Newbury kicked off the encounter and made an excellent start, attacking from the off through some good interplay between Caroline Harkness and Ellie Reed. The first attempt at goal came Newbury’s way inside three minutes, when Ruby Oliver beat a defender wide on the right, to send in a good cross into the penalty area. It was met at the back post by Reed, but she could only send her header wide of the upright.

Just five minutes later Newbury took the lead, after defender Leanne Saunders superbly won the ball inside her own half and then sent Reed away down the left flank. Her in-swinging cross was flicked on by Laura Ainscough, who’s backward header sailed into the roof of the net to give her side an early one nil lead.

Although Fleetlands responded, forcing two corners, Newbury dealt with the threat and then began to assert themselves once more, with all the attacking play in the next period coming from the home side. Just inside the half hour mark and following a Newbury corner, a Kela Maskell pass found Reed again in space on the edge of the area. She sent a shot goal-wards, that hit her strike partner, Ainscough and was deflected into the net. Two nil now to Newbury.

The lead was further extended just four minutes later, when Reed this time got herself on the score sheet. Sam Atkins, winning the ball well in midfield and passing to Reed on the left. Reed stepped inside and sent in a delicious chipped shot that sailed over the goalkeeper’s head and dropped beneath the cross bar. It was Newbury’s third goal of the afternoon and they were cruising as the half time whistle blew.

After the half time break, Fleetlands came out with real intent and purpose and they were rewarded after just two minutes, clawing a goal back from a corner that Newbury failed to clear. The final touch on the ball, being stabbed in from just six yards. The score-line was now 3-1 and it was game on.

Newbury regained their composure, with efforts at goal for both Oliver and Ainscough in quick succession. Both shots were just wide however. But then Reed played a ball down the line for substitute Bex Walker to chase. She didn’t give up on what could have been a lost cause, but she chased and harried and put the visiting defence under real pressure. Finally winning the ball on the far left of the area. She then skipped round one defender and from an almost impossibly tight angle, she bent her shot around the goalkeeper and saw the ball nestle inside the far post. It was 4-1 now to Newbury, but little did the spectators know that the match was only just warming up.

Fleetlands again managed to pull a goal back within three minutes, to make it 4-2 and a crazy spell in the game, saw the Newbury cross bar struck and the home defence clearly rattled and coming under increasing pressure. With the match entering its final stages, Newbury conceded a penalty in the 76th minute. This was harsh on the home side, as there had been appeals for a handball earlier in the build up by a Fleetlands player, but the offence wasn’t seen by the Referee. After a push inside the area on the Fleetlands striker, a penalty was duly awarded and dispatched calmly to bring about a 4-3 score-line. Newbury were hanging on, but only just.

From the re-start, Newbury Captain, Harkness, got on the ball in a central area and she started to orchestrate another Newbury attack. In the 80th minute, she played a wonderful cross-field pass to Oliver, who was isolated with the visiting left back. There was a hint of offside, with the Assistant Referee hesitant. Oliver was not hesitant however and she collected the pass and galloped forward, cutting in towards goal. She showed fantastic composure to shoot low and across the goalkeeper, finding the bottom corner to score Newbury’s fifth goal of the afternoon.

That was not the end of the action, with what can only be described as a simply crazy 45 minutes of football, still having one last controversial incident. A long ball was played forward by a Fleetlands defender and her team mate gave chase. Newbury centre half, Sophie Self was convinced the opposing player had not reached the ball before it had crossed the by-line on the far left. But the Referee waved play on and the Fleetlands player cut in towards goal unopposed. Her cross was met at the far post with a strong header and it made the score-line 5-4 to Newbury, with 90 minutes on the clock.

Fortunately for the home side, they were able to see out the additional three minutes of time added on and the relief at the final whistle was huge. Newbury Ladies had collected only their second league victory of the season and it was a massive three points. The gap between themselves and third from bottom Fleetlands has been closed to just four points, although Newbury have played five games more.