Woodley’s best performance of the season came to a premature end in the sixty eight minute when two floodlight pylons failed for the third time that night.

Kick-off was delayed nine minutes following the first failure but playing with the wind and rain behind them United was quickly into its stride creating three chances in the opening ten minutes. Man of the match Lewis Slade tested home keeper Eric Negraru from thirty yards, full back Phil Arko snatched at a half chance following Filop Podgordki’s throw in and Podgordki forced a corner following a pass from Eden Downes.

Youth’s first chance saw captain George Stow head the ball at Jake Simpson but United responded with Enow Ojong shooting wide following a free kick.

Spartan’s best play came down their right wing in the twenty third minute only for a low cross to travel through United’s goal area and be cleared. Joe Allen put a free kick over the cross bar while Simpson did well in a goal mouth scramble to prevent the hosts scoring following a free kick of their own. United failed to convert two firther free kicks when Alfie Ward shot at Negraru and Ojong headed Slade’s free kick over the crossbar.

Against the run of play Spartan’s did open the scoring when another low cross from their right was met by Dante Fraser to find the net from close range.

The lead was short lived when Mackenzie Creech levelled the score two minutes into first half stoppage time. The same player then gave the visitors the lead two minutes into the second half. A minute later Spartan’s were reduced to ten players when Stow was dismissed for being initially booked for a foul and then his reaction to the decision. United quickly took advantage of the extra player when Allen found the net from Onow’s cross a minute later despite the bench side assistant flagging for a goal kick!

The fourth goal came via Lewis Slade in the fifty ninth minute as Spartans struggles to adapt to Stow’s loss in the midfield.

The floodlights then failed but the game restarted eight minutes later as they came back on, only to fail again a minute later and the referee call a halt to proceedings.

Simpson, Arko (Van Spall). Podgorski, E Downes (Ketter), Hopkins, Leahy, Ward, Creech, Allen, Slade (Reid), Ojong Sub not used: Cardoso, Giacobbe