Palmer over the visiting defence saw Franky Selwyn latch onto the ball but, rather than shooting, he took the wrong option, crossing to the back post and seeing the ball run out of play.

A loose pass by Anderson saw Luke Mayhew intercept and lay off into the path of Harry Mann, who was brought down by Crossley.

From the free-kick, Mayhew delivered to the back post for Jay Barker to sweetly volley home for the lead on nine minutes.

Matt Bedford stopped a Newbury break with a great tackle and he released Mann, but the striker had no support and was soon crowded out.

Dan Joyce was tested as Adomakoh worked space for himself but Joyce dealt with this as the visitors were starting to get on top.

It wasn't long before they were on level terms, on 16 minutes, when the pacey Dawson caught Toby Barrowcliffe flat footed, after Palmer failed to clear on the halfway line.

He made grounds into the area and squared for Burgess to side-foot past Joyce.

Mayhew tried his luck from distance but fired straight at Simpson, while again Simpson pushed away a header from Selwyn when it looked easier to score.

Simpson was the busier keeper and Newbury Forest had to thank him again after he denied Mayhew.

At the other end, a fine save by Joyce saw him at full stretch push around the post an effort by Adomakoh.

From another deep corner, Barker, on his own, saw Simpson save yet again as Oakley were pushing for a first-half lead.

They continued to pressurise the visiting defence, who held out for a level first half.

An early opportunity fell to the home side when Greg Rodger saw his effort tipped onto the crossbar and, with Tyler Sullivan following up, he somehow hit the bar again as Oakley pushed for the lead.

Rodger was causing problems for the visiting Gul, who was trying to crowd him out, but they were soon caught napping when good work by Rodger found Palmer, just inside the area, and he powered home for the lead.

Newbury Forest rarely got forward in the second half and, when they did, they couldn't really get past a stubborn home defence.

However, with the balance of play heavily on Oakley's attacking ability, Oakley broke and soon added a third after a pacey move.

Mann drove into the area and squared to an unmarked Rodger for a well-deserved goal.

With ten minutes left, the visitors lost possession in the centre of the field and Maina and Mann combined and outnumbered the Newbury defence for Mann to beat Simpson at the near post for Oakley's fourth.

On Saturday, Oakley's first team travel to Holland FC.

The reserves entertain Kelvedon Social for a 1.30pm kick-off in the Border League Knockout Cup, while the A team are away to Tiptree Engaine.