WOODLEY United produced a fine display but found runaway Division One East leaders Burnham too hot to handle in a 4-1 home defeat on Saturday.

The Kestrels' Woodley’s high tempo start was rewarded with Max Laschok opening the scoring in the sixth minute from close range, following a good run and pass from his fellow forward Leon Mannion.

Four minutes later Mannion put Pablo Fernandez in on goal, but the midfielder’s shot went wide.

However, the good start was undone in the 13th minute when Burnham’s Lucas Sinclair received the ball from a free-kick just inside the Woodley half and ran at goal, beating Tom Bryant at his right post to level the score.

Five minutes later Sinclair had a shot deflected for a corner which was a start of a 15-minute spell of end-to-end football with both teams creating chances to take the lead.

Teddy Edwards saw a cross caught by Burnham keeper Dtumanis Gossenma, a Mannion free-kick also went straight to the keeper while Fernandez was unable to get the ball from out of his feet following a good move involving Mannion and Laschok.

The best of Burnham’s chances fell to Dan Molloy, only for him to put the ball over the United cross bar.

The second half got off to the worse possible start for Woodley when the visitors broke on a counter-attack two minutes after the restart and Sinclair scored from a tight angle.

United responded well with Gossenma saving from Chace Jewell and Harry Hawkins for two quick corners. There was controversy in the 55th minute when the hosts were awarded a penalty following a challenge on Laschok, only for the referee to overturn his decision following consultation with an assistant referee.

Woodley also thought they should have had a second penalty when a Burnham defender appeared to use his arm to control the ball in the penalty area before clearing it.

Burnham scored the decisive next goal in the 64th minute when Dean Allen reacted first to Bryant’s save to steer the ball into the net.

Four minutes later Mannion agonisingly saw his lob over the advancing Gossenma go wide before the scoring was completed in the 72nd minute when another Bryant save allowed sub Ollie Harris to score from an unmarked position.

Woodley United visit Thame Rangers on Saturday (3pm) before visiting Milton United in the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup on Tuesday (7.45pm).

l GOALS from Sam Bangura, Josh Blackwood and Jamel Forde-Small helped second-placed AFC Aldermaston brush aside Chinnor 3-0 in Division One East.

The Atom Men were due to host Cookham Dean in the Reading Senior Cup last night.

l AN Ousman Darboe strike was not enough for Reading City as they lost 3-1 at new Premier Division leaders Brimsombe & Thrupp.

A Jack Smith double and a goal from Ashley Caldwell did the damage for the hosts.

Fourth-bottom Reading City face a key home game against Tuffley Rovers on Saturday (3pm).