Tuesday 9th April 2013 ko 18.00

Banbury & Lord Jersey League Premier Division

HANWELL UNITED 4 (Hughes 57 Trevitt 71 82 86)

DEDDINGTON TOWN 3 (England 19 Thornton 38 Cook 66)

Att 10

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

Hanwell Fields is a fairly mundane new housing development at the northernmost edge of Banbury. Built between 2001 and 2009, it would have meant absolutely nothing had I not bought a house there, finally selling up and moving back to Oxford just under 2 years ago. As part of the planning gain, a sports field and clubhouse was built at the bottom of the hill on Dukes Meadow Drive, and each day I’d pass and wonder why on earth no one was making use of an excellent facility.

That changed for the start of the season when FC Naranja moved in. To be honest when I saw the name on the Full Time website, I imagined they were an Asian team, which shows my appalling linguistic ability. In fact they are a group of university friends who still wanted to play after graduating. They bought a kit, and since it was orange took the Spanish word for the colour as a name! As part of the agreement to play at Hanwell Fields they agreed to change their name, but thankfully the orange kit remains.

Deddington Town will win this year’s title, and for the vast majority of this encounter looked likely to win easily. Hanwell suffered the indignity of losing a player to sprained ankle collected retrieving a ball for a throw in, and Deddington looked sharper, and seemed to have that happy knack of scoring at opportune moments.

All that changed when Hanwell pushed James Trevitt forward by 10 yards. It completely flummoxed the visiting defence and Trevitt took full advantage, notching a 14 minute hat trick, to the delight of the Hanwell faithful. Even this cynic smiled; it won’t change anything, Deddington will win the title, and Hanwell will be happy to finish mid-table in their first season at this level.

I was just pleased to see the ground getting used, and being quite royally entertained into the bargain. Do pay them a visit, they’re well worth the effort.