With Newbury kicking off, they attacked right from the start and the visiting defence came under enormous pressure in the opening ten minutes. Two early Newbury corners resulted in one effort being frantically cleared off the Ascot goal-line and away to safety. Rachel Panting had her first shot for Newbury on 13 minutes, which the Ascot keeper got down well to and made the save. But she could only parry the ball to Nicole Beesley, who was hovering at the back post. With the goal gaping, Beesley somehow blazed the follow-up shot over the bar.

She was to make amends however just four minutes later, after very good Newbury approach play involving Panting, Sami Atkins and Leanne Creese. From Creese’s through ball, Beesley showed terrific strength to force her way past two defenders and then calmly placed her shot inside the near post to open the scoring. One nil to the home side.

All of the play was now in the Ascot half, with Newbury’s attack in dominant form. Ellie Reed and Ruby Oliver had further shots for Newbury, before Beesley doubled hers and her side’s tally in the 20th minute. This time Panting charged through, beating a defender and then deftly playing a chipped pass into Beesley’s path. She had a good first touch to bring the ball under control and then finished strongly with her second touch, shooting low into the left hand corner of the net, leaving the Ascot keeper with no chance. Newbury now had a two nil lead and they showed no signs of allowing the visitors back into the game.

They continued to rack up the goal attempts in the first half and were only denied by several very good saves from the Ascot goalkeeper, including an excellent double save from Panting, plus also some wayward finishing from Newbury. But they went into the half time break reasonably satisfied with a solid performance and a two nil lead.

Newbury were forced into one early change after the re-start, with Reed withdrawn due to injury and replaced with Laura Ainscough. There was no disruption to the rhythm of the match or Newbury’s play however, with the second half starting in exactly the same way as the first and seeing wave after wave of Newbury attacks.

The home side were able to extend their lead on 57 minutes after a strong move out of defence and down the right flank. The ball was played up to Oliver and she crossed superbly into the centre, where Ainscough had found space in between two defenders. She produced a first time finish, clipping the ball from just inside the edge of the area and it looped over the keeper and into the net. Newbury were now three goals to the good and very much in control.

Gemma Burnett was introduced for Newbury in the 66th minute, replacing Beesley on the left, and she was involved in the action straight away, linking up well with both Panting and Atkins. Newbury’s football was simple and effective. They were keeping possession well and showing a real fluidity in their build-up play that was very pleasing to the eye.

Credit must be given to the visiting Ascot side however, as they didn’t let their heads drop. Despite trailing by three goals, they kept plugging away and tried to mount some attacks of their own. They almost succeeded with one attempt in the 85th minute, when the ball came to the Ascot striker in front of goal and inside the area. Fortunately for Newbury, goalkeeper Chloe Hunt was alert to the danger and she was out quickly to narrow the angle and make a very good save. It was clear she was intent on protecting the clean sheet.

Just a minute later, Newbury captain, Creese was sent free on the right, after good work from Panting in a central area. For the second week in a row, Creese sent in a cross, which turned out to be a shot and she saw the ball sail high over the keeper and into the roof of the net for four nil.

Straight from the re-start, Newbury won possession back and were again storming forward in attack. Panting had another shot saved, but the clearance out of defence only went as far as Leanne Saunders on the Newbury left. She played a very composed pass forward that found Panting again in space and this time she was rewarded for a very good afternoon’s work, scoring her team’s fifth goal of the match.

That was almost the last action, as the Referee blew for full time just one minute later. Another three points collected for Newbury, five goals, a clean sheet, improved goal difference and they remain top of the table, two points clear of Milton Keynes City, who lie in second place. This had been Newbury’s fifth league victory in a row and they are surely in terrific form and are enjoying plenty of positive momentum.

Match Report by Sue Hewett.