Worcester feel the heat as Anne’s turn it up

Oriel 3 – 6 St. Anne'sThere’s barely room to breathe at the top of the Premiership after the latest results, as St Anne’s recorded a stylish victory over Oriel to pile the pressure upon reigning champions Worcester. Having battled to a win against Brasenose on Monday, Anne’s are doing all they can to take this season down to the wire. This was the return fixture between these teams, Anne’s having beaten Oriel 4-1 at home last week, and the game followed a very similar pattern, as Anne’s once again burst into an unassailable first-half lead. After an attacking opening from both teams, Robbie MacDonald started the scoring with a goal seemingly out of nothing, Border’s perfectly weighted through pass unlocking the defence for the winger to steer the ball past the keeper. A second soon followed, again from Mac- Donald, though this time with more than a touch of good fortune, his angled shot deflecting wickedly past a stranded keeper after a powerful run down the left. Anne’s showed no sign of slowing down, switching the ball around quickly to add a stylish third with twenty minutes gone. Simon Oscroft, not usually known for his attacking prowess, was crucial to this move: his buccaneering run down the left was followed by a slick interchange with Border and then a pass into the feet of George Kynaston, who swivelled onto his left foot before firing home. Ten minutes later, Anne’s added a fourth. Border’s dummy dragged the Oriel defence apart, leaving Kynaston in acres of space to whip the ball across goal towards winger Ben Levy, who coolly played it into the path of the onrushing Border. His finish crashed emphatically home off the underside of the bar, capping a terrific opening half hour for the visitors. Before the break Oriel deservedly pulled one back, Hoare’s crisply chipped pass cutting out the entire Anne’s defence, inch-perfect for Wilson, who made no mistake with a cool low finish one-on-one. At half-time Anne’s led 4-1. The second half began much as the first had, with both sides committed to stylish passing games that made for some very attractive football. After around twenty minutes a clattering tackle left Anne’s midfielder Stu Clark with a possible leg break. The resulting free kick was hacked away for a corner, but Anne’s failed to add another goal. Anne’s then relaxed too soon, and paid the price within seconds as Oriel grabbed one back. Wilson was again the scorer, but this time as a result of shoddy defending after Anne’s failed to clear their lines from a deep freekick. In the ensuing scramble Wilson stabbed home to keep the game alive as a contest at 5-2. Oriel began to apply some real pressure, as a tiring Anne’s became pegged further and further back in their own half. Wilson could have had a third with a volley from a corner, and several St. Anne’s defenders had to put their bodies on the line to make brave blocks as the home side threatened. At last, with ten minutes left, MacDonald made the game completely safe, completing his hat-trick with panache as he curled a 25-yarder over the Oriel keeper and into the top corner. Oriel scored a consolatory third in the dying seconds via a scrappy goal from Thomas Webb. With only two games left, against New College and Teddy Hall, only six points will do for Anne’s, and even then they are reliant upon Worcester dropping at least four points from their last four games. But the pressure is on. Either Worcester or Teddy Hall could still do the double; Anne’s could win the league for the first time in their history. As the business end of the season reaches its climax, it’s hotting up at the top.by George Kynaston