The Berks & Bucks FA U18’s continued their early season winning streak with a well-earned 3 – 2 victory over Northamptonshire FA played at Bugbrooke St Michaels FC.

Playing against a fairly strong wind in the first half it was Berks & Bucks FA that had the first ½ chance in the first minute when Mitch Collins (Aylesbury FC) almost scored from the first corner of the game but his shot went wide of goal.

With both sides playing at a high tempo, the game ebbed and flowed from one end to the other with both sides seeing ½ chances spurned. Northamptonshire FA missed their first good opportunity in the 13th minute when Sam Gray (Maidenhead Utd FC) saved well and then saw a further opportunity missed in the 21st minute when a cross was headed wide when hitting the target appeared easier.

Berks & Bucks FA also missed a few opportunities. In the 16th minute. Liam Moore (Stony Stratford FC) headed over a Jacob Lowe (Aylesbury FC) cross and then Ken Feyi (Aylesbury FC) had a good chance well saved in the 31st minute.

With such open play from both sides, it seemed inevitable that a goal would come and Northamptonshire FA were first on the score sheet in the 34th minute. A Berks & Bucks FA break was intercepted inside the Northamptonshire FA half and they cleared up field to their left winger.

He beat the Berks & Bucks FA defender and crossed along the 6 yard line where their forward gratefully slotted the ball past Sam Gray in goal.

The game continued in the same entertaining fashion and Berks & Bucks FA were level some 3 minutes later from a corner. A driven Mitch Collins corner was dropped by the Northamptonshire FA goalkeeper and Connor Hall (Ascot Utd FC) was on hand to fire in to the back of the net.

With 3 minutes remaining, Connor could have extended the lead for Berks & Bucks FA but shot wide after a good Liam Moore cross set him up nicely.

Half Time: Northamptonshire FA 1 v Berks & Bucks FA 1

Berks & Bucks FA came out of the blocks in the 2nd half like men possessed and really applied pressure to the Northamptonshire FA defence who were very good throughout today.

Great football in the 1st minute saw Isaiah Joseph (Ascot Utd FC) pass forward to Liam Moore. Liam passed to Connor Hall who then quickly passed to Mitch Collins who then set up Ken Feyi with a great chance to score but a bit of hesitancy allowed the Northamptonshire FA centre half make an exceptional challenge. This would have been a fantastic goal had we scored.

A minute later and the fantasy football was repeated. This time Liam Moore fired over after yet more good interlinking play from Travis Hodge (Windsor FC). Mitch Collins and Rob Tomlin (Aylesbury FC).

For 10 minutes, the Berks & Bucks FA play was exceptional and they could have extended the lead again in the 8th minute when Ken Feyi fired wide from another Liam Moore pass.

In the 11th minute, the superb football from Berks & Bucks FA got its deserved goal and was another fine example of how good the game of football can be.

Isiah Joseph defended well just outside the Berks & Bucks FA penalty area and played the ball forward to Liam Moore on the left wing.

Liam passed forward to the excellent Connor Hall, named man of the match today, who then made a first time pass to Ken Feyi who was charging in on goal.

Ken laid the ball back to the supporting Connor Hall who immediately laid the ball to Travis Hodge who passed back to Connor who rifled in an unstoppable shot. 1 – 2 to Berks & Bucks FA.

A minute later, Mitch Collins rattled the cross bar with a 25 yard first time shot that had it gone in would have been spoken about for years, it was that good.

After 17 minutes of total Berks & Bucks FA dominance, Northamptonshire FA had their first ½ chance of the half - a 30 yard thunderbolt that sailed over the bar.

The game started to balance out although the better chances were still with the Berks & Bucks FA. In the 21st minute, a terrible Liam Moore Cross that seemed destined for Northampton Town Centre, some 10 miles away, appeared to get caught in a gust of wind and bounced down 1 yard from goal. Connor Halls header was straight at a defenders head and cleared.

In the 28th minute, good skill and an excellent cross from Mitch Collins found Travis Hodge at the far post but Travis’s shot was blocked and this further miss proved costly as a minute later, Northamptonshire FA equalised.

A long ball forward was not cleared and although substitute goalkeeper, George Zammit (Aylesbury FC) got a hand to the forwards shot, it fell kindly to the on rushing forward to tap in to the net to set up a frantic final 15 minutes.

In the 34th minute, the Northamptonshire FA goalkeeper saved brilliantly from Jacob Lowe and again, 2 minutes later, from Mitch Collins who was having a good 2nd half.

Just when it seemed that the trophy was to be decided by penalties once again (Berks & Bucks won on penalties last year) up popped Travis Hodge to score a goal worthy of the performance from Berks & Bucks FA today.

The play between Mitch Collins, Liam Moore, Jacob Lowe and Connor was exceptional once again and Travis’s shot was a peach of a strike that no goalkeeper would have saved. This appeared to knock the stuffing out of Northamptonshire FA and the game ended.

Final Score: Northamptonshire FA 2 v Berks & Bucks FA 3