The New Year appears to have made little difference to Uxbridge’s fortunes. Defeat at home to Whyteleafe on Saturday was the Reds fourth league reverse in succession and followed a familiar pattern as to how they ended 2000. George Talbot’s side have rarely been outplayed this season its just that they can’t quite manage to get their noses in front and therefore end up chasing games and rueing the consequences. Saturday’s kick off time was brought forward to 1.45 because of problems with the Honeycroft floodlights but any supporters unaware of the change wouldn’t have missed much in the opening forty-five minutes. Dean Clark went closest for the Reds when his shot curled narrowly wide in the seventeenth minute and Steve Walters wasn’t far over with a volley from the edge of the area whilst at the other end Paul McKay sliced wide when well placed but it was pretty tame stuff After the break though things began to get interesting. In the fifty third minute ‘Leafe took the lead when veteran defender Nigel Golley rose at the far post to head home a free kick and a game that had meandered suddenly burst into life. Uxbridge almost drew level four minutes after the goal in the most unlikely fashion. Gavin Bamford’s twenty five yard up and under dipped viciously and ended up hitting the crossbar before Jamie Cleary, making a welcome return from injury, had a shot blocked from the rebound. Midway through the half Paul Mills hit a forty-yard defence splitting pass, which left Lee Tunnell with just Matt Martin in the visitor’s goal to beat, but Martin reacted well to palm the Reds striker’s attempted lob away. Clark then drilled a free kick from the edge of the area, which Martin held well but as Uxbridge began to push forward so the gaps at the back began to appear, and twice within the space of a minute Whyteleafe could have killed the game. Daniel Nwanze had already shot wide from ten yards but in the seventy seventh minute Matt Kember’s cross was met on the volley by Gary Elliott and only a superb save from Daryl Pelton kept the home side in the contest. Then, Dean Lock’s shot clipped the top of the crossbar as the Reds were forced to hang on. Having survived the onslaught Uxbridge looked to have salvaged a point seven minutes from time. Pelton’s massive clearance deceived the home defence and Jamie Carter burst through a crowd of players to win the ball, round Martin and slot in the equaliser. It wasn’t to be. Lock volleyed wide shortly after the goal and then two minutes from time broke through on the right hand side and was clipped inside the penalty area by Pelton. Elliott’s spot kick only just beat the Uxbridge goalkeeper but it was enough to secure Whyteleafe’s fourth victory at Honeycroft in five seasons and leave the Reds still wondering when that change of fortune is going to come.

UXBRIDGE: Pelton, Mills, S.Bamford, J.Cleary, Granville, G.Bamford, Walters, Gill, Tunnell, Carter, Clark.

Subs not used: B.Bamford, Hamlet, Weedon.

WHYTELEAFE: Martin, Dawson, Kember, Golley, McKay, Elliott, Fisher, Lunn, Scott, Lock, Nwanze.

Subs not used: Pearson, Dodman, Massey