Tower Hill kicked off the encounter and went straight on the attack. Newbury were a little sloppy in the first five minutes, which saw a couple of weak clearances. But in the ninth minute Newbury went on their first raid forward when Gemma Burnett broke quickly down the left. She cut inside with real pace and fired in a shot that was just a foot wide.

Newbury kept up the pressure in the final third, with Rachel Panting and Ellie Reed combining well to set up a chance for captain Leanne Creese, but the Tower keeper made the save. Next, it was Creese’s turn to provide a quality cross from the right, which caused confusion inside the 6 yard box. Reed was following up at the back post and she slammed the ball home to give Newbury a one nil lead on 11 minutes.

With the confidence of going a goal ahead, Newbury continued to impress and began to play the better football. Lorna Parr looked keen to get forward at every opportunity on the right and she was combining well with Creese, just ahead of her. Although Newbury looked to extend their lead, Tower Hill were doing just enough to keep them at bay and stay in the game.

On the half hour mark, Tower launched a long ball forward and gained a corner on the left. Newbury cleared, but only behind again for another Tower corner. This time the cross was met cleanly and a bullet header from a Tower player tore into the roof of the net. One goal apiece now after 32 minutes played.

Buoyed by their goal, the home side were now more commanding in possession as half time drew near. Much of the play was now in the Newbury half and they had some defending to do. Sophie Self mopped up one Tower attack and she brought the ball calmly out of defence, to feed Creese down the Newbury right. She carried the ball forward, beat the full back and played in a cross to the edge of the area. The Tower defence initially looked to have cleared the danger, but not quite well enough, as the ball fell into the path of Reed. She had come in off the opposite flank to a more central position and after taking one touch to control, she then struck a great shot from 20 yards, which sailed over the keeper’s head and into the net for hers and Newbury’s second goal of the game. 2-1 now the score-line, with just 3 minutes to the half time break.

Newbury deserved to take a 2-1 lead at half time, but they believed they could play better and enjoy more controlled possession. They started the second half brightly, with both Creese and Kirsty Parfett having long range shots well saved. Reed and Panting were again combining well down the left hand channel, forcing their first corner of the half. This time Newbury took a quick corner, with Creese feeding Panting, who nipped in and crossed from the by-line. Reed had a free header at the far post, but her effort was just wide.

Just as in their last match, Newbury were stacking up the goal attempts, but were unable to find a clinical finish. Then on 59 minutes, from a throw-in just inside their own half, Newbury created a quick breakaway that again involved striker, Burnett. It was Panting who flicked the ball on from the throw, for Burnett to steal in behind the defence to latch onto the ball and drive towards goal. She had to travel a long way, but she was clear of the Tower defence and there was no catching her. Once into the area, she unleashed an unstoppable shot that crashed the underside of the crossbar and nestled into the far corner of the net.

3-1 now to Newbury and they were cruising, or they should have been. With 61 minutes on the clock and two goals to the good, scorer Burnett was replaced by Laura Ainscough. Just 7 minutes later and Tower had pulled a goal back to make it 3-2. From the re-start Ainscough was played in and she battled past the last defender, only to be brought down as she entered the penalty area. Although she had fallen inside the box, the Referee correctly adjudged that the foul began just outside the area and Newbury were awarded a free kick in a central position.

Panting took the direct free kick, but her shot was deflected away from goal. Newbury made their final two substitutions on 78 minutes, with Leanne Saunders and Shelley Forster both introduced to the fray.

Newbury continued to attack the Tower goal, but the final finish was still missing. They became slightly anxious in the last ten minutes, when cool heads were needed. Newbury still held their 3-2 lead when 90 minutes came and went, but there was still injury time to be played. As Tower launched the ball forward, the Newbury defence were back peddling. Self got her head to the ball and it looked to be making its way safely back into the arms of Newbury goalkeeper, Chloe Hunt. Disaster struck however, as Hunt was unable to take the ball cleanly and the ball spun loose. The Tower forward was able to get contact and send the ball towards goal. Despite Naomi Purvis’ best efforts, she could not keep the ball out and it crept the wrong side of the post for Newbury, to give Tower Hill an equalising goal right at the death. Newbury had no time from the re-start to make amends and the match finished as a 3-3 draw.

For Newbury it felt like two points dropped, but they still remain unbeaten in the league and sit in third place in the Division One North table.

Match report by Sue Hewett