Newbury Ladies Football
Match Report -- Season 2017-18
Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division
Sunday 29th October 2017
Ascot United Ladies 1 Newbury Ladies 1st 1

The First Team of Newbury Ladies FC returned to Southern Region Premier League action when they faced Ascot United Ladies at The Racecourse Ground and it was the home side that grabbed the initial impetus at the start of the match. The Newbury backline was organised and strong however and they kept Ascot at bay. Bec Walker had Newbury’s first shot on target after 10 minutes, but her effort was narrowly wide of the near post. But she was involved in another chance soon after, when she combined well with Shelley Forster. The final pass sending Tracey Beales through for a one-on-one chance, however the Ascot goalkeeper was off her line quickly to clear for a Newbury corner. Ellie Reed took the set piece, which was met by Ayala Truelove, but she couldn’t keep her header down and the ball went over the Ascot bar.

Newbury had now settled into the game and were enjoying a spell of sustained possession in the Ascot half. Beales had another great chance, when she again beat the offside trap to latch onto a Caz Harkness through ball. But she was denied for a second time by the Ascot keeper, who made an exceptional save. Chloe Hunt was then called into action in the Newbury goal and had to pull off a fine double save after a quick Ascot breakaway, which served as a reminder to Newbury that the home side carried a real threat. At the start of play, Ascot United Ladies sat on top of the Southern Region’s Premier Division and rightly so. But this was proving a real test, as Newbury were performing superbly. With both keepers helping to keep the score-line goal-less, it was 0-0 at the break.

Ascot attacked strongly after the re-start and they had a glorious opportunity to take the lead, when Hunt was at full stretch to tip away a cross-shot from the right. With the goal gaping at the back post, the incoming Ascot player looked to have a simple tap-in, but fortunately for Newbury she poked the ball wide. Newbury then regained control with the influential Forster and Harkness bossing the midfield and with Burnett, a willing runner up front, the visitors were now causing all the problems. As the Newbury pressure built and built, one of the game’s defining moments came in the 72nd minute, when Forster was upended just outside the Ascot penalty area. A free kick was awarded, with Walker winning the debate amongst the Newbury players about who would take it. Her shot glided over the 5-player Ascot walk and was heading for the top left corner, but whilst the keeper got a hand to the ball, she only parried and Beales reacted first to reach the loose ball and prodded home from 2 yards. One nil to Newbury with only 17 minutes of the 90 remaining.

Newbury now had some defending to do, with Ascot desperate to avoid defeat. Cruelly for Newbury the minutes did not tick down soon enough and with 88 minutes on the clock, a needless corner was conceded after some tired Newbury legs had mis-kicked twice in quick succession. Up popped Lauren Broadhurst for Ascot to connect with the corner and smash the ball into the Newbury net for the equaliser. There was not enough time left for either side to force a winner and the match ended as a 1-1 draw. It had been a terrific contest, between two very evenly match teams. With Chesham United winning at New Milton Town the same day, they replaced Ascot at the top of the table, with Newbury remaining in fourth place behind Oxford City.

Match report by Sue Hewett

Players: Chloe Hunt, Ayala Truelove, Leanne Saunders, Sam Atkins, Lauren Hanson, Shelley Forster, Ellie Reed, Caz Harkness (Capt), Tracey Beales, Jana Penazova, Bec Walker, Gemma Burnett, Amy McNab, Amie Barnard.
Referee: Phil Rees
Goal scorers
Tracey Beales
Player of the match
Shelley Forster
Next fixture

Southern Region Premier

League season closed
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