Despite Newbury kicking off the match, it was Gosport who quickly gained possession and mounted the first attack inside the opening four minutes. Chloe Hunt in the Newbury goal was alive to the danger and made a comfortable save to her right. She then set off a Newbury move upfield, in which Rachel Panting combined well on the left flank with Emma O’Leary. The ball was played infield and Kendall Gilmore had a strong shot on target from distance that was saved.

Newbury were stung on 12 minutes however, when Gosport cut open the home defence, with their striker through one on one with goalkeeper Hunt. A composed finish opened the scoring for the visitors. Straight from the re-start Gosport took command and surged down the right wing. Having got in behind the Newbury back line, the ball was then cut back to the edge of the area, where an advancing midfielder struck to double Gosport’s advantage. 2 nil now to the visitors after only the opening quarter of an hour.

Newbury needed to settle and quickly, and they began to maintain better possession, working the play into their opponents half. Kendall Gilmore, with her back to goal, laid off a cushioned header into the right hand channel for Leanne Creese. She played a short pass inside and from 25 yards out, Newbury midfielder Caroline Harkness audaciously lobbed the stranded goalkeeper to claw a goal back and halve the deficit.

With more of the play now coming down Newbury’s right, the pace of Captain Leanne Creese was being utilised to good effect. Her next cross was met by Panting in a central position, but her glancing header sailed wide of the upright. Gosport were unsure of how to deal with this Newbury threat and the home side increased the tempo as they went in search of an equaliser. Another great cross from Creese on the by-line, evaded the keeper but hit an inrushing defender to crash into the Gosport net for 2-2 on 34 minutes.

Newbury were not finished in this half though, with their front line of O’Leary, Gilmore, Panting and Creese, all now starting to gel and combine. O’Leary was unlucky with two tight off side decisions, and Newbury continued to carry the game forward. It was O’Leary who received the ball in a central position, and turned to play a superb pass out wide to the advancing Creese. With a well-placed finish, Newbury’s skipper converted to give the home side a 3-2 lead right on the stroke of half time.

The half time break came just at the wrong time for Newbury and the right time for the visitors, as immediately after the re-start, Newbury fell to a Gosport equaliser. A mistake in Newbury’s defence deep in their half, allowed the Gosport striker a scoring opportunity that she finished in clinical style for 3-3.

With the next 10 minutes being fairly even, Newbury made the first change, bringing on Ellie Reed for the hard working O’Leary, allowing Panting to move into a more central position alongside Gilmore. Before the change could have any effect, Newbury were again behind, as a Gosport player shot from distance and found the bottom left corner of the net for 4-3.

The impetus in the match had now swung firmly back in the visitors favour and although the rain overhead had eased, they stormed past their hosts and into a convincing lead. Two further Gosport goals coming quickly in the next 15 minute period. With 6-3 the score line, Newbury made their second substitution, withdrawing Leanne Saunders and replacing her with the fresh legs of Nicole Beesley on 73 minutes.

In the closing stages of the match, Newbury still carried an attacking threat, with the Gosport goalkeeper forced to make good saves from both Harkness and Gilmore. The home side’s last change of the afternoon was to give a debut to Issy Cunningham, who replaced Lorna Parr in the 84th minute.

Two further goals came in the last 5 minutes of regular time and in the 4 minutes of additional time played, and it was a goal apiece to give a final score line of 7-4. Gosport the victors in a thoroughly entertaining match. Newbury’s final goal came from a very well worked set piece, when a Gilmore free kick from deep on the right, was met superbly at the back post by a stooping header from Harkness that she sent back towards the goal. This time the Gosport keeper was only able to parry and Panting for Newbury was on hand to tap in from 5 yards.