Newbury kicked off the match and opened very brightly, forcing two quick corners through Nicole Beesley and then Gemma Burnett. With Newbury unable to capitalise, Ascot cleared quickly from the second corner and sprang a counter attack, bypassing Newbury’s midfield and finding striker, Jodie Webb, who controlled the ball and then nipped past the last defender to enter the penalty area from the left hand channel. Webb showed excellent composure and placement to slot home and give Ascot a one nil lead after just 4 minutes.

The home side had certainly caught Newbury cold and the next passage of play was somewhat frenetic, with the Ascot players battling like Trojans, spurred on by taking the lead against the side at the top of the table. Newbury started to build some attacking pressure as the half wore on, but with no real penetration or end product. This was certainly not looking like a vintage Newbury performance and perhaps the fact that the visitors required nothing from the game, caused there to be little edge or threat in their play.

Then just after the half hour mark, Newbury had two half chances and yet an equaliser still evaded them. First, there was a good move down the right, started by Sami Atkins and involving Rachel Panting and Laura Ainscough. This finished with a Leanne Creese cross into the box, but it was too close to the goalkeeper, who was able to gather comfortably. Then two minutes later Newbury were awarded a free kick for a foul 30 yards out. Creese delivered a whipped ball into the penalty area and Ainscough was just inches from connecting with a flicked header that may just have been diverted into the net, but sadly it wasn’t to be.

Newbury were still one goal behind when the half time whistle blew.

Leanne Saunders started an attack for Newbury straight after the re-start, which resulted in a shot from Beesley that the keeper was able to save. But it wasn’t long before Newbury introduced fresh legs in the shape of Kirsty Parfett and Lorna Parr, with Gemma Burnett and Sami Atkins withdrawn. This re-shuffle allowed Panting to get forward more for Newbury, with Parfett and Parr providing fresh impetus in the midfield area.

Beesley had another shot, this time from longer range, but it sailed just wide of the upright from 25 yards. Ainscough too had a header saved. Whilst under more pressure, the Ascot defence was holding firm. With Newbury’s players committed forward, Ascot were able to break away on 71 minutes and Webb was sent clear, but she could only see her shot cannon back off the post. Still Newbury chased the one goal deficit.

Enora Merroux was brought on for her debut on the left of midfield in the 74th minute, replacing Ainscough, who had run herself into the ground for Newbury. Whilst Chloe Hunt was required to make one further save in the Newbury goal, the game edged towards its conclusion with all of the play in Ascot’s final third. The visitors and league champions were now really turning up the pressure, as the clock ticked down. There were a couple of penalty area scrambles following Newbury corners, but it was the Ascot defence that time and time again were able to find a clearance. The last effort of the match fell to Panting for Newbury, but her attempt lacked any real punch, so although she got her shot away through a crowd of bodies in the box, the Ascot goalkeeper was able to save low down to her left.

As the Referee blew for full time, it was Ascot United Ladies who had hung on by the slenderest of margins to defeat the newly crowned Champions one goal to nil. They had prevented Newbury Ladies from scoring in a match for the first time in 6 months. As both teams left the field, the Ascot United players lined up to give the Newbury Ladies players a guard of honour and applauded them in to the dressing room.

Newbury’s squad hadn’t tasted defeat since 24th November and whilst they were understandably deflated, they were left to reflect on what has been a hugely successful season for the Club and they will look forward to testing themselves at a higher level in the next campaign.

Newbury Ladies FC will play one final home match this Sunday 6th April, which will be a friendly fixture versus Portsmouth Ladies Reserves of The FA Tesco Women’s Reserve Premier League Southern Division Two. This match will take place at Donnington Recreation Ground with a 2.00pm kick off. The Newbury Ladies squad will receive their winners medals and be presented with the Championship Trophy at Aldershot Town’s ground on Sunday 27th April.

Match Report by Sue Hewett