Newbury Ladies Football
Match Report -- Season 2016-17
Southern Region Women's Football League
League Cup - Preliminary Round
Sunday 25th September 2016
Newbury 2 Barton Rovers 3 AET
2-2 after 90 mins
Newbury Ladies FC faced Barton Rovers in the preliminary round of the Southern Region Women’s League Cup.

Inside the first two minutes, Newbury took the lead following a free kick on the half way line. Maria Rodrigues did well to flick the ball on with her head. This played in Amie Barnard and her cross from the right was met by Ellie Reed, who converted for one nil. Buoyed by their good start, Newbury’s attack was dominant in the opening stages. The visiting goalkeeper had to save with her legs from a Barnard close range shot.

In the 26th minute, after good pressure from Tracey Beales, the Barton defence made a slip and the loose ball was pounced on by Reed. She unleashed an unstoppable shot from 35 yards, which soared into the roof of the net for hers and her team’s second of the game. Newbury thought they had scored a third, when Kendall Gilmour stepped out of defence with the ball and she too unleased a fierce-some shot that was heading for the top right corner until the Barton keeper somehow miraculously got her finger tips to it, to clip it over the bar. Before the first half drew to a close, Amy McNab also went close for Newbury, but her effort was pushed onto the bar, rebounding away to safety. 2-0 to Newbury at half time.

Newbury started the second half in the same way as the first, with lots of pressure and possession in the Barton half, but they were unable to add to their tally and put the match to bed. Then the match changed slightly when McNab had to be withdrawn, as she was the focal point of the Newbury attack. Then the drama began to unfold in the 73rd minute when Newbury’s goalkeeper, Laura Ainscough suffered a knee injury when coming out to the edge of her area to clear a dangerous Barton move. That was to be the end of Ainscough’s afternoon, but fortunately for Newbury, they had Chloe Hunt amongst their substitutes and she came on to go between the sticks with just over quarter of an hour of the tie remaining.

After quite a long injury delay, the match re-started and within two minutes Barton were awarded a penalty for a push, when Newbury were defending a corner. Hunt got down well to save the penalty kick. She parried it and although the rebound fell to another Barton player, she could only blaze the follow-up over the Newbury bar. Despite this disappointment, Barton were spurred on and they sensed an opportunity. Just four minutes later and Barton did pull a goal back. Newbury only half cleared a corner, but a Barton midfielder sent in a lopping shot that cleared Hunt and fell just under the bar for 2-1. It would now prove to be a nervy few minutes for the home side.

When Newbury needlessly gave a free kick away in the 91st minute, it was to spell disaster. The ball was pumped into the Newbury box and scrambled home. Newbury were 2-0 up with 15 minutes remaining and they found themselves pegged back to two goals apiece. The referee sounded the full time whistle and both sides knew they were heading into another 30 minutes of extra time.

Midway through the first period of extra time, Barton took the lead. It was a high shot that Hunt had to jump to save, but she was only able to push the ball onto the bar and an on-rushing Barton attacker tapped home the re-bound before Hunt could recover. It was now 3-2 to Barton and Newbury found themselves trailing for the first time and with time starting to run out.

Rodrigues had a great chance to equalise when Barnard fizzed in a cross, but her diving near post header sailed just wide of the upright. That brought about the final change of ends, as well as seeing McNab return up front for Newbury, as a repeat substitute. She took just another four minutes to make her mark, but sadly for Newbury her shot from distance clipped the Barton cross bar and went over. Next Newbury were awarded a free kick 40 yards out. Gilmour stood up to take the set piece and elected to shoot direct. It was the right decision, but again the cross bar came to Barton’s rescue. It was now all Newbury in attack and the Barton defence was under huge pressure with just 8 minutes left to play.

A huge moment then fell to Barnard, when she was played through and raced clear of the Barton defence and into the area. The pressure was too much and she blazed high over the bar, with only the keeper to beat. A further goal attempt came through Alice Hill on the opposite flank, but again Newbury failed to hit the target. And with that, Newbury’s chances to rescue the tie and take it to penalties, simply faded away. Barton Rovers hanging on to their 3-2 lead and finding themselves in the hat for the next round. For Newbury, they would rue so many chances not taken, when they had the opportunity to put the match to bed.

Match report by Sue Hewett

Players: Laura Ainscough, Lorna Kinder-Parr, Lauren Hanson, Kendall Gilmour, Hannah Byrne, Megan Kirby, Caroline Harkness (Capt), Maria Rodrigues, Ellie Reed, Amie Barnard, Amy McNab, Alice Hill, Tracey Beales, Chloe Hunt, Leanne Saunders, Phoebe Landreth-Smith..
Referee: Stuart Monger
Goal scorers
Ellie Reed (2)
Player of the match
Amie Barnard
Next fixture

Southern Region Premier

League season closed
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