Old Stamfield 3 vs 1 Croydon

Old Stamfield welcomed Croydon to Banbury on 25 April 2026 for a 12:30pm kick-off in a crucial league home match. The hosts emerged victorious with a 3-1 scoreline after a competitive 90 minutes plus added time, much to the delight of the 21,978 spectators in attendance.

Old Stamfield lined up in a 4-1-2-3 formation, deploying Marilem Jaros in goal. The defensive line consisted of Ben Spencer at right back, Taiwo Ejuke and Eduardo Fuenzalida as central defenders, and Florian Sarosi covering the left-back position. Sam Miller operated as the holding central midfielder, shielding the defence and distributing play. Ahead of him, William Wilngrove took up the right attacking midfield role, with Fredrik Wirz on the left. The front three featured Sam Jones on the right wing, Jamie Johnson as the central striker, and Eduardo Camavinga on the left forward position. The substitutes named were Anders Larsson, Dominic Wilkinson, Rory Stride, Archie Newbold, and Rio Ngumoha.

The match began with Old Stamfield forced into an early change when Jamie Johnson suffered an injury after just 27 minutes, making way for Anders Larsson. Despite the disruption, the visitors struggled to contain Old Stamfield’s attacking intent. Just before half-time, in the 41st minute, William Wilngrove delivered a precise cross that found Anders Larsson, who expertly finished with his right foot to open the scoring.

The first half concluded with Old Stamfield leading 1-0, a deserved advantage given their control and creativity in the final third. Early in the second half, Old Stamfield doubled their lead in the 48th minute. Sam Miller played a neat short pass inside the box to Florian Sarosi, who calmly slotted the ball home with his left foot, reinforcing the home side’s dominance.

Croydon responded with increased urgency and managed to pull a goal back in the 72nd minute. A defensive mistake allowed the visitors to strike from outside the box with a right-footed effort, reducing the deficit to 2-1. However, the same minute saw Eduardo Fuenzalida receive a yellow card for dissent, reflecting the mounting pressure on Old Stamfield’s backline.

In quick succession at the 73rd minute, Old Stamfield made two tactical substitutions to maintain their momentum. Dominic Wilkinson replaced Eduardo Camavinga, while Rory Stride came on for William Wilngrove, signalling a shift to fresh legs and renewed energy in midfield and attack.

As the match approached its final stages, further changes were made at the 89th minute with Archie Newbold coming on for Anders Larsson and Rio Ngumoha replacing Sam Jones, both tactical moves aimed at shoring up the team’s shape and preserving the lead.

The closing moments were not without incident as goalkeeper Marilem Jaros was shown a yellow card in the 90th minute for unsporting behaviour, a rare blemish in an otherwise solid performance between the sticks.

In stoppage time, Old Stamfield sealed their victory with a spectacular third goal in the 96th minute. Ben Spencer flicked the ball on cleverly, allowing Fredrik Wirz to unleash a right-footed volley that found the net, much to the delight of the home crowd and confirming a 3-1 triumph.

Referee Craig Pawson managed the game well, maintaining control with a performance rated as solid throughout the contest. Old Stamfield’s tactical discipline and effective use of substitutions ensured they overcame early setbacks and secured three valuable points in front of a passionate home crowd.