FOOTBALL: Marshall’s free-kick seals it for Oxon (From Oxford Mail)

FOOTBALL: Marshall’s free-kick seals it for Oxon

11:00am Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Headlines

SCHOOLS' FOOTBALL

LIAM Marshall’s superb 30-yard free-kick gave Oxfordshire a 3-2 win away to Devon in the ESFA Under 16 Inter County Trophy quarter-final.

With the tie switched from waterlogged Cullompton to Newton Abbot, Oxon fell behind in the second minute when Sam Gallagher lobbed the ball over keeper Christian Lawrence.

Conor Ingram equalised after 15 minutes with a low shot into the corner, but Devon regained the lead almost immediately through Gallagher’s second.

Oxfordshire levelled again after 25 minutes, James Clarke driving the ball home from ten yards.

And Marshall’s free-kick special ten minutes after the break secured victory for Oxfordshire, who are now at home to Kent in the semi-finals.

l VALE of White Horse Under 11s slid to a 4-0 defeat against Gloucester in the Witney Cup second round at Oxford Brookes Westminster Institute of Education.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Vale harboured hopes of staging a fightback, but the County League leaders scored three more to clinch victory.

• CHENEY stepped up a gear in the second half to beat Oxford rivals Cherwell 2-0 in a cracking Oxfordshire Under 13 Cup final at Rover Cowley.

Sami Khawaja curled home a sublime shot to give Cheney the lead after the break, and Josh Horn rifled home the second to clinch victory.

It gave Cheney a notable cup double after their under 13 girls won the county cup earlier this season.

• GOALKEEPER Kieran Beesley was the hero for St Birinus (Didcot) with two saves and a successful spot-kick in a 3-1 penalty shoot-out victory at home to St Boniface’s College (Plymouth) in the ESFA Under 16 Schools’ Cup seventh round.

With the last-16 tie finishing goalless after extra time, St Birinus came on top from the spot with Beesley being joined by Ollie Thomas and Lewis Wilcox in finding the back of the net as Aaron Bentley provided St Boniface’s lone reply.

Now St Birinus are at home to Mossbourne Community Academy (Hackney) or Shenfield High School in the quarter-finals.

Cherwell visit Brentwood County High School on Friday, with the winners away to St Martin’s (Brentwood) in the last eight.