Oakwood endured their fifth consecutive away match on Saturday, travelling to face Bookham in a game they controlled from start to finish but were left frustrated after a dramatic ending.

New signing Reg Griffiths, making his first appearance since joining from Three Bridges, slotted seamlessly into the side. From the opening whistle, Oakwood were on the front foot, with Niko, Reg, and JJ combining brilliantly to create wave after wave of early pressure.

Despite Oakwood’s dominance, the hosts were kept in the game by their outstanding goalkeeper, who produced a string of impressive saves to deny the visitors. At the other end, the defensive unit of Daniel, Billie, Theo, and Riley remained composed and organised, keeping Bookham quiet throughout the first half. The teams went into the break 0–0, a scoreline that didn’t reflect the number of chances Oakwood created.

The second half began in dense fog, but the pattern of the match didn’t change. Oakwood continued to push forward, with the lively Harry Morley working tirelessly and Leo Newton going close at the far post. Still, the Bookham keeper remained in inspired form, thwarting further efforts from Niko, Hamza, and Lukas as Oakwood searched for the breakthrough.

Deep into stoppage time, in the fourth minute of added time, Oakwood were finally rewarded. The referee awarded what Bookham felt was a soft penalty, but Niko Joseph showed no hesitation, stepping up to confidently smash home the spot-kick for a deserved 1–0 lead.

However, the drama wasn’t over. Straight from the restart, the Bookham goalkeeper launched a high clearance forward, and in a moment of misfortune for Oakwood, the ball somehow found its way into the net. The final whistle blew moments later, the game finishing 1–1—a result that felt like two points dropped for an Oakwood side that had dominated from start to finish.

A frustrating end, but another performance full of promise and control from Oakwood.

After the game a few of the team bumped into FOOTBALL LEGEND and podcast royalty Peter Crouch who kindly stopped for a snap.

OAKWOOD FC

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