From their kick off Newbury attacked straight away, with a high ball floated over the top of Andover’s defence. Both Lily Chubb and Leanne Creese were running clean through, but it was Creese who reached the ball first and she sent a delicate chip over the head of the keeper. The goal was beckoning, but an Andover defender managed to race back to head clear from just under the cross bar.

This gave Newbury confidence and they continued to press further, becoming camped in the Andover half. With just 5 minutes played, Newbury opened the scoring through Lauren Sheldon, making her first start of the season. She had ghosted into the back post unmarked to meet a deep cross from Creese, and she applied a neat side foot low finish, which gave the keeper no chance. One nil to the home side.

It was clear that Newbury had missed the crossing ability of Captain, Leanne Creese, from the previous weekend, with all of her set piece deliveries especially dangerous. But both Harkness and Povey missed the opportunity to convert with glancing headers from crosses. Chubb too, saw two shots sail over the Andover bar inside the opening 20 minutes.

Andover though, could not continue to withstand that much attacking pressure from the home side and it was Chubb that found the breakthrough, robbing an Andover defender of the ball and then racing through for a long one on one with the goalkeeper. Chubb maintained her composure and coolly slotted home to double Newbury’s advantage and give them a 2 nil lead.

Just after the half hour mark the Referee awarded Newbury a penalty for handball, even though there had been no appeals from the home side. It was Leanne Saunders who stepped up to take the spot kick and she made sure with a thunderous strike to the goalkeeper’s right. Newbury were now three goals clear and the game looked to be very comfortable, but the 9 players of Andover were clearly stung and rallied to good effect.

With half time approaching, Newbury switched off and were sat too deep, allowing an onrushing midfielder to charge through the middle and link up well with her lone striker. Newbury failed to deal with the danger and the same Andover midfielder finished well, lashing a shot high into the roof of the net for 3-1.

Newbury were still asleep from the re-start, again allowing Andover to enjoy a spell of possession. The visitors scored a second goal right on the stroke of half time, although it was felt that the Andover player had handled the ball in the build-up. The Referee hadn’t seen it and the goal stood. 3-2 to Newbury at half time.

The second half started in the same vein as the first, with sustained Newbury pressure. Chubb was working tirelessly up front, supported by Harkness, and Creese’s pace down the right wing was causing Andover problems. Newbury increased their lead on 57 minutes when Harkness linked up with midfielder Shelley Forster, exchanging several passes and playing Forster into the penalty area. She narrowly beat the Andover goalkeeper to the ball and was able to toe poke an effort past the keeper and over the goal line. 4-2 now to Newbury.

The game was all but sewn up for Newbury just 3 minutes later when Creese again raided down the right and sent in another great cross into the Andover box. Just like Newbury’s first goal of the day, Sheldon had strode into the back post area and was provided with the simplest of tap-ins for her second and Newbury’s fifth goal. 5-2 now the score line.

Newbury’s lead was further extended on 69 minutes when Creese this time elected to shoot from wide on the right, rather than crossing. She scored the goal of the game, as her dipping shot sailed into the roof of the Andover net for 6-2 and capped off a brilliant display for the Newbury Captain in her first match of the season. Prior to the re-start, Newbury made their one substitution, bringing on Ellie Reed in place of Sheldon, in a like for like change on the left wing.

An Andover defender went down injured in the 75th minute and as she could not continue, the visitors found themselves down to 8 players. The fresh legs of Reed exploited this extra space on the left, and she cut into a more central position for a shot, as she reached the penalty area. Her effort rattling the corner of the upright and cross bar, with the goalkeeper rooted and helpless.

The final scoring action of the afternoon came from another passage of good Newbury interplay between Chubb and Harkness, with Harkness squeezing a close range shot inside the near post to make it 7-2 to Newbury. A further Andover player had left the field to injury, so when their goalkeeper also laid prostrate, with the ball in the back of her net, Newbury feared the worst. With only 6 Andover players remaining, the Referee had no choice but to abandon the match on 83 mins.

So Newbury must await the ruling from the Southern Region Women’s League, but it is hoped that the score line will stand, giving them their first win and first 3 points of the season.