Ashton Prime 0-2 Woodlands Reserves

After last week's improved performance at Dowgate, Prime went into their encounter with Woodlands confident of taking the points. However, their hopes were hit by top scorer Barker being ruled out with an ankle injury, and Walters and Walker both missing.

Their absence enabled Matthews, Goulding and Davis to return to the first XI, along with keeper Lewis Kerton who was picked in preference to Latter.

Prime had clearly learnt lessons from their 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture and Goldsmith and Matthews snapped into the tackles to blunt the threat of Woodlands' experienced play-makers.

Gilbert and Garisde again looked a solid combination and with Mazurkiewicz keeping his left-winger under wraps and Davis putting in an assured display at left-back, Prime had a good base.

Kneebone was clearly Prime's main threat and Prime were keen to use his pace at every oppotunity. He was put clean through after 15 minutes but the keeper came out and tipped his effort wide.

Goulding was also having a productive time down the left and his pressure caused a mistake by the Woodlands defender which gave Matthews a chance with a snap-shot which went just wide.

Prime finally thought they had the breakthrough when Goldsmith's slide-rule pass freed Skovborg-Hansen who smashed a right-footed shot past the keeper, but it came back off the bar.

On the half-hour mark, Prime were awarded a stone-waller of a penalty as Skovborg-Hansen's pace was clearly too much for the Woodlands right-back who cynically scythed him down and then comically pleased that he had not touched him!

However from the resultant penalty, Excell beat the keeper but hit the post and the rebound came straight back to him but he was not allowed to touch the ball as nobody else had yet touched it - and Woodlands scrambled the ball clear.

Woodlands earned a penalty of their own with 5 minutes left in the half. A deep corner resulted in a melee in the box and Matthews was harshly adjudged to have fouled the Woodlands centre-back.

From the penalty, Prime's terrible run of luck was summed up when the Woodlands midfielder also hit the post, but his effort went in, beyond the diving Kerton.

Prime felt aggrieved to be behind at the break and were determined to battle back in the second period.

They were still battling hard but through balls for Excell and Skovborg-Hansen were running straight through to the keeper with the slope assisting them.

It was a half of few chances with Prime forcing a sequence of corners and throw-ins in dangerous areas, but the ball just would not drop kindly for anyone in a light-blue shirt.

Prime's best efforts were from distance with Matthews testing the keeper and Goulding firing over from long range.

Sander replaced Goulding for the closing 20 minutes, but Prime were running short of ideas and time and Woodlands closed out the game on the break with less than 10 minutes left. They worked the ball well down the left-wing and the cut-back was coolly finished at the near post, giving Kerton no chance.

Man of the Match: Davis - Rock solid filling in at left-back.