Newbury attacked from the start, with Gemma Burnett pressurising the visiting keeper and earning her side a throw-in from the miskick. Ellie Reed picked up the ball from the throw and she struck confidently from 25 yards wide on the left. Her shot sailed into the roof of the net, with the goalkeeper helpless. It was a tremendous start for Newbury and gave them a real boost to take a one nil lead after just 2 minutes.

Chesham did come back at Newbury from the re-start, forcing a good save from Chloe Hunt in goal and earning a corner. Newbury cleared the resulting cross and broke swiftly down the right, with Leanne Creese, Kirsty Parfett and Laura Ainscough all involved in the move. Reed played the final ball through to Ainscough, who shot from a central position at the top of the area. Again the Chesham keeper was stranded, as the ball slid just inside the right hand post to give Newbury a 2 nil lead after just six minutes.

This really knocked the stuffing out of the young Chesham side and wave after wave of Newbury attacks followed as the half progressed. Ainscough showed great hold up play in the 17th minute, using her strength to hold off the centre back and then laying off a deft pass to Newbury skipper, Leanne Creese, who had advanced on the right. From 28 yards, Creese struck a powerful first time shot that the keeper couldn’t hold and the ball nestled into the net for 3 nil.

Newbury were really cruising now and looking very comfortable. Their lead was further extended on 26 minutes after Reed won a header and then Ainscough fed her strike partner, Burnett. From the left hand channel she raced clear of the Chesham defence and then lofted the ball over the keeper’s head to score Newbury’s fourth goal of the day.

Just when it looked like Newbury would go in at half time four goals to the good, Chesham conjured up a piece of magic on 44 minutes. Their livewire midfielder took an opportunity to shoot from 20 yards and she picked her spot beautifully. The ball sailed over goalkeeper Hunt and it was a fantastic strike to make it a 4-1 score line at half time.

As the second half commenced, Newbury were forced into making a substitution as illness prevented Parfett from continuing. Her replacement was Sam McConnon and her introduction led to Newbury shuffling their defence slightly, bringing Lorna Parr into a midfield role. Whilst Parfett had performed admirably in the first half, the change did not affect Newbury’s rhythm and they continued to control the tempo of the game.

Reed was fouled in the final third to win Newbury a free kick in a promising position, but Creese’s set play was just wide of the far post. Burnett was withdrawn on 66 minutes for Lauren Hanson to make her first appearance of the season.

As the midway point of the half arrived, Newbury had really taken the sting out of the game, with their backline in dominant form, snubbing out any hint of an attacking threat from Chesham. On the one occasion that it looked like Chesham might force a way through, Hunt was quickly off her goal-line to smother a one-on-one chance close to the edge of the area.

A further plus point for Newbury was the return of Nicole Beesley from the substitutes bench in the 75th minute. After an injury lay-off, she edged nearer full fitness when she came on to replace Reed on the left wing for the last quarter of an hour. The match was now petering out and when the Referee blew for the final whistle, it had been a comfortable afternoon for Newbury. Four goals from four different scorers, had sealed all three points and it was a welcome return to winning ways. The victory saw them move up a place to fifth in the Division One table.

Match report by Sue Hewett