Although Newbury kicked off the match, the first attack came from Chesham down the Newbury left. With the cross into the box evading the home players, Newbury were able to clear. But they came under pressure again just two minutes later, when Chesham registered the first attempt on goal. This time the cross came in from the opposite flank and an attacking midfielder connected to send her shot goalwards. Emma O’Leary, who was again filling in in the Newbury goal, comfortably made the save.

The next passage of play saw Newbury come into the game, with two good efforts for forward, Lily Chubb. For the first, she held her run and was played through superbly by her strike partner, Nicole Beesley. She was one on one with the Chesham goalkeeper as she entered the area, but pulled her shot wide of the far post. Ellie Reed for Newbury, then fed Beesley down the left hand channel and her cross into the box found Chubb. But as she took a touch to steady herself, the home defender was able to get in a tackle and the chance went begging.

It was not long though before Newbury forced a breakthrough. From their first corner of the match, Reed’s inswinger was headed into the Chesham net by one of their own defenders. So it was an assist for Reed and an own goal that gave Newbury a one nil lead inside the opening 20 minutes.

It was Reed who registered the next attempt on the Chesham goal, with a rasping drive from the edge of the area, after excellent link up play again from Beesley. And it was Reed who again turned provider, when she did well to win a challenge on the left, before sending in a great cross into the Chesham penalty area. Chubb was in plenty of space, but her first time shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.

As the half hour mark approached, with Newbury having been unable to extend their lead, the momentum began to slowly shift towards Chesham and they enjoyed a spell of better pressure. The hosts did get the ball into the Newbury net, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Chesham then won a free kick, but the shot was straight at O’Leary, who gathered easily for Newbury.

She then launched a long goal kick down field in a central area that found Chubb, who still had plenty of work to do, but she shrugged off the defender’s challenge and fired in a left foot shot. The goalkeeper was unable to save it, but the ball agonisingly struck the left hand post, with the rebound collected gratefully by the Chesham keeper.

Newbury notched up another scoring opportunity just prior to the half time whistle, when a cross from Captain, Leanne Creese again fell to Chubb in the box. This time she showed terrific skill and trickery to jink her way past two defenders, but her shot was again just wide. One nil to Newbury the half time score line.

The second half began fairly evenly, with Chesham forcing an early corner that Newbury defended well. Centre half, Sophie Self, in commanding style tidied up at the back and launched a Newbury attack down the right wing, involving Creese and Chubb. From a throw-in deep into Chesham territory, Chubb delivered a cross-cum-shot that had the goalkeeper beat, but it landed just too high on top of the roof of the net.

Chesham again attacked, earning another corner. This time O’Leary saved well on the goal line. But on 60 minutes, Chesham found an equaliser after a shot from distance looped above O’Leary’s head and under the cross bar. Newbury regrouped and from the re-start, they drove forward in numbers. Beesley was fouled 35 yards out and with the award of a free kick, it was Newbury’s skipper who stepped up to take it. Creese rifled in a thunderbolt of a shot, which was too hot to handle and the goalkeeper spilled. Newbury midfielder, Lorna Parr was first to react, but she sent her shot high and over the bar from 6 yards.

Although that effort proved to be another guilt-edged chance missed, Newbury soon earned another corner from the left. Reed took it and Beesley met it sweetly with a near post volley that was just wide. Play was stopped for a short spell, after a shoulder injury was sustained by a Chesham midfielder, following an awkward fall. The player needed to be withdrawn and forced the home side into a re-shuffle. Their number 16 pushed further forward into midfield and in the 75th minute she evaded her marker to ghost into the Newbury penalty area. She met the cross and finished well, giving her side a 2-1 lead.

Beesley and Reed exchanged positions on the left wing and upfront respectively, but it was to no avail for the visitors, who were now trailing for the first time. Chesham were moving the ball around very well and Newbury’s players were tiring in the closing stages. With 83 minutes on the clock, Newbury pushed defender, Lauren Sheldon further forward, leaving just three at the back, as they went in search of a late equaliser. The gamble didn’t pay off sadly and with Newbury’s back line more exposed, Chesham’s attackers exploited the extra space with the last move of the match, to score a third goal and give them a 3-1 victory and the 3 points to move them one place above Newbury in the league standings.

Newbury could and should have scored more in this match, but they were left to rue their missed opportunities. Player of the match for Newbury was Lauren Sheldon, who gave an assured display at full back.