Then just inside the half hour mark, Newbury won a corner, which was taken by Creese. Her initial cross was cleared, but only straight back to her and she shot straight at goal from a wide position. The keeper looked to be beaten, but the ball was cleared off the line by the head of a covering defender and the match remained goal-less.

Newbury were finishing the half strongly, drawing several free kicks, but they were unable to capitalise from these set pieces. Then on the stroke of half time, Maria Rodgrigues evaded the last defender to latch onto a through ball. Just as it looked as if she would round the on-rushing goalkeeper, she was stopped, but the ball was handled by the keeper outside of her area. Another free kick was awarded and Andover’s number one was cautioned by the Referee for the hand ball. Creese took the direct free kick, but her strike cannoned into the Andover defensive wall and rebounded away to safety. The half time whistle blew and the tie was finely poised at nil nil.

Newbury didn’t have to wait long after the re-start for the breakthrough however, as within one minute of play, Rodrigues broke forward down the left, playing in-field to Reed. The cross was half cleared, but only back towards Rodrigues, who collected the loose ball and made progress towards the edge of the Andover penalty area. As she turned to evade a challenge, she found herself with her back to goal, so she laid off a short pass to Kela Gunnlaugsdottir. Gunnlaugsdottir had advanced into space and from 22 yards out, she struck the ball first time, picking out the far top corner. It was a wonderful strike, unstoppable and a worthy opener. One nil to Newbury Ladies.

The visitors felt they should have had a penalty for hand ball by an Andover defender in the 51st minute, but the Referee was un-moved by their appeals and allowed play to continue. All the attacking play was now stemming from Newbury, but they lead by just the solitary goal as the game entered its final 15 minutes.

Rodrigues and Nicole Beesley combined well, with the latter having a shot that was pushed behind for a Newbury corner. Beesley took the corner herself and sent in a fairly low ball that seemed to fool everyone. Two Andover defenders missed the ball inside the six yard box and it dropped it front of the Newbury Captain, Caroline Harkness. She was first to react and stabbed the ball home from five yards to give her side a two nil lead.

Newbury Ladies saw the game out game comfortably, protecting their clean sheet, chalking up a 2 nil victory and earning their safe passage into the Semi Finals of the Southern Region Chairman’s Cup

Match report by Sue Hewett