Newbury started brightly and attacked from the kick off, with Nicole Beesley making a good foray down the left, only for her cross to be met by Lou Williamson, but turned wide of the upright. A minute later Beesley herself was on the end of a Leanne Creese cross, but she shot straight at the goalkeeper, who made a comfortable save.

Banbury forced the game’s first corner on 13 minutes, but the Newbury defence cleared well. Ellie Reed then sent a long range effort over the Banbury cross bar, before the deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute. Newbury were awarded a free kick just over the halfway line and defender, Sophie Self lofted a great ball into the danger area. After good positioning from Williamson, when she peeled off her marker at the back post, she then stole in between the last defender and the goalkeeper, to stab a first time finish into the bottom corner for one nil to Newbury.

Banbury were still in the contest, but Newbury’s defensive line was providing very stubborn resistance, assisted by three battling performances in midfield from Captain, Caroline Harkness, Ellie Reed and Kela Gunnlaugsdottir. Banbury were struggling to find a way through and the better chances were being created by Newbury, as the half time break approached. The score-line remained only one nil to the home side though at the interval.

The second half started in exactly the same way as the first, with Newbury attacking brightly and showing plenty of intent and steely determination. After just 51 minutes were on the clock, Newbury struck again, this time from a corner. Beesley and Reed combined and the latter’s cross was met with a bullet header from Williamson 10 yards from goal. The Banbury keeper was powerless and so Williamson converted hers and her team’s second of the afternoon.

It took Newbury until the 76th minute to really put the game to bed. Amy McNab had been involved in the build-up, crossing well for Williamson, who was now on for a possible hat-trick. Her shot on this occasion though was charged down and deflected for a Newbury corner. Again Reed was the provider, with McNab stooping to head in from close range. This put Newbury three nil up and comfortably in the driving seat.

Newbury’s lead was extended further on 79 minutes when another Reed corner was deflected in by the head of a Banbury defender for an own goal. Pleasingly there was to be no let up from Newbury and as they moved into additional time at the end of the match, Harkness shrugged off the close attentions of a Banbury defender wide on the left. As she broke free from the tussle, she elected to shoot from distance and her shot looped over the goalkeeper, under the bar and into the net for a superb fifth goal of the afternoon. Before play could be re-started however, the Referee showed a red card to the Banbury United goalkeeper for foul and abusive language, as tensions boiled over for the away side.

That incident further soured the visitors day, but for Newbury, it had been a terrific team performance. They looked solid in defence and creative in attack, and it certainly bodes well for the next set of matches. Newbury’s player of the match was midfielder Ellie Reed (pictured), as she showed great defensive discipline, a terrific engine and was so influential in creating three of Newbury’s goals.

Report by Sue Hewett