Newbury kicked off and went on the attack straight away, opening the scoring with their first foray into the Aldershot half. Caroline Harkness picking up possession in midfield and playing the ball out wide to Newbury captain, Leanne Creese. Creese beat the full back easily and then cut into the penalty area, scoring with her first strike at goal. Just 3 minutes later and Newbury had scored again. This time through Kendall Gilmour, with Bex Walker the provider.

The contest was all but over on the quarter hour mark when Walker herself got on the scoresheet. Nicole Beesley won the ball well in her own half, before passing down the line to Ellie Reed. She flicked on first time and Walker was able to spring the off side trap, latch onto the flick and race clear for a one-on-one opportunity. Having drawn the Aldershot keeper to her, she coolly slotted the ball inside the near post to give Newbury a 3 nil lead.

Creese soon bagged her second of the afternoon, when she was again found in space by Harkness. Upon reaching the by-line, she drove towards the goal and lobbed the ball high into the roof of the net over the despairing keeper. Newbury were 5 goals ahead inside 30 minutes when Creese’s cross-field ball was met by Ellie Reed, who supplied a first time left footed finish, again inside the near post. This put Newbury firmly in charge at half time.

After the re-start, the visitors started in the same vein, piling on the pressure in the Aldershot half. On 53 minutes, captain Creese had claimed her hat-trick after a Gilmour shot was initially well saved by the home keeper, only for Creese to pounce on the rebound and convert for 6 nil. Newbury then eased off slightly and one defensive lapse did allow the home side to breach their defence and score a consolation goal midway through the half.

But pleasingly Newbury finished strongly with the goal of the game coming after 71 minutes. Beesley had pushed forward on the left and after good work by her, a looping ball was dropping towards Gemma Burnett just outside the Aldershot area. From 20 yards, as the ball dropped, Burnett swivelled and volleyed a first time unstoppable shot into the top corner. It was a sensational strike and Newbury’s seventh goal of the afternoon.

The scoring continued for Newbury into injury time, when Gilmour played a terrific through ball, splitting the Aldershot defence and allowing Walker to run through again and slide the ball home. The match finished in an 8-1 romp for Newbury, with a good spread of goals and assists amongst the team and a very welcome first 3 points on the board.