Cippenham Sports slipped to a disappointing 4-2 victory defeat against the Red Lion (Burnham) on Saturday.

Despite being without the services of thirteen players a reshuffled and depleted Cippenham side took an early lead when Keith Oswald now playing at centre-back powered home a Joshua Warren corner. Warren then went close with a curling free-kick and the lively Michael Bevan fired wide. Cippenham controlled the game beautifully until a mistake caught them on the hop and the Red Lion drew level with a neatly taken goal. The Red Lion then took the lead through a controversial penalty after the referee turned down a huge penalty appeal for handball only to then immediately award a spot kick for a challenge by Oswald when it looked as though Oswald had been fouled. The spot kick was duly tucked away but Cippenham drew level a few minutes later when Karl Oliver flicked on a long throw and although the Red Lion keeper managed to palm the effort away Oswald ghosted in at the far post to prod home the rebound. On the stroke of half time the Red Lion regained the lead after Garry Pyper needlessly gave away a free-kick on the edge of the box. Cippenham felt slightly aggrieved with the goal as the towering Red Lion forward, who went down so easily for the penalty, managed to stay on his feet as he bundled over two Cippenham defenders whilst he nodded his side ahead.

Cippenham started the second half brightly with Warren, Bevan and Luke Batting firing wide but as the half wore on the Red Lion began to create chances. The Red Lion extended there lead after a mistake by Gavin Dent whose poor pass was intercepted and following some neat interplay swept home. A slick passing move culminating in Garry Pyper firing an effort into the side netting was the closet Cippenham came to reducing the deficit. The game became end to end stuff as Cippenham rained shots of varying degrees of accuracy on the Red Lion goal. Tom Bryant in the Cippenham goal was called upon to bend down and pick up a couple of tame efforts before denying the Red Lion a flattering fifth goal with a superb block late on.