Bracknell started quickly and it took Newbury a few minutes to settle, but when they did, they had the first attempt on goal when Leanne Creese met an Ellie Reed cross, only for the home goalkeeper to save. Newbury skipper, Caroline Harkness then combined well with Nicole Beesley, only for the through ball to slide through to the keeper before Beesley could get on the end of it. Newbury had the better of the opening exchanges, but it was Bracknell who earned the game’s first corner on 16 minutes.

Newbury dealt with the threat well and then went straight onto the offensive from the goalkeeper’s long kick down field. Harkness flicked on to send Creese away on the right flank. She sent in a phenomenal first time cross, deep to the far post, where Reed was waiting in space. She powered her header back across the keeper and into the far corner to give her side a deserved one nil lead after 18 minutes.

Bracknell’s first shot on goal almost resulted in an equaliser, but it could only rattle the crossbar from 20 yards. Fortunately for Newbury, the ball rebounded away to safety and they were able to clear. This did signal a spell of sustained pressure for the home side in the final ten minutes of the first half. They forced another corner, which saw a near post header sail into the roof of the net, with the Newbury goalkeeper helpless. The visitors were claiming that the keeper had been unfairly impeded, but their protests were in vain and the goal stood. One all now the score-line.

Bracknell attacked again from the re-start, but this time Laura Ainscough in the Newbury goal, pulled off a terrific save to keep her side in it. But Newbury remained pinned in their own half and had to show some real ‘backs to the wall’ defending as the half drew to a close. When defender, Lauren Hanson, fouled the Bracknell striker on the edge of the area, both team benches thought the Referee had at first awarded a penalty, but the foul was adjudged to have taken place just outside the area. So a free kick was awarded. As the shot came in, it was Hanson who managed to deflect the ball away. The half time whistle then blew and the scores were tied with both sides having one goal apiece.

Bracknell Town were now attacking down the pitch’s slope at Larges Lane and just three minutes after the break they had a shot which hit the far post and then rebounded across the line. Somehow the ball stayed out of the net and Newbury were again able to clear. It wasn’t all one-way traffic however, but Newbury’s forays into Bracknell territory were certainly less frequent. The introduction of Newbury substitute, Maria Rodrigues, just before half time, had unsettled the home side’s defence due to her relentless movement and energy and she was proving to be a good outlet for Newbury each time they did break out from defence.

As the clock wound down towards full time, neither side had done quite enough to find that one moment of quality in the final third, which would have earned a winner. Both defences had played very well and were solid. Newbury’s new look back-line of Saunders, Hanson, Byrne and Kirby had all defended resolutely and with Sam Atkins giving an assured display in the holding midfield role, they were good value for the point that they took away. 1-1 was the final score, which had been exactly the same score-line as in the previous reverse fixture between these two evenly matched sides earlier in the season.

Match report by Sue Hewett