The second match of the day brought me from Horley Town, a short three mile hop to Oakwood FC. The home team play in the Southern Combination Football League Division 1 and their opponents in the league today were Alfold FC, whose home ground is located between Horsham and Guildford.

The league has started well for Oakwood FC with two wins and one defeat from the opening three games for experienced manager Mark Gilbert’s side. Alfold FC have fared less well, with just one point from their opening four games.

The Oakwood Sports and Social Club ground boasts floodlighting, a small covered grandstand, as well as a clubhouse bar and a decent quality grass pitch. Oakwood had 80 fans at their first home league fixture earlier this month and today’s attendance looked to be better.

After a bright opening, in the fourth minute Alfold were 0-1 ahead, with a neat close range finish by Ryan Doyle.

On 34 minutes the home side were level, with Tom Agate making it 1-1 with a well placed shot from the left hand side of the Alford penalty area.

Within a minute of the Oakwood equaliser, Alfold FC were 1-2 ahead, taking the lead for the second time in the match. Yassine Aines found a through ball from Ryan Lemaitre, that he was able to stab under the Oakwood keeper to secure the lead.

On the stroke of half time it was 1-3 to Alfold FC, with a clinically headed finish by Jack Appleby, from a corner.

At the break it was the home side who went in with it all to do in the second half, trailing 1-3 against a confident Alfold FC.

The second half was evenly fought, but with both teams making substitutions allowing for their youth players to have some experience, the high quality finishing in front of goal, which had marked out the first half was now missing.

At fulltime neither side was able to add to the score so it was Alfold FC who took all three points, to secure their first league win of the season.

The home side will feel they had chances in the first half to ensure they came away from this game with something. Oakwood will need to be sharper in front of goal in future, should they wish to challenge in the league this season.