Reading YMCA slipped to their first league defeat since the opening week of the season after a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Frilsham & Yattendon.

The game hinged on a 5 minute spell immediately before half-time when Frilsham capitalised on some poor defending to score twice forcing YM to chase the game.  Up until that point, YM had been the better side with much of the game being played in the Frilsham half but some good defending and average finishing left YM wondering how they were behind.

The first dramatic incident of the game saw YM midfielder Naz Edmunds pick the ball up 30 yards from goal before blasting an exocet of a shot towards the top corner.  Somehow Frilsham keeper Damien Scurr managed to get a fingertip to the shot deflecting the ball onto the post and crossbar before flying across the face of the goal to safety.  Shortly afterwards, Scurr was again needed to tip a Drew Tipper round the post and then Tipper had a gilt edged chance to score when a cross found him unmarked at the back post but his header drifted agonisingly wide.

The chances continued to flow for YM who were playing in good football in difficult conditions but Frilsham were lively on the counter attack with Jamie Green and Marley Churcher carrying a threat.  With the half-time whistle due Frilsham stunned YM with a 2-goal blast.  A cross field ball saw Green exploit poor positioning from the YM defence and, with keeper Scott Hodgetts committed, the striker knocked the ball round the keeper before slotting into the empty net.

Before YM could recover the composure, a poor corner was claimed by Hodgetts only for the keeper to drop the greasy ball into the path og Green who gleefully tapped home.

Frilsham had a great chance to kill the game off early in the 2nd half when Green outmuscled the YM defence before squaring for Churcher who blazed over the bar from 5 yards.

YM huffed and puffed in the 2nd half but the Frilsham defence were organised and committed and it was only in the final 20 minutes that YM really began to threaten.  Wide man Steve Daly turned well in the box but could only fire straight at Scurr and then Martin Abery smashed a close range volley over the bar.  Debutant Stuart White showed some nice touches on his introduction into the game and his snap shot was also saved by Scurr but it was not to be YM's day and Frilsham earned the points their efforts deserved.

YM boss Mark Lemm said "It has been a recurring theme for us this year that we have not converted pressure, territory and possession into goals but we have been getting away with it.  But we paid the price for that today and made it difficult for ourselves by conceeding 2 goals in quick succession just before half-time.

I can't fault the players effort though and we created enough to win the game comfortably but I was impressed with Frilsham.  They are a big, strong side who play quite direct but it is very effective and they will be a tough test for anyone especially on their own patch."

READING YMCA: HODGETTS, CAYZER (replaced by WHITE 73mins), GREEN, FITZPATRICK, C LEMM (replaced by LEE 58mins), DALY (replaced by BAKER 65mins), EDMUNDS, WAGNER, D TIPPER, ABERY, JENNINGS SUBS LEE, BAKER, WHITE.

LEMMY'S MOM - DANNY FITZPATRICK

Match Report

YMCA's first game as holders was against Woodley Town Reserves in Division 1 and the Rapids knew they would be in for a difficult game.

The Rapids started brightly and should have been 2 or 3 up but for some poor finishing from the strikers who were beating the Woodley Town offside trap with ease.

Luke Kasonde sprung the offside trap but could not find the killer ball to pick out a lung busting run from Sean Kenny, who made his feelings known!
On the 30th minute Kasonda broke through onto an Andy Bullet through ball to go one and one with the keeper and calmly slide the ball into the back of the net to give YM a deserved lead.

As seems to be so often the case this season, the Rapids wanted to make life hard for themselves and a long ball from the Woodley defense bounced unkindly on the onrushing YM goalie Froude who misjudged the bounce and allowed the Woodley striker a simple tap in.

Kenny lived up to his reputation on the 40th minute when one of his trademark tackles was ruled to be a foul by the referee Crutchfield - an angry outburst resulted in a yellow card for the left back.

With the sides level at half time the Rapids went on the attack and created further chances early on in the second half. Morrison continued to look dangerous with some mazey runs but couldn't find the finish that he deserved.

On 65 minutes a Rapids corner brought about a challenge in the penalty box between Morrison and the goalie which to the amazement of the Woodley defence resulted in a penalty. Cassidy stepped up to the mark and smashed the ball to give the Rapids the lead and a win which sees them into the quarter finals.

YM boss O'Boyle

"I was really pleased with certain parts of our game today. Defensively we looked solid, Tipper and Daz were solid in the middle, Bully and Woodrow looked dangerous on the wings whilst Morrison and Kassonda looked dangerous all afternoon. Our finishing let us down today and we will be working on that during the week before our next big B&B cup game on Saturday against MK Titans".

READING YMCA: FROUD, ILSLEY, ROLFE, CASSIDY, KENNY, BULLETT, R TIPPER, CORNELL, WOODROW, MORRISON, KASONDE. SUBS: LEACH (Not Used) EVANS (Replaced Woodrow 65) T MORRISON (Replaced Bullett 75)

BOILERS MOM - SEAN KENNY