From the kick off Newbury immediately went on the attack with Nicole Beesley and Maria Rodrigues both combining well with Imogen Gibbons. The latter having two shots well saved by the Wantage keeper for corners. Gibbons then exchanged several neat passes with Jasmine Bird, which resulted in a shot by, skipper for the day, Sam McConnon. Defender, Lauren Sheldon, then got in on the act with an excellent cross to Issy Cording, who’s shot was saved. Gibbons then sent in an excellent cross from the flank, with Cording and Bird in the six yard box. The Wantage goalkeeper made a desperate save, but she so nearly conceded an own goal in the process. Rodrigues and Gibbons had further shots saved by the home keeper, who was being kept really busy.

It was not until the 14th minute that Wantage got into the Newbury half with an attack that resulted in some excellent defence by Jasmine Bird. The game then started to be slightly more balanced with Kat Brown, who was playing her first game in goal for Newbury, having to make a good save.

After further attacks by Newbury came a really bizarre moment, when in 32nd minute the Wantage forward beat the offside trap and, when one on one with Brown, she managed to get round the keeper and with a simple tap in to an empty goal beckoning, somehow managed to hit the post. It was then the Newbury defence, who hadn’t given up the chase, cleared the ball before the striker recovered. Nonetheless 4 minutes later Wantage did get the first goal. This was an almost carbon copy of the goal that Wantage scored in the league game weeks previously, where they scored first then, much against the run of play just as in this game. Clearly this encouraged Wantage, as they spent the final 10 minutes in the Newbury half and had several attacks on goal. However the half ended with one final attack from a McConnon free kick, which was headed on by Rodrigues to Gibbons, who’s shot was well saved.

Half time saw Newbury make some slight changes to the defensive system to counter the dangerous breaks by Wantage, who were now playing down the hill. The game was now much more even, however Newbury were getting in the Wantage half and when they did, they looked quite dangerous, more so than Wantage whose attacks were well held by the Newbury defence, commanded well by Brown. Then on 20 minutes, Beesley got high into the box on the right and went past several defenders, striking an unstoppable left footed shot past the keeper to level the scores at 1-1. Four minutes later came the decisive moment when Newbury were awarded a clear penalty for hand ball. The referee however seemed to blow his whistle rather too quick because the loose ball had fallen to Beesley, who immediately tapped it into the net. However the penalty kick had already been awarded and was taken by Beesley, who’s shot was initially parried by the Wantage keeper, but then Beesley followed up well and had a simple tap in for a 2-1 lead in Newbury’s favour.

Wantage were now really pressing and for the final 20 minutes the game was almost entirely in the Newbury half. The defence was however well organised and did not look like conceding. There was one moment three minutes from the end when newcomer April Platt nearly managed to get a third goal for Newbury. Leading the attack, she managed to beat two players and then almost beat the keeper, who managed to get the ball from her feet at the moment of shooting.

All in all this was a good result, in an excellent competitive game, played in good spirit by both teams.

Match report by Jack Harkness