Hughes scores for Fairford on his senior team debut (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Hughes scores for Fairford on his senior team debut

DESPITE making more than enough chances to have comfortably won at Abingdon in Saturday's Hellenic Premier League match, Fairford returned with nothing to show for their efforts.

Organ gave the hosts a 29th-minute lead and the visitors were caught napping two minutes after the break with a goal from Opu.

But Fairford manager Mark Webb's injury-hit side, which included teenagers Chris Hale and Chris Hughes playing their debut matches for the senior team, pulled one back through Hughes on 74 minutes.

However, in an otherwise promising display, the chances came and went unrewarded as Fairford slipped to a 1-2 defeat

With Webb unable to rely on a constant formation, due to a spate of injuries to seven or eight of his regulars that include Lee Kilfoyle, Lee Sharpe and Chris Knowle, he was thinking of playing youngsters Hale and Hughes in last night's (Wednesday) league match against the visitors from Bristol, Almondsbury Town.

Although Fairford defeated Slimbridge in a recent cup encounter, this Saturday's trip to the home of the current Hellenic Premier leaders holds its concerns for manager Webb and his depleted squad.

While Fairford are not doing as well as last season in the league, they are enjoying good runs in a number of cup competition.

And their forthcoming trip to Bitton for the FA Vase second round is a case in point.