Reading YMCA striker Sam Jennings kept his nerve to bag a late winner against a spirited Taplow side who were unlucky not to get something from the game.

YM suffered their first defeat of 2010 the previous week against Cookham Dean and could easily have gone down again in a game in which both sides had countless chances to wrap up the game.

Taplow started well and created 3 excellent chances in the opening 5 minutes with the best seeing a Taplow midfielder capitalise on a YM defensive mix-up to lob the ball over keeper Scott Hodgetts but just wide of the post. YM also created chances of their own with Martin Abery and Jennings both going close before Taplow hit the bar with a header from a corner.

Taplow were looking faster and sharper than their opponents but lacked a cutting edge whilst YM looked lethargic but were carving out chances at regulat intervals.

As the 1st half drew to a close YM began to get the better of things for the first time and the signs were looking ominous for the home side as the 2nd half got underway.

YM were the better side in the 2nd period but were conceeding chances to their opponents with alarming regularity.  Jennings and Johnny Adey both missed good chances whilst several other good situations were spoilt by players being over anxious.  But with the game heading towards a stalemate, a slip by the Taplow defence allowed Jennings to bare down on goal where he kept his composure to sit the keeper down and slot into the empty net.

Taplow were not finished though and they somehow managed to miss an open goal and a couple more half chances before the final whistle was blown.

YM manager Mark Lemm said "We didn't play great today but we stayed patient and didn't panic and when the chance came Sam Jennings was the coolest man on the pitch.  We haven't played well since Xmas but have got 4 wins from 5 games so we must be doing something right!

We beat Taplow 7-0 earlier in the season but they were much improved and I would have had no complaints if they had won today."

READING YMCA:HODGETTS, CAYZER, CASSIDY, FITZPATRICK, BICKNELL, ADEY, EDMUNDS (replaced by LEE 65mins), WAGNER, D TIPPER (replaced by HEADLAND 80mins), ABERY, JENNINGS (replaced by M LEMM 86mins) SUBSLEE, HEADLAND, M LEMM.

LEMMY'S MOM - SCOTT HODGETTS

Reading YMCA Rapids showed the massive strides they are taking with a 3-1 Berks and Bucks win over premier division Cookham Dean Res. With both sides going in to the game depleted by cup ties and a stag do, YM boss O Boyle had to shuffle his pack yet again with Steve Daly starting wide right, Ryan Tipper at the heart of the defence and Mark Ilsley switching to right back.

YM nearly got off the to worst start possible when the home side broke from the kick off and went clean through on goal only for the Cookham forward to shoot narrowly wide. YM were on the ropes and for the first 20 minutes it seemed a case of how many for the home side. Dean should have gone 1-0 when a forward sat the YM defence down and saw his goalbound effort slam against the upright and back in to the arms of the returning Scott Mortimer. This seemed to rejuvinate YM and they finally got going with Sidwell and Cornell commanding the midfield and setting Steve Daly away down the right and Steve Woodrow down the left with both tricky wingers casuing problems and delievry pin point crosses. On 30 minutes the ball fell to Sidwell whose scuffed shot went out for a corner, which Woodrow whipped in and it evaded everyone with the Cookham keeper pushing the ball in to his own net. This spurred YM on further and Kasonde was unlucky not to make it 2 from close range after good work by Dave Morrison. The half was a half of 2 halves as YM went in 1-0 to the good.

The second period started the way the first had finished with Kasonde going close from the kick off. YM always looked a danger from set pieces with Rolfe going close and Morrison stabbing a shot close after a penalty area melee. With YM in the ascendancy with was Sidwell who looked to have made the game safe on 65 minutes when he slotted home after excellent work by Morrison and Daly on the edge of the box. It appeared as though the game would just close out but Cookham grabbed a lifeline when Rolfe managed to stear the ball in his own net from a yard to give the home side hope. With Cookham attacking and YM defending well Cookham will feel as though they missed their chance in the first half when Rolfe scored at the correct end on 70 minutes, lashing home a looping volley to kill the game off. Cookham came at YM with a couple of half chances but knew the tie was over thanks to Rolfe's 'looper'

Boss O Boyle said: 'When we finally started the lads played well but we could have been down and out before that point. I was really pleased in the end and it shows we can compete with teams in the higher divisions'

YM RAPIDS: MORTIMER, ILSLEY, R TIPPER, ROLFE, KENNY, DALY, SIDWELL, CORNELL, WOODROW, D MORRISON, KASONDE. SUBS: NEWMAN (Replaced Sidwell 75)

BOILERS MOM: TIM SIDWELL