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F.C. Bracknell win the Battle of Bracknell in front of a record Showcase Match crowd at Arbour Park Stadium
- Rob Stevens
- Mar 7
- 5 min read
F.C Bracknell extended their incredible winning streak in East Berkshire League Division One when winning in a record-breaking Showcase Match event on Friday night.
The Battle of Bracknell between Bracknell Aces and F.C. Bracknell smashed all previous sales records with more than 350 tickets purchased online and an attendance of 542 inside the Arbour Park Stadium in Slough.
The Aces were out for revenge for a defeat in the first meeting of these two new rivals earlier in this season, and they still had a chance after the first half ended goalless.
F.C. Bracknell have been imperious in Division One however, winning in every game since a loss on the opening day of the campaign, and went through the gears in the second period to secure three valuable points in the race for the title.
The deadlock was broken when Ben Poynter hit the back of the net eight minutes into the second half, and leading goals scorer, Andre Jardim, doubled the advantage with a strike on the hour mark. Henry Walters came off the substitutes bench to make it 3-0 two minutes into time added on at the end of the derby match.
The success means F.C. Bracknell are now on a 14-match winning streak in Division One and continue to top the table by nine points. Bracknell Aces remain in a respectable seventh position, but now nine points behind a spot in the top half of the standings.
Slough Heating Laurencians Reserves are the nearest pursuers in the race for the championship and kept tabs on the leaders with a 5-1 victory away at Prospect F.C. on Saturday.
Joshua Kurton bagged a brace for the visitors to Calcot Recreation Ground, with further goals from Alfie Clark, Ellis Drummond and Craig Kelly. The scores were level at the beak with Jacek Bojda hitting the back of the net for Prospect.
It is a ninth straight success in the league for The Lauries, a perfect winning record since their defeat at F.C. Bracknell back in September, with the two title rivals set for a crunch match at The Polish Club this Saturday (2pm kick off).
The defeat is a blow for Prospect F.C and their ambitions to achieve promotion this year, now six points behind the top four teams and having played more games (the fifth-placed side will win promotion should Old Windsor F.C Reserves finish in the top four).
Caversham United dropped out the promotion spots following a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Taplow United Swans, a third straight league defeat for The Billygoats.
A goal from Joseph Norris was all Caversham had to show for their visit to Popes Field. The Billygoats are now two points behind in the race for promotion with eight matches still to play in their season.
The victory represents a much-needed change in form for Taplow following a run of seven matches without a win in all competitions.
Aaron Kew helped himself to a brace, with further goals from Jordan Jawandha as well as substitutes Travis Smith and Alex Seymour.
The Swans were reduced to 10-men when Seymour was shown a straight red card, but the team held on to secure all three points and consolidate 10th place in the table.
Hype Train climbed above Caversham and into the top four thanks to a comfortable 9-0 success at HKRG United: a fifth win on the bounce in the league for the Reading-based side.
The game at Ryeish Green Sports Hub was over as a contest in the opening period after The Train scored five goals without a response. Luke Follington was the star on show with a first-half hat-trick, with further goals from Ashley Rockall and substitute George Pennin.
The visitors continued the rout in the second half with Nadim Gharabli, Connor Anderson, Follington and Pennin all smashing the ball against the back of the net.
There was a huge upset in the League Cup competition when Old Windsor Reserves eliminated higher-league opponents, Langley Reserves, after a win on penalties in a Quarter Finals match on Saturday.
The game at the Old Windsor Recreation Ground finished goalless inside 90 minutes, before the lower-league Os, who won through to the final of the Presidents Cup competition the previous weekend, held their nerves best to win the ensuing shoot-out 5-4.
The success of Old Windsor was made a little bit more impressive considering the team was reduced to 10 men when a red card was shown to Sam Windsor.
Old Windsor Reserves could now draw the football club’s first team in the Semi Finals or, either A.F.C Reading or F.C. Baylis United.
League Cup Semi Finals Day will take place at Eton Wick F.C & Social Club on Saturday 5 April. The draw for the Semi Finals will be made on Saturday 15 March.
Britwell F.C have extended their lead at the top of the Premier Division table to three points after a 2-0 win against Cookham Dean on Saturday.
Sandhurst Royals currently lead the chasing pack but dropped points for the second week running following their 1-1 draw at A.F.C Reading.
Harry Winkley was on target for The Royals, with Mitchell Dowson striking for Reading at the Berkshire County Sports Club.
The result means the two sides remain in second and seventh positions in the table respectively, but for Reading it represents some improvement after losing to Sandhurst in a Showcase Match event back in January.
Old Windsor moved up two places to fourth in the standings after a 7-0 victory away at second-bottom KS Gryf.
Joseph Allan was the chief destroyer for The Os with a hat-trick at the Polish Club while Harry Farnan scored either side of the break. The other goals came from Liam Spires and James Walton.
Chalvey Sports climbed off the foot of the table and out of the relegation zone thanks to a 5-2 success over Pundit F.C in the George Pitcher Memorial Ground derby match.
Both Callum Graham and Jamie Dobson scored in the first half for Chalvey, and then Lewis Travers and Zakaria Zaoui hit the back of the net in the second period.
Kingsley Etefia bagged a brace for Pundit F.C, but it was not enough for his team to be relegated to the foot of the table and now facing a drop to the second tier for next season.
Saturday 8 March
Slough Town Senior Cup Semi Finals
Old Windsor v Britwell
Ascot & Fielden District Charity Cup Quarter Finals
Taplow United v Holmer Green Development
Premier Division
Cookham Dean v KS Gryf
Ramadan: Frontline and FC Baylis United
Free Date request: Langley Reserves
No Game: A.F.C Reading, Chalvey Sports, Pundit and Sandhurst Royals
Division One
Hype Train v Caversham United
Bracknell Aces v Taplow United Swans
Eton Wick v Prospect
Slough Heating Laurencians v FC Bracknell
No Game: Barton Rovers
Ramadan: Real Saracens
Free Date request: HKRG United and Old Windsor Reserves
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