WORDS BY SAM RATHBONE

Kidlington will be looking to bounce back after defeat a disappointing performance against Northwood at Yarnton Road. Aidan Hawtin will be looking to get his team ready from the start as they face fierce, title contenders Berkhamsted. Northwood made the trip
down to Yarnton Road where they found the lead through Samuel Forlarin inside ten minutes. Kidlington pulled back the deficit to two-one at Half-Time. A Troy Perez-Duah hattrick settled a 4-1 lead before a late goal from both ends ended the game 5-2. Kidlington
will look to improve their stability and defensive errors against Northwood when they travel to Berkhamsted to face a tough test ahead, a big performance is needed from Aidan Hawtin’s Green Army. Odei-Larbi will hope to continue his scoring run for the Greens
on Saturday. Kidlington will need to regain their previous month’s rhythm to pick up as many points as possible to try and achieve another season in Step 4. With Kidlington right back in the relegation battle, it’s bound to be an unmissable weekend of football
all-round.

Berkhamsted Town, who currently sit second in Southern League Central (Step 4), play the chasing game to Real Bedford as they sit nine points behind the Pirates on 80points this season. However, a recent dip in their form in the last couple of weeks could potentially
allow Kidlington to exploit this bad run of form for the Comrades. Their home from has been sublime as The Comrades have only failed to win five times at The Broadwater Stadium, drawing three and losing two whilst winning the remaining twelve out of seventeen
home games this season. The key threats of Matt Bateman, Tom Newman and Dan Newton will be playing on the minds of the Kidlington defenders when the Green Army travel to Hertfordshire this Saturday. Scoring 85 goals and conceding 44 goals, The Comrades will
take a +41 GD heading into Saturday’s matchup. Based on these stats, we can clearly tell that Berkhamsted can score. When these two lasts met at Yarnton Road, Kidlington fell to a gracious 4-1 defeat to an all-out attacking, free-flowing Step 4 team.

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Kidlington
Leverstock Green 1-2 Kidlington – The big six pointer at the foot of the table and Kidlington showed real grit and determination to bounce back from a goal down to win the game 2-1 and boost morale within the squad.

Leighton Town 2-1 Kidlington – Aidan Hawtin’s first game back for the Greens didn’t go as expected due to the two goals which gave Kidlington a mountain to climb, however Fraser Allen’s wonder strike couldn’t salvage the great effort at the end by Kidlington.

Kidlington 1-1 Ware – Joey Aust’s late equaliser earnt Kidlington a valuable point from a game where Kiddy struggled to turn home momentum into any real threat in the attacking thirst, good determination for Aidan Hawtin’s squad after going a goal down early
into the second half.

Aylesbury 0-1 Kidlington – A game where Patrick Osborne’s close-ranged header was enough to give the Greens’ all three points in the Oxfordshire Derby as the scoreline was under suggestive about how well Kidlington created chance after chance and should have
scored more than what the scoreline states. This win pushes Kidlington outside the bottom three for the first time in eighteen weeks! Momentum gained.

Kidlington 2-5 Northwood – Kidlington struggled to gain momentum and get a grip of the affair as Northwood took the lead before doubling it and Odei-Larbi halfing the deficit at the break, before a Perez-Duah hattrick and a consolation goal from Kidlington
sealed a five-two win for the Woods at Yarnton Road.

Berkhamsted
Leverstock Green 0-3 Berkhamsted – A rampant display from The Comrades with a top-defensive performance from Berkhamsted’s backline to gift them three points on their travels at Leverstock Green.

Berkhamsted 2-0 Flackwell Heath – A Clark and Christie brace between the two put on a convincing show at the Broadhead Stadium to give the hosts all three points.

Biggleswade 1-2 Berkhamsted – Matthew Bateman and Dan Newton scored either side of Biggleswade’s equaliser to give The Comrades all three points.

Berkhamsted 1-3 Beaconsfield Town – The Comrades struggled to get started in this enthralling encounter as they fell to an agonisingly, frustrating three-one defeat at Home to Beaconsfield Town.

Berkhamsted 0-0 Real Bedford – 1st vs 2nd faced off in Step 4 with both sides creating chances with the real lack of quality in front of goal for both the Pirates and the Comrades.