Football - Fairford Youth (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Football - Fairford Youth

Fairford Town 1, Kingham Juniors 1

Fairford were looking for revenge, Kingham having put them out of the Cup earlier in the season, and were unlucky not have claimed all three points.

Fairford lost a vital toss and Kingham had the benefit of a gale-force wind at their backs in the first half, which was compunded by the home side playing with just 10 men for the opening 15 minutes.

Nonetheless, with Junpei Kasuya and Daniel James scrapping hard in midfield. Tom Mallinson making vital tackles at the back and Alex Hall causing problems up front, it looked only a matter of time before Fairford went ahead.

However, a quick break by the visitors prompted a mistake at the back and, after a clinical finish, the visitors left the field ahead at half-time.

With the wind in their favour, Fairford mounted a constant assault on the resolute Kingham defence in the second period, the industrious Henry Rogers being involved in most of their attacks.

Kingham were again reduced to breakaways but they were calmly dealt with by man-of-the-match Sam Bird or keeper Mitchell Messer.

Hall went close to an equaliser with a chip which was well saved and a nice left wing cross by the same player was unlucky not to find a Fairford player in the six-yard box.

But the home team's pressure was at last rewarded when Rogers met a nicely-flighted centre from Tom Lander to head home with five minutes remaining.