FREDS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDER AT DIDCOT TOWN

Didcot Town had been sitting pretty at the top of the tree for four months, but THE FREDS had been quietly shepharded through a stable progression, arrived at Edmunds Park baring footballing gifts, and exercised a toppling of the Railwaymen who'd been steaming confidently through their fixtures. It was a fitting football finale to crown the festive period, and the FREDS' rising stars can now look forward to being decorated at the Kassam Stadium once more.

The Bunnyfield sponsored Under 13's, spirits high, keen to open up their hosts, ripped up the Railwaymen's rearguard and hit them for four in the first thirty five minutes. The Alfredian Assassin, Jonny Hall, rounded the keeper to open the scoring, added two more, and squared for Will Nicol to finish too.

Didcot scrapped a reply before the interval, but if anything, it served as testament to the defensive improvements made. Where once hesitant figures froze like rabbits in headlights, numbers reacted rapidly to the threat. Didcot did manage to force the ball over the line but it was more than they deserved.

In addition, where once a blow like so would have rocked the Freds' confidence and had them recovering on ropes, this formidable focused group fixed on process and all the controllables, responded with another confident step forward and started to once again shape the future.

It was a disciplined performance, showcasing hard graft between moments of impressive craft, and although Didcot hit a direct free-kick to toy with the idea of a comeback, Hitman Hall quickly quashed it with a fifth for the Freds.

Back-to-back successes, hard earned, have now taken the Fantastic Freds from the E League to the B League. With a simplistic coaching focus on the five phases of play and a group of intelligent troubleshooters committed to mastery - what next?

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