LITTLE Oakley were beaten 1-0 at home by Saffron Walden in the Essex Senior League, writes LARRY DOBKIN.

The game started with Ofuri's mazy run which gave the experienced Nobbs a real challenge all afternoon.

The move was finally stopped when Sibbons' good tackle cleared the Oakley lines.

Oakley were struggling to get out of their own half when Ofuri was played in on the edge of the area and picked a direct route to goal before firing in a shot which was deflected out for a corner.

With 17 minutes gone Ofuri run at the Oakley defence and delivered a cross to the edge of the area where Olly Miles found himself in space and coolly slotted the ball passed Billy Lawlor to put the visitors 1-0 up.

Things got even worse for Oakley when they were reduced to ten men.

Walden continued to attack and gained a corner which was hit to the back post where Jamie Rilley went for the ball, catching Hart.

After consulting his assistant, the referee deemed the tackle to be a straight red card, sending him from the field of play.

Oakley started to get some better quality possession when Dan Rowe went down the line laying the ball back to Hipkin whose strike was on target but easily saved by Jarvis Monk.

The last chance of the half saw a cross whipped into the back post where Noble slid in but narrowly missed getting a touch on the ball. The opening move of the second half saw a cross into the Oakley box fall kindly for Leech who shot on the half volley but while the shot was dipping, it went marginally over the bar.

A long ball out of the Walden half then fell fortuitously to Ofuri who saw Lawlor coming out of his goal and skilfully side stepped him while shooting at goal, but Hart had tracked back and cleared off the line.

Oakley were still finding hard to get any domination in midfield when a ball out of defence found Rowe who had lost his marker.

But he was faced with advancing keeper Monk who narrowed down the angle very quickly and pushed Rowe's fierce shot to safety.

Glenn Rodgers was then sent off late on after slightly mistiming a challenge and Monk parried Rowe's effort in the closing stages, as the Acorns were beaten.

Oakley player of the match was Rory Harman, who was a stalwart in defence.