Wednesday 23rd August 2023, Kick-off 18.00
Thames Valley League Premier Division
The Cauldron, Padworth
Admission: Free
Programme: None
Attendance: 60 (rough headcount)
On my way home from an overnight trip up north, a couple of fixtures in the Thames Valley League Premier Division suited me perfectly, with a 6 o'clock kick off at both games ensuring that I could take in a new ground some way away from home, but still get home at around 10pm. AFC Winkfield, playing at Virginia Water's traditional ground at The Timbers, was marginally better for me geographically, being closer to home, but in the end I chose a visit to The Cauldron, a ground that has been on my radar for some time anyway.
Despite carrying the town's name, Reading YMCA play some nine miles away from the town, in the "dispersed settlement" of Padworth. And on a gloriously warm and sunny evening, the rural, peaceful location was perfect for a game of football this evening. Arriving a couple of hours ahead of kick-off, I had a very pleasant walk along the nearby Kennet & Avon Canal to Aldermaston Wharf. Reading YMCA lease the football pitch from Padworth Village Hall, whose small building is on the site, between the pitch and a fair sized tarmac car park. The football pitch has attractive wooden perimeter fencing around most of the pitch, although only one length is easily accessible for spectators. The end closest to the entrance is also accessible, behind roping, and in the corner is the clubhouse building, and refreshments are available from a modern bar, either from an outdoor hatch or the small inside area. A small area of cover supported by a wooden frame has been erected on the pitch side of this building, providing a slightly elevated area to watch the game from, with a few individual seats and benches available if desired. There are no stands nor floodlights, but the location is picturesque, with rustic countryside surrounding the ground, with the peace occasionally slightly interrupted by passing intercity trains fairly close by. As expected, no programme was produced for this fixture, although very occasionally, the club does produce one.
Reading YMCA finished in fourth place in the Thames Valley League Premier Division last season, but their opening two games this season has seen plenty of goals at both ends, winning their opening game against SB Phoenix 6-3 at home, before losing 6-1 at Finchampstead on Saturday. Westwood Wanderers finished in sixth place last season, and also opened their season with a home win and an away defeat.
On a gloriously very warm and sunny early evening, the visitors quickly grabbed control of this game, scoring twice in the opening eight minutes. First, Harrison Luffrum drove the ball from the edge of the area into the bottom corner, and three minutes later, a long ball launched into the area was headed down across the area and Samuel Poulter bundled the ball home. But on ten minutes, Reading YMCA had a great chance to pull a goal back, when they were awarded a penalty when one or their players was bundled over in the box, but the penalty was saved low to the keeper's right. Both sides continued to create chances in what was developing into an end to end game, and so it was slightly surprising that the scoreline remained 0-2 at the break.
But the hosts pulled a goal back eight minutes after the restart, when a good jinking run towards the penalty area by half time sub Archie Denton ended with the ball being struck home, brushing the keeper on its way through. But Westwood restored their two goal lead on 69 minutes, after an initial shot was blocked on the line, possibly by a hand, but the ballnwas eventually bundled home anyway by Poulter for his second of the game. And the visitors all but sealed the points on 74 minutes, when the ball was curled into the net, via a deflection off a back, by sub Daniel Nicholson. Reading scored their second a minute later, when a low cross was deflected towards the back post for Mohamed Adam to tap the ball home, only for Westwood to restore their three goal lead on 79 minutes, when another sub, Matthew Bustin, struck the ball lown across the keeper. Slightly surprisingly, that turned out to be the last of the scoring, and it was a scoreline which did reflect how the game panned out.
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