On 7th March, Bucks travelled to Oxfordshire to face Oakley United Reserves in the quarter final of the Thomas Field shield, in a fixture that was re-arranged due to the home side being unaware of the original fixture.
From the warm up it was clear that it was going to be a difficult day for a passing game, as a very cut-up pitch had dried quickly meaning the surface was very uneven, which would cause the ball to bobble. Despite the tough surface Bucks took the lead with the very first effort of the game. A long ball out from the back was controlled by James Faulkner before he unleashed a decent effort from 30 yards which lobbed the back-peddling keeper (2mins). This appeared to rock the home team, with many of their passes appearing rushed and possession given back to Bucks all too frequently.
Despite a lot of good possession from the away side, they were not able to extend their lead in the first half an hour, and in fact could have been level if Oakley had not wasted a few good chances. Just after the half hour mark, James Faulkner saw red for an angry reaction to a foul. The Oakley player who committed the challenge was also sent off, taking both teams down to 10 men each. Bucks increased their lead with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half. A corner was cleared by the Oakley defence, but fell to right back Durelle Palmer, who controlled the ball just inside the oppositions half before delivering a hopeful ball back in the direction of the goal. Much to the amazement of all the players and spectators, the strong wind held the ball in the air and it evaded the keeper, dropping just under the cross bar to make it 2-0 (37mins).
Bucks went in to half-time with a comfortable lead but knew that they had not been at their best in the first period. Creser replaced Bannister, which saw a slight re-shuffle, with Sinfield moving from central midfield to left back and Creser filling the position that he had vacated. The second half got underway and could not have started any worse for Bucks, and more specifically keeper Matt Moran. A long ball from the Oakley midfield looked unlikely to cause Bucks any harm, until the onrushing Moran missed his kick to allow the Oakley forward to tap home into an empty net (46mins). Despite the poor start to the half, the away side looked by far the better team with good chances going begging, including a close range headed effort from Ray Long.
The scoreline finished 2-1 and Bucks progress to the semi-finals where they will meet FC Spandits. Man Of The Match this week went to Troy Bailey-Goss who kept the midfield ticking over, despite the scrappy nature of the game.
Next up for Bucks is another cup quarter final, this time it’s the Tom Sparkes League Cup against Walton Court Wanderers.
