Oxshott scraped a draw with an equaliser three minutes from time, in a match that Haslemere were unlucky not to take all the points from.
Royals started the game brightly but were shocked when, with only their second attack of the game, the visitors opened the scoring.

Oxshott wiped out the advantage just two minutes later, when Bishop nodded a McLoughlin corner past the Haslemere keeper, but as the half progressed the visitors began to take control of the game, although the score remained tied as the whistle blew for half time.

Against the run of play, El Fadel gave Oxshott the lead seven minutes into the second period but Haslemere equalised just six minutes later and then began to pile pressure on Royals, hitting the bar and the upright on numerous occasions. The visitors eventually went ahead in the 71st minute and in the final 10 minutes threw everything they could at Oxshott in search of a fourth.

Royals had other ideas, however, and with just three minutes remaining, El Fadel latched on to a ball from Bishop and sent a looping shot over the keeper to secure a draw.

Man on the match was Frazer who made a number of important saves, including a spectacular one-handed punch that kept the teams level in the first half.

Oxshott lost their second game in two days when they were knocked out of the cup by a well-organised Tongham side.

The visitors took the lead after 12 minutes but Royals equalised just after the half-hour mark when Bryant nodded home a McLoughlin corner.

Five minutes later Oxshott looked like they’d taken the lead when El Fadel headed a Tough looping cross into the far corner of the net but the goal was disallowed for offside and the teams went into the interval all square.

Tongham looked the stronger of the two sides in the second period and after they scored their second goal midway through the half, a tiring Oxshott rarely looked capable of turning the match around.

Oxshott failed to capitalise on early possession which saw them dominate the first half and a highly physical Woking side eventually ended Royal’s 26-month unbeaten run with a 3-1 defeat.

Missing three key players, and without a recognised striker, Oxshott were forced to play a number of players out of position, which adversely affected the home side’s movement.

Despite that, it was Royals who opened the scoring half way through the first half when, after Nicholls made a run into the left side of the area, reached the byline and sent the ball across the goal, a Woking defender attempting a clearance shot past his own keeper.
The visitors equalised just eight minutes later, however, and three minutes before half time they scored their second to take the lead.
Oxshott were forced to play some of the second half with only ten men, following injuries to two of their players, but it was the lack of finishing power that let Royals down. Despite that, they never looked completely out of it until Woking scored their third three minutes from time.

As the game progressed, the visitors became more and more physical, resulting in three of their players being booked in the second half, and tensions overflowed just seconds from the end when a fight broke out in the middle of the field.

An Oxshott team weakened by the absence of key players, injury and illness had to dig deep and show all their never-say-die spirit to scrape a draw against the league leaders.

Feltham started brightest and had a number of threatening breaks before opening the scoring in the 6^th minute.

Royals’ prospects took another knock 10 minutes later as a well-organised Feltham, constantly pressing, extended their lead.

Oxshott continued to look vulnerable, but a Feltham goalkeeping error let them back into the game five minutes later. Under pressure from El Fadel, the keeper fumbled the ball and the Oxshott player slotted the ball into the net to reduce Feltham’s lead to a single goal at halftime.

Royals continued to struggle at the start of the second period but then the side’s legendary fighting spirit kicked in and they threw all they had at Feltham.

It looked like it was all to be in vain, however, until two minutes from time when Feltham failed to clear a Tough free kick and Bryant poked the ball home for the equaliser.

Man of the match was Dunsire who battled and chased for the full 80 minutes.

Oxshott stretched their unbeaten league run into its 26th month with a workmanlike victory over Tongham.

Royals opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Brett latched onto a ball from McLoughlin on the right and placed it past the Tongham keeper. The opening goal proved to be the curtain-raiser for a four-minute spell when the action seesawed from end to end.

First, Tongham won a penalty only to send the resultant kick just wide of the left-hand post.

Undeterred, the visitors went straight back onto the attack and they were rewarded just seconds later when they pulled the score back to 1-1.

Royals immediately bounced back, however, when Nichols bent low to nod a looping McLoughlin free kick past the Tongham keeper to recapture the lead.

Oxshott grew in confidence as the game progressed, and seven minutes into the second half Bryant met a McLoughlin corner with a far-post header to put them 3-1 ahead.

Fifteen minutes later, McLoughlin had a hand in Oxshott’s fourth goal too, jinxing through the area before centering the ball for El Fadel to slot into the net.

El Fadel wrapped up the scoring when he claimed his second and Royals’ fifth a minute from time, cushioning the ball on his knee before turning and volleying past the keeper.

Man of the match was stand-in keeper Dolce, who had a terrific game, although praise is also due to Hawkins who commandingly patrolled at the back throughout.

Looking rusty from six weeks without football, Oxshott left it to the final minute of the match to snatch victory.

Despite having a poor first half, Royals managed to keep the score goalless at the interval, but just two minutes into the second period Spelthorne scored the opener and for a short while began to dominate the game.

Gradually, however, Royals came back into the match and in the 58^th minute, Brett latched on to an excellent flick-on from Dunsire and fired the ball home for the equaliser.

A minute later, it looked like Oxshott had taken the lead when El Fadel had the ball in the net after a goalmouth scramble but the goal was disallowed for handball.

Royals continued to press but Spelthorne repelled everything that was thrown at them, occasionally threatening to grab the winner themselves.

As the game entered its final minute it looked like both sides would have to settle for a draw, but, in what proved to be the last attack of the game, El Fadel ran on to a looping ball and, faced with a one-on-one with the keeper, rounded the Spelthorne stopper and placed the ball in the net.

Man of the match was keeper Frazer, who made a number of telling saves which kept Oxshott in the game.

Not all was lost as Arsenal still kindly arranged tickets for us to go up to the Emirates and watch Arsenal play Everton in one of the only professional matches to survive the snowy weather. The pictures show the boys at the ground where we were sat right behind one of the goals and directly in the path of the second half blizzard. It was a brilliant chance for some of the boys to witness their first premiership match and to savour the atmosphere as we were close to the away section containing 3000 singing Everton fans.

A fantastic day out was completed for all the boys and dad’s at the Hope Workers café on the Holloway Road where all 18 of us ate supper for an average cost of £4.17!

Following Arsenal it was back to Bookham in the Epsom & Ewell League Cup where we showed all of Arsenal’s finesse and newly found grit (okay I’m biased) to narrowly beat our local rivals 2-1. Well played boys, another excellent performance from everyone.

Royals came within seconds of losing their first league game in two years in a thrilling match that had everything, including seven yellow cards, a sending off, a missed penalty and a last-gasp equaliser.

Oxshott had the best of the first-half possession, although Windlesham looked the most threatening on the break, so the Royals could regard themselves as unlucky when the home side took the lead just four minutes from the interval.

Royals continued to press at the start of the second half but a combination of fine goalkeeping from the Windlesham keeper and poor penetration kept them off the score sheet.
As the game entered its final stages, Oxshott moved to a 3-5-2 formation and threw everything they had at Windlesham but as the minutes ticked by it seemed Royals could do nothing to beat the home keeper.

As Oxshott pushed for the equaliser, the match began to heat up and the referee was forced to show yellow cards to both sides, with a second booking for a Windlesham player, seeing the home side reduced to 10 men in the 70th minute.

Six minutes later Mcloughlin was brought down in the area but the Windlesham keeper continued his fine performance by saving the resulting spot kick, and it seemed that despite their dominance Royals would go home empty handed.

Four minutes into injury time, however, Mcloughlin floated in a free kick, which first Crane, then Neuner headed against the bar. Windlesham cleared into the path of Tough who drilled the ball against an opposition defender and into the net.

Man of the match was Crane, who was rock steady in defence throughout.

Surrey Primary League Junior Cup first round

Oxshott never looked like losing this cup-tie but at times made it difficult for themselves against a plucky opposition.
Royals opened the scoring after just eight minutes, when Brett knocked the ball back for Nicholls to chip the keeper, but despite almost constant pressure and a number of near misses they failed to add to their total before halftime.
The home side doubled their score eight minutes into the second period, however, when McLoughlin played the ball through to Brett, who despatched the ball past the keeper.

Two minutes later Royals had the chance to put the result beyond any doubt when they were awarded a penalty for handball but the Woking keeper, who had a fine game throughout, anticipated the shot well and saved on the line.

Oxshott eventually notched their third in the 56th minute, when Brett fired in from a Tough cross, and a fine solo goal from McLoughlin, who weaved his way through the area before shooting home, made it 4-0 just a few minutes later.
With the wind and the rain beginning to reach storm proportions, Royals scored a fifth just six minutes later, Dunsire playing a neat through ball to McLoughlin, who crossed for Brett to fire the ball home.

Woking were rewarded for their perseverance when they pulled two goals back in the final 14 minutes, either side of McLoughlin’s second for Royals in the 71st minute.
McLoughlin, who played a part in four out of Oxshott’s six goals, was named man of the match.

Surrey Primary League Junior Cup; preliminary round

If you type “classic cup tie” into Wikipedia, don’t be surprised to see a photo from this match – muddy conditions, end-to-end play, a seesawing scoreline and a last-minute off-the-line clearance!

The home side took the lead after just 12 minutes but Royals gave as good as they got in the remainder of the first half and equalised eight minutes before the interval, when Brett slotted home a through ball from Nicholls.

Less than a minute after the break it was Oxshott who went in front, the Dunsfold keeper parrying a Brett shot and El Fadel heading into the net.

“Less than a minute after the break it was Oxshott who went in front, the Dunsfold keeper parrying a Brett shot and El Fadel heading into the net.”

Royals’ lead lasted less than three minutes, however, when the referee awarded a penalty for pushing and the home side fired the ball past Frazer.

As the second half progressed, Oxshott began to take control of the game and Nicholls shot them back into the lead in the 52^nd minute but, with less than five minutes remaining, Dunsfold levelled to take the game into extra time.

Royals once again came out of the stalls at breakneck speed, pulling ahead after just a minute of extra time, when Mughal rose to nod in a Nicholls cross to give the visitors a 4-3 advantage.

Three minutes later, Dunsfold equalised again, to leave the sides level at 4-4 with the second 15 minutes of extra time to play.

Two minutes after the break Oxshott made it 5-4, Mughal nodding the ball down for El Fadel to fire it home, but this time the advantage lasted just 60 seconds as the home side once again cancelled out Royals’ lead.

Oxshott’s winner came with just two minutes remaining – Brett latching on to a superb Dolce cross from the right to rifle the ball home.

The drama didn’t stop there, however, as, in the final minute, Dunsfold won a corner and sent everyone, including their keeper, into the Oxshott area. As the ball bounced helplessly around in front of goal, only a last-gasp kick off the line by Mughal kept the match from going to penalties.

Man of the match was keeper Frazer, whose confident handling made a major contribution to helping the cup holders through to the next round.