Newbury Town showed fight on Saturday afternoon as Devonn Reid’s side struck late to maintain their 100% start to the Thames Valley Premier League.

In a performance defined by high possession and total dominance, it took until ten minutes from time for the visitors to break the deadlock at Woodcote Recreation Ground through top scorer Harrison Luffrum to secure a 1–0 victory over a resolute Woodcote.

Newbury manager, Devonn Reid said: “It was very frustrating for many reasons.

“Obviously, they came out there to do one thing again – like the majority of people do – trying to stop them [Newbury] from scoring, the pitch conditions didn’t really help, and then the referee’s decisions don’t really help either.

“We could have had at least four penalties, I think.

“There’s offsides that have been given that were never offside – we’ve looked back on the Veo [camera].

“We ended up getting the job done, which is good enough, so you can sit here and let whatever happens goes.

“Just glad we got the three points pretty much.”

Reid also gave his thoughts on goal scorer Luffrum as he continues to rack up his season tally.

The manager said: “He’s been nonstop, he doesn’t stop.

“He’s always going to give you that and he’s always going to look for that goal, which is a great thing to have.

“He’s learning still, and he’s doing so well while learning, which is a credit to the boys because without him, we might have dropped points.”

From the opening whistle, Newbury seized control of the tempo, pinning the hosts deep inside their own half.

Moving the ball swiftly on a tricky surface, Reid’s men carved out early opportunities and looked set for a comfortable afternoon.

However, good fortune seemed to avoid the visitors.

In a agonising first-half of near-misses, Newbury saw the woodwork struck a number of times as Woodcote’s goal frame came under fire.

Adding to Newbury’s frustration was a sequence of strong penalty claims throughout the match.

Woodcote remained strong at the back to hold off the away attack, a tactic that Reid and his men are well used to seeing this season.

Content to sit in a low compact block and absorb pressure, the host side put their bodies on the line, blocking shots and frustrating Newbury’s forward line as the clock ticked down into the closing stages.

With the game in danger of ending in an unlikely stalemate, Newbury’s relentless pressure finally told in the 80th minute.

Finding the ball at his feet in a position of promise, Luffrum unleashed a decisive strike into the net.

The late goal was Luffrum’s 10th of the season in all competitions – a landmark tally achieved in just eight league games – and sparked celebrations on the Newbury touchline.

Now in front, It was time for Newbury’s backline to hold firm as Woodcote attempted to equalise.

The red defence stood strong to secure a well-deserved clean sheet and all three points.

The victory leaves Devonn Reid’s side in a commanding position.

Having played just eight games so far due to the lack of midweek matches, Town maintains a flawless league record and remains firmly focused on closing the gap on the leaders via their games in hand.