Didcot Tn 5 (Roach 16, 81, Bartley 28, Osborne-Ricketts 38. Howell 53)

Abingdon Utd 4 (Odhiambo 10, 77 pen, Herbert 13, Holden 82)

Didcot Town came from two goals down to win a memorable Oxfordshire derby at the npower Loop Meadow Stadium on Saturday.

Neither side will be pleased with their defending in the Division 1 South & West game. But, for the 300 strong crowd, there could be no complaints about the entertainment.

It was the aerial threat posed by Abingdon that looked the most likely to pay dividend and it did so after ten minutes.

Didcot could not cope with Tom Austin’s corner, and keeper Michael Watkins was only able to push the ball onto Anaclet Odhiambo, who powered a shot into the top corner of the net.

Within three minutes Abingdon had doubled their lead. James Smith floated a free-kick into the box and Michaes Herbert, standing alone on the edge of the six-yard box, simply stuck out a leg and the ball flew past Watkins into the net.

Didcot were rocking at this point and it was vital they hit straight back.

This time it was Abingdon who provided the comedy defending when Ben Hep-burn’s cross caused panic in the box and Neville Roach was presented with a simple tap-in which he duly converted past keeper Sam Warrell.

However, Didcot equalised in the 28th minute. Elliott Osborne-Ricketts played a deep free-kick into the box and Michael Bartley scored with a towering header at the back post.

Amazingly, the game had turned round completely when Didcot took the lead in the 38th minute.

Bartley this time combined with strike partner Roach to set-up Osborne-Ricketts, who showed great composure to slip the ball past Warrell into the net.

The game looked to be settled in the 53rd minute when Simeon Howell scored his first goal for Didcot with a thumping 20-yard volley.

But Abingdon threw players forward almost at will to try and get back into it.

Didcot’s Martin Brown in particular made two brilliant tackles to deny Billy Beechers, while Herbert’s header was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Watkins.

It was no great surprise when they grabbed a goal back with 13 minutes remaining. Jack King handled a Beechers cross in the penalty box and Odhiambo made no mistake from the spot.

Once again, however, it appeared that Didcot had weathered the storm when Roach converted Bartley’s cross to make it 5-3 with only nine minutes to go.

But Beechers was having none of it. Straight from the re-start he beat four players, passed the ball to Matt Horsell, whose resulting cross was thumped home from close range by substitute Luke Holden.

With eight minutes still to play the game continued to flow from end to end.

The game was held-up for ten minutes due to a knee injury for Hepburn.

Much to the relief of the Didcot supporters the referee blew for time shortly afterwards.

Didcot Tn: Watkins, Heapy, Hepburn (Hopkins 880, Jack, Brown, Howell, Osborne-Ricketts (Mortimer-Jones 75), King, Bartley, Roach, Powell. Subs not used: Saunders, McInnerney, Bucknor.

Abingdon Utd: Warrell, Janes, Smith (Horsell 75), Organ, Franklin (Biddle 80), McCalmon, Austin, Herbert, Beechers, Odhiambo, Weedon (Holden 70. Subs not used: Burton, Haysham.

Attendance: 305.