.png)
Picture Caption: Slough Heating Laurencians have returned to the East Berkshire Football League this season with a Reserves team in Division One. The side beat HKRG United 7-0 at The Polis Club on the first weekend of the new season.
Slough Heating Laurencians Reserves were in seven heaven on their return to the East Berkshire Football League after a 7-0 win against HKRG United.
The football club has not been a member of the E.B.F.L since 2021 but have made a most welcome return with a Reserves team entered into Division One this season.
Their opponents on the first weekend in the new campaign were Reading-based HKRG United, a team that was making a debut in the E.B.F.L having joined from a friendly league in the summer.
But, no amount of prayer could save HKRG from a heavy defeat inflicted by a Slough Heating side that many will consider as a leading contender for promotion this year.
There was a brace of goals for Steffen Bennett and five other scorers at The Polish Club; John Brennan, Alfie Clark, Carl Feasey, Craig Kelly and Ramari Mayers.
Old Windsor Reserves have not failed to finish in the top four of their division since 2020 - finishing as runners-up in three of the last four seasons - and will again start the new campaign as a favourite to win a title that has been missed out on only narrowly in recent years.
The Os beat league debutants Prospect 6-3 at Old Windsor Recreation Ground in a match that was over as a contest in the first 45 minutes. The home team opened up a four goals lead before the half-time interval with Oliver Murray, Lewis Hewitt, Daniel Pilcher and Sean Blandford all on the scoresheet. Murray bagging the first goal of the new E.B.F.L season in less than 60 seconds.
VIDEO CLIP: Prospect player-manager Dawid Jarzebowski scores from a free-kick with this sublime finish, a contender for Goal of the Weekend on the opening day of the new season.
Blandford was one of the leading goals scorers in Division One last season and netted his second of the game before Prospect showed their spirit and character to pull back three goals with a little bit less than 15 minutes still to play; Dawid Jarzebowski twice finding a route to goal and Kacper Sek also on target.
The chances of Prospect mounting an almost unthinkable comeback were dashed inside the final six minutes as Blandford scored again to complete his hat-trick and secure all three points for Old Windsor.
Hype Train survived a spiritous fightback from a young and talented FC Bracknell team, another to make their E.B.F.L debut this year, to win 6-5 in an 11-goals thriller at Waingels College in Woodley (read the full match report here).
The Train steamed into a 5-1 lead at the break thanks largely to a first-half hat-trick from Phil Newport, with Mohammad Ilyas Abdulwahab adding a brace of goals. Bracknell’s joint-manager Bailey Gandolfi pulled one back for his side in the first period.
The hosts should have had all three points secured when Mitchell Saunders scored a sixth goal for the team straight from the restart however, Bracknell then staged an incredible comeback in an attempt to come away with at least a point.
Substitute Andre Jardim scored twice, with both captain Calvin Grainger and George Leakey also hitting the back of the net to move the visitors within one goal of levelling the scores. Bracknell had two opportunities to take something from the game but could not convert the chances and Hype Train held on to take maximum points on the opening day.
Saturday 31st August 2024 (2pm kick off)
Premier Division
Cookham Dean v AFC Reading
FC Beaconsfield v Chalvey Sports
KS Gryf v Pundit
Sandhurst Royals v FC Baylis United
Division One
Eton Wick v FC Bracknell
Hype Train v Taplow United Swans
Old Windsor Reserves v HKRG United
Prospect v Caversham United
Slough Heating Laurencians Reserves v Bracknell Aces
To enter the East Berkshire Football League ahead of the 2025/26 season, or for further information about the league, or becoming a league sponsor, please email the team at info@eastberksfl.co.uk
Comments