Oak keep up pressure in quest for promotion

Mile Oak Football Club moved level on points with third-placed Little Common in their quest for Southern Combination League Division 1 promotion on Saturday.
Michael Gould bagged a brace as Mile Oak sunk St Francis Rangers on Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin DM1615543Michael Gould bagged a brace as Mile Oak sunk St Francis Rangers on Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin DM1615543
Michael Gould bagged a brace as Mile Oak sunk St Francis Rangers on Saturday. Picture by Derek Martin DM1615543

An own-goal and a Michael Gould brace helped Oak seal a 3-0 success over basement boys St Francis Rangers.

The win ensured fourth-placed Oak moved onto 66 points - the same haul as place-above Common currently have - though Mile Oak have played a game more.

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Common were held to a draw at second-placed Saltdean United on Saturday as the race for the third and final promotion position in Division 1 hots up.

With two games to go, Oak are still in with a real shout of sealing third this season but boss Ben Shoulders feels it’s still firmly in Little Common’s hands.

He said: “It was a really good weekend for us and we are still in with a shout of finishing in the top-three.

“As I said last week, it’s still firmly in Little Common’s hands, we’ve just got to take all six points from our final two games and see what happens.”

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After an even opening half-hour, Oak edged ahead. Joseph Benn’s whipped cross was put through his own net by a St Francis defender.

Aaron Stenning pulled off a fine stop to ensure Mile Oak went in a goal to the good at the interval.

Two goals in two second half minutes sealed all three points for Oak.

Enzo Benn teed up Gould who thundered home from outside the area to make it two after 48 minutes.

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Gould then struck again less than a minute later after getting on the end of a Jamie McKenzie comeback as it finished 3-0.

Mile Oak travel to Midhurst & Easebourne on Saturday with Shoulders expecting a tough test.

He added: “It’s going to be a really tricky game on Saturday but we go to them knowing we have to take all three points.

“After that one, we move onto the last game of the season against Southwick hoping teams will have done us a favour and we’ve done all we can by winning both of those difficult games.”

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MILE OAK: Stenning; Early, Hall, Pollard, Stevens; E.Benn, J.Benn, Austin-Slade; Wedge-Bull, McKenzie, Gould. Subs: Arnold (Wedge-Bull), Gillingham (Gould), Coates (McKenzie).

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