In heavy rain soaked conditions, the visitors kicked off the match, but it was Newbury who seized the initiative, with some good attacking play down their right. The lively Tracey Beales was heavily involved in the build up and then found her way into the box to get on the end of the move. Her shot hit the post and then Bec Walker followed up with the rebound, only to see the keeper make a fine save from close range. Newbury earning their first corner. Again the Shanklin keeper was called upon to save, again parrying for a corner. Newbury had their opponents well under the cosh, but were unable to find an early breakthrough.

Gemma Burnett then won the ball strongly for Newbury, just inside her own half. She broke quickly down the right, cutting a cross back to Beales, who shot agonisingly across the face of goal and just wide of the far post. Further chances came Newbury’s way, but they continued to be foiled by some resolute and dogged Shanklin defending. Ayala Truelove had two efforts. The first a header that was too close to the goalkeeper, who was able to gather comfortably. Then a shot from distance that had the keeper beaten, but then was headed clear on the line by a Shanklin defender.

With the match still goal-less, returning Club Captain, Caz Harkness entered the fray just after the half hour, with Burnett withdrawn. She immediately showed some nice touches in midfield, alongside Ellie Reed and Shelley Forster. But then totally against the run of play, Shanklin’s main striker was able to escape the attentions of the Newbury defence and race onto a long ball played over the top. With the ball holding up on the muddy pitch, Newbury’s keeper, Carly Passfield, couldn’t reach the ball first and the attacker was able to collect and control, side stepping Passfield and rolling the ball into the empty net for one nil in the 40th minute. Almost immediately, Newbury went back down the other end and a Harkness strike clipped the top of the cross bar and skimmed over and behind. So Newbury Ladies found themselves a goal behind at the half time break and with work to do.

The home side made a further change in personnel for the start of the second half, with Amy McNab on in place of Bec Walker. Again, Newbury took control and were dominant in attack. After just 9 minutes of the re-start, Newbury had an equaliser. It came from a corner, which the Shanklin defence could only half clear. Both Truelove and Beales were well placed on the edge of the area, with Truelove sending the first shot back in, that was blocked inside the box. The rebound came to Beales this time and her first time low finish was drilled into the far corner for 1-1.

With the match finely poised, Passfield was again called upon in the Newbury goal, when she was required to make a double save. Scrambling back just in time to claw the ball away just a yard from the goal-line for the second of those crucial saves. At the other end, McNab was proving a handful for the Shanklin back-line and one strong run down the left, saw her reach the by-line and slide the ball across the face of the goal, with no other Newbury player quite advanced enough to capitalise. But then in the 65th minute Newbury went ahead, when they were able to play quickly out from the back, which saw Passfield and Truelove on the same wavelength. Truelove worked the ball quickly down the left and then in a lovely sweeping move, the play was switched over to Bec Anderson on the right flank. She had options ahead of her, with some good movement by Beales, but Anderson instead elected to cross and her pin point delivery found Truelove in between two Shanklin defenders just inside the area. Truelove had continued her run out of defence and had arrived at just the right time. She connected beautifully with the cross, hitting a first time volley that flew into the roof of the net for 2-1. It was as good a goal and team move, as you are ever likely to see and was just reward for all of Newbury’s good play.

Shanklin’s players did not give up however and there was still much defending for Newbury to do. With the slippery conditions worsening, it was apparent that just one mistake, one lapse in concentration, could prove costly and allow Shanklin a way back into the game. That was something that the whole Newbury team was determined not to let happen and they went in search of a third goal to kill the game off. Another strong McNab run and cross, found Beales un-marked at the back post for Newbury. But unfortunately, Beales lost her footing and slipped, just as she was about to strike into an empty net. This allowed the defender to get back and clear the danger. It took until the 91st minute for the third Newbury goal to arrive, this time Truelove heading home an Ellie Reed corner. Just minutes later and the Referee blew his whistle for full time. It had been a superb 3-1 victory for Newbury Ladies, turning the game around from a one nil half time deficit and the win saw them leap frog Ascot United to move back into second place in the Southern Region Premier League table. They have ended the 2017 calendar year on a high and go into the festive break with spirits well and truly buoyed.

Newbury Ladies’ Player of the Match was two goal hero, Ayala Truelove.

Match report by Sue Hewett