Oakwood 1 - 2 Seaford - Div Two Cup

In a game in which they dominated possession and territory, Oakwood will be wondering how they bowed out of the Division 2 Cup at home to Seaford Town on Saturday.
Oakwood were the better side all game, but manager John Mist was encouraged despite the result.
“We had ten players out through injury and if I’m honest, as I’ve said, the league is far more important to me. We dominated the game today and if it wasn’t for their keeper making three or four good saves, it would have been a different story. I was pleased with the way we went about the game, and we created a lot of chances.”
Oaks were without Dan Attwater, Tom Tolfrey, Kieron Purkis and Andre Elkana, as well as the still unavailable Scott Mean, Gerald Manville, Scott Bidwell and Scott Langridge, amongst others.
Chris Williams scored from the spot again for the hosts, but a goal conceded in either half left Oaks on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline.
Following on from a grat result at Pagham in the John O’Hara Cup the previous week, Oakwood started brightly and quickly, with Williams forcing visiting ‘keeper Sheldon Levett, on loan from Ryman League outfit Eastbourne Town, into a sharp save early on.
Mark Holmes nearly celebrated his first start of the season with a dipping long range effort, but Levett again managed to scramble away.
But against the run of play it was the visitors who took the lead from a corner. Goalkeeper Shaw failed to hold a high cross under pressure, and Town’s Dan Pollard was more than willing to capitalise.
However, it wasn’t long before the scores were level. Oakwood passed their way around the opposition, and it was the surging Russ Wells from left back who was cleanly body-checked in the area, leaving Williams the simple task of notching his fourth goal in three games.
Oaks continued to camp themselves in the visitors half after the interval, dominating possession, and were always a threat from Mark Bevan’s crossing and Wells’ long throw, but failed to capitalise on any openings.
The best chance to go ahead fell to debutant Liam Hunter, who should have nodded the hosts in front following Williams’ acrobatic square, but with Levett nowhere, he headed over from six yards.
And Oakwood’s failure to take their chances inevitably came back to haunt them with 20 minutes to go.
A long throw into the box caught the home defence flat footed, and as it bobbled across the area, Oakwood only watched as Sean Breach stole in at the far post to fire past the helpless Shaw.
Now was the time for a cup tie finale, but despite valiant contributions from Nathan Pullen, Ben Davis, Scott Cullimore and sub Tobiano ‘Tubs’ Mancuso, Oaks could not find their way through a determined Seaford defence and Levett.
Seaford rarely threatened on the break, with Shaw having to tip over one dipping shot, but this match will be remembered as just one of those days for Oakwood.