The weather conditions were horrendous, with torrential rain falling throughout the entire match. This played slightly in Newbury’s favour however, as the ball was held up at times on a sticky, slippery pitch. Newbury turned in their best defensive display of the season so far, as they looked well organised and extremely well disciplined.

Newbury certainly raised their game to match that of the league leaders. Time after time, the visiting defence made tackle after tackle, block after block, clearing the ball to safety time and time again. Even when Gosport did manage to breach the Newbury back line, then Chloe Hunt in goal was in sensational form. Her finest save in the first half, was to keep out a looping, deflected shot, getting a strong palm to the ball immediately under her crossbar.

But it wasn’t all about Newbury’s defending, as Rachel Panting produced a dominant display. Always available to receive a pass and when in possession, she pulled all the strings to push Newbury forward with real penetration. As half time approached and with Gosport having been kept at bay, Newbury produced a gilt-edged chance, with Lily Chubb being played into the area. After her blind side run, she latched onto the pass and struck a sweet shot high towards the top corner. It looked as though it would rip the net off, but somehow the ball spun within an inch of the bar and flew agonisingly and desperately over.

With the score still level at nil nil, Newbury kept up their performance level in the second half and they could have opened the scoring again inside the first 5 minutes. This time it was Panting that was played through for a one-on-one chance, but she placed her shot just wide of the post. Almost immediately Gosport went straight down the other end of the pitch and they too had a good one-on-one chance that was a virtual mirror of the earlier Newbury chance. Gosport’s striker also put her shot just wide, after Hunt had come out to narrow the angle.

The work rate and spirit of the Newbury players was tremendous and as the clock counted down, it looked they would hang on to claim a momentous point. The Referee then had a very big decision to make in the 70th minute, when Chubb was once again sent through towards the Gosport goal, this time by a pass from Panting. Gosport’s goalkeeper was quickly off her line, but Newbury were certain that Chubb had beaten her to the ball, before she clattered into the oncoming Chubb and brought her down. Mystifyingly the Referee waved played on, with Newbury convinced they should have been awarded a penalty kick.

Just 5 minutes later, the Gosport number 7 found a defence splitting pass to play in her forward player on the right of the area. She crossed the ball back across the face of goal, where her strike partner was waiting to convert from 8 yards. It was such harsh luck on the visitors and a cruel blow. But Newbury heads didn’t drop and they continued to press forward, as the weather and pitch conditions worsened even further.

As full time approached the match was still very much in the balance with just the one goal between the two sides. Newbury’s players summoned the energy for one last gargantuan effort, but Gosport’s defence stood firm under intense Newbury pressure. Then a Gosport break away in injury time sealed the win for the home side, as they converted again to claim a 2 nil victory and all 3 points in what had been a tough, tough battle.

Although Newbury were to leave empty handed, the display had been a vast improvement and they took tremendous pride from having pushed the league’s leaders so close at home.