Oxfordshire Sport

FOOTBALL: Simms double sets up easy win

8:20am Thursday 11th March 2010

Two goals by Mark Simms helped Abingdon Town cruise into the quarter-finals of the FTL Futbol Hellenic League’s Bluefin Insurance Brokers Cup with a 3-0 win at Eton Wick on Saturday.

Abingdon took the lead in 0the second-round tie against the Division 1 East side when Danny Thomas was hacked down from behind, and top scorer Graham Edney smashed in the penalty.

On the half-hour, Eton Wick’s keeper dropped a cross which fell to Simms to tap home.

With 15 minutes to go Simms netted his second and he missed a good late chance to complete his hat-trick.

Abingdon will be at home to Shrivenham in the last eight.

A Wantage Town side, weakened by the loss of four regulars, struggled to overcome hosts Malmesbury 2-1 in their Premier Division game on a bobbly pitch.

Wantage took the lead when Tom Rowe fed his striking partner Sean McKeon, who shot past Martin Woodhouse.

The visitors’ keeper Rob Durrant saved well from Chris Cox, before Wantage made it 2-0 with a well-placed free-kick from Rowe, after Malmesbury’s joint manager Kevin Coles had upended Matty Biddle.

The hosts rallied strongly in the second half and pulled a goal back through Cox.

Good defending helped Wantage survive an awkward spell before they finished on top.

An excellent defensive display gave Letcombe a point in a goalless draw against Division 1 West title-chasers Slimbridge. The visitors dominated for long periods, but Joe Kent and Mark de la Coze were outstanding in the Letcombe defence.

Keeper Simon Byrne’s most anxious moment came when he saved well from his own defender de la Coze’s diving header!

Milton United were denied all three points in a Division 1 East 1-1 draw on Saturday by an own goal in the second half after Anthony Alleyne had put them in front.

Chinnor had not troubled the Milton keeper Steve Howe until the 60th minute when a long clearance found defender Jamie Jones, who misdirected his header into an empty net.

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