Newbury Ladies Football
Match Report -- Season 2017-18
Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division
Sunday 1st October 2017
Shanklin 0 Newbury Ladies 1st 4
Newbury Ladies’ first team travelled to the Isle of Wight to play Shanklin in the Southern Region Premier League. Following their six nil victory over Team Solent the previous week, confidence was high and it showed in the promising start to the game that the Berkshire visitors made. Ayala Truelove winning a tackle early on and then finding her skipper, Caz Harkness. Her onward through ball was inch perfect and it sent in Gemma Burnett, who had beaten the Shanklin off side trap. She could only shoot straight at the goalkeeper however, but it was a clear early warning for the home side of what lay in store.

Just four minutes later and Burnett did have the ball in the back of the net. This was after a Jana Penazova corner, which the keeper spilled and Burnett was the first pounce, stabbing home from three yards for one nil.

With Newbury pressing further, they extended their lead in the 23rd minute, again following a corner. This time taken by Amie Barnard. Shanklin couldn’t clear and the ball was bobbling between Burnett and Truelove, with neither quite able to get a shot away. In the end, Truelove decided the best option was to slide a pass back to the edge of the box, where Ellie Reed slammed the ball home emphatically. Two nil now to Newbury.

The game was put beyond doubt just inside the half hour, after Amy McNab was upended and Reed took the resulting free kick. Truelove was again involved inside the penalty area. This time her glancing header agonisingly hit the base of the post. Fortunately for Newbury, Ruby Oliver was alert to the rebound and she stroked the ball home from close range for three nil. Newbury took that score-line into the half time break.

With the weather conditions worsening, both sides were finding it hard to keep their footing in the second period. But still Newbury were proving to be the better footballing side. One attacking move in the 62nd minute was so good, it absolutely deserved a goal. They broke out of their own half through Harkness, who went on a driving run with the ball. She linked up with Oliver, who in turn played in Burnett for a one on one opportunity. As she stormed into the area, with the ball under control, she saw her shot flying towards the top corner, but was only denied by a soaring save from the Shanklin keeper.

As good as that save was, Newbury were able to round off the match and the scoring on 84 minutes when an Oliver free kick was fumbled again by the home keeper. Burnett was on hand to tap in from two yards for her second of the day and Newbury’s fourth goal. When the final whistle sounded, Newbury had notched up their second consecutive clean sheet and second consecutive victory; and with 7 points accumulated, they now sit at the top of the Southern Region Premier League. Whilst the new season is only one month old, this still represents the highest ever league placing for Newbury Ladies FC and just shows how much the Club is progressing.

It sets them up nicely for the visit this Sunday of promotion contenders, Oxford City Ladies.

Match report by Sue Hewett

Players: Chloe Hunt, Ayala Truelove, Leanne Saunders, Shelley Forster, Jana Penazova, Ellie Reed, Caz Harkness (Capt), Amy McNab, Amie Barnard, Gemma Burnett, Ruby Oliver, Imogen Gibbons.
Referee: Dave Jukes
Goal scorers

Gemma Burnett (2)
Ellie Reed
Ruby Oliver

Player of the match
Gemma Burnett
and Ruby Oliver
Next fixture

Southern Region Premier

League season closed
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