Wednesday 18th April 2012 ko 6.30pm

Oxon Senior League Division One

MIDDLETON CHENEY 5 (Twynham 26 42 S Finch 37 Mason 55 69)

ENSTONE SPORTS 1 (N Bott 83)

Att 23 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

The village of Middleton Cheney lies just off Junction 11 of the M40. You take one turn off for Banbury, another for Daventry and the last for here, on the road to Brackley. I must have travelled hundreds of times past the Astrop Road ground to Milton Keynes as the A422 rumbles along behind and below the far side of the pitch. That of course if you know me well, is a major reason for visiting any ground!

The village has its very own hero, Vice-Admiral (posthumously Admiral) Lancelot Holland who was killed on HMS Hood whilst in command of the British naval forces during the Battle of Denmark Strait in May 1941 against the German battleship Bismarck. Neither of the two local pubs are named after him but one in nearby Banbury is!

That’s a pointer to the confused identity of the place. Here’s a village in Northamptonshire under an Oxford postcode. The football team are affiliated to the Northants FA but play as a northern outpost of the Oxon Senior League. Now, I should mention this league, as after all I do actually live in its footprint, and not in that of the league I’m known for being a fan of, the North Berkshire League. Much of that is down to the fact that the North Berkshire has its own website, and when they say there’s a fixture, it takes place.

None of which should reflect on the good people of Middleton Cheney FC who were a fantastic bunch, who couldn’t do enough to make Lee and I welcome. The Sports and Social club is vibrant place, during our visit, there was also children’s football, cricket practice, and tennis in progress.

What I couldn’t fathom is how this, the second tier of the league compares with its NBFL counterpart (Division Two). Put simply, they put Enstone to the sword, with Stuart Twynham scoring an eye-catching brace. He will wonder how his missed out on a hat trick, as will Richard Mason who scored his brace through two thumping headers from corners, and missed two further simple chances when clean through.

At least they got a brace apiece as Robbie Brown who was at the centre of much that the hosts did well, missed at least 3 chances too. Add that lot to manager’s son Scott Finch’s finish at the back post, and you get an idea of just how one-sided this game was.

Enstone had plenty for the local football watcher to get their teeth into. Former Ardley United stalwart Tony Bott, now a veteran tried to make things happen in midfield. On the wing was Danny Phillips best known as being the son of former Birmingham, Oxford, and Northampton midfielder Les Phillips. I’d last seen him playing Hellenic League football with Middle Barton a few years ago. They tried, but were found utterly wanting. They did get the last word though Nathan Bott’s piledriver free kick from 18 yards out thankfully avoiding the heads in the Middleton wall. The frustration of the defeat expressed in the power of the shot meant it could have caused real injury!