On The Road
ARDLEY

Oxford City’s youngsters marched into the final of the Oxfordshire Senior Cup on Tuesday night with a win at Ardley. Chris Williams was right there with them.

If you drew a circle with the centre in Oxford it would bisect the M40/A40 at QPR and Ardley football clubs: a world apart in football terms but both part of the learning curve for City’s young side. Tonight’s squad is made up of essentially the same players who did the club proud in progressing as far as they ever have done in the FA Youth Cup. Ardley Playing Fields is miles away from Loftus Road but tonight we learn as much from seeing the team compete against seasoned West Oxfordshire players as we did against the talented teenagers of West London

There’s a false entrance to the ground at Ardley. You park by the main road and go through a gate to pass the Village Hall (villages surely? This serves both Ardley and Fewcott). Then you cross a field to approach the single turnstile into the main ground itself. It’s a beautiful spring evening as I persuade the lad on the gate that I AM on the list and that my name is Andy Sinnott.

 I’m early. I am ALWAYS early and two people presume I am a match official, guiding me into the officials' changing room. I take my clothes off, just in case I’m needed, but it turns out this is a false alarm and I am ushered towards the Board Room, tucked away in the corner of the Club House. I am soon joined by Club Secretary Lee Pankau and a plate of biscuits. I nibble on a custard cream and have a cuppa as the crowd start to arrive.

It’s a neat little ground with a sizeable slope. At the top end is the red brick clubhouse with the changing rooms, toilets and a bar upstairs. To the right there is a low stand half way down the hill while the dugouts are on the opposite side. The far end is empty, looked down upon by a row of detached houses. Ardley try to kick off at 7.30 to avoid complaints about the lights from the residents and I notice during the game that nobody is watching on from the upstairs windows. I presume they are all watching England lose to Japan on telly. I know which game I’d rather watch.

Chairman Andy Sinnott arrives, complaining loudly about having trouble getting in, so I slip away and take up a place in the middle of the stand. Lee Pankau joins me. The biscuits must have run out. Then the game kicks off and matchday mode kicks in.

The Current Mrs Williams will confirm that I sometimes have timing issues. There is no scoreboard at Ardley but the game kicks off at 7.32 so I can work out what time in the match things happen. So when left-back Aydin Ulas scores at 8.04pm I can figure that it was in the 31st minute. “What time was the goal?” texts Andy Gate, doing socials behind the goal “my stopwatch is broken”. “Five past eight” I helpfully tell him.

 The goal comes with the City kids playing up the mountain so a lead at half time is invaluable. Ardley, with former City right-back Declan Benjamin up front, are tough opponents but you’d expect that. It’s a cup game not a friendly and challenges are strong but largely fair. Kauan Bitencourt De Oliveira has had a scrap all first half and that pattern continues after half time, with the biscuits replaced by a chocolate cake in the Board Room. What a night I am having.

 Those challenges rise in intensity after the break as yellow cards and bruises rise by the minute. The dim lighting add to the drama.  Suddenly Ardley get a corner and George Cowmeadow  thumps home an equaliser. I consider saying Cowmeadow grazed the bar, but in truth it was a low drive that beat Max Treml so I have to look for an udder pun for the match report.

 Surely Ardley, with the benefit of age and experience will go on and win it? But no. At 9.04 pm in the distant semi-gloom someone trips the excellent Brayden Daniel and Kauan slots home the penalty. I’ve forgotten to look at the clock so the goal is any time between 74 and 80 minutes but we agree to give it as 75 and City have 10-15 minutes to hang on.

 They do it expertly. Ardley push but the young lads don’t let them near to Treml and at the final whistle it’s a memorable win and progress through to the final against either Kidlington or Carterton.

 I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my evening. It’s what this competition is all about: hard matches and youngsters learning their trade. It’s not a huge, global, competition but if you are going to go in it then have a clear purpose, define what you are using it for, and see if you can win it. Well played lads, see you at the Final.