Newbury Ladies Football
Match Report -- Season 2017-18
Southern Region Women's Football League Premier Division
Sunday 4th February 2018
Newbury Ladies 1st 1 Chesham Utd 5
The First Team of Newbury Ladies FC played at home against the Southern Region Premier League leaders, Chesham United Ladies. The visiting team kicked off and went straight onto the attack, forcing a good, early save from Newbury’s Carly Passfield in goal. They then had two quick corners, hitting the post with one shot. Newbury were really under the cosh in the early stages and when one Chesham attacker broke into the box, a Newbury defender was forced into a tackle. Despite winning the ball, the Referee was not happy that the challenge had come in from behind and he awarded a penalty to Chesham United. This was duly dispatched and Chesham had a one nil lead after 13 minutes.

Newbury re-grouped and were stronger in their challenges in midfield after the re-start. Ellie Reed picked up possession for the home side and combined well with Molly Baker, before sending in a good delivery into the box. Unfortunately for Newbury, they didn’t have a player far enough forward in support. Chesham then had a glorious opportunity to extend their lead, crossing from the right, across the face of goal. The ball evaded Passfield at the near post, but she somehow scrambled back along her line and made an outstanding point blank save at her far post to foil the Chesham striker. The visitors did have the ball in the Newbury net just moments later, but it was ruled out for off side. Newbury’s first real chance came in the 23rd minute, when the ball was played up to Gemma Burnett. She won possession, with a great challenge and then played in Molly Baker, who had advanced in support. She cut into a more central position and unleashed a shot from the edge of the area, that the Chesham keeper had to save. Chesham next hit the cross bar from a corner, but Newbury were still surviving and hanging onto Chesham’s coat tails, by keeping the score at just one nil.

In the 39th minute, Chesham United were able to double their lead, when Newbury couldn’t clear their lines and eventually the bobbling ball was stabbed home from close range for two nil. At this point, Chesham United looked to be in complete control as half time approached, but that was not to be the end of the drama in the first half. From the re-start, Newbury pressed forward and with Shelley Forster picking up the ball just outside the Chesham area, she drove into the box with a powerful run. Her surge forced a rash challenge from both the defender and the on-rushing goalkeeper and with Forster felled, the Referee again pointed to the spot. Leanne Saunders stepped up to take the responsibility for Newbury, but after a prolonged delay, whilst Chesham were still unhappy and disputing the award of the spot kick, Saunders had to keep her cool. When the Referee signalled for the kick to be taken, there was no doubt, as Saunders fired in from 12 yards to bring Newbury back into the game at 2-1 after 42 minutes. That was how the score-line remained at the half time break and Chesham’s players appeared to be rattled.

The second half began in the same vein as the first, with wave after wave of Chesham United attacks. With Newbury’s goal under siege, it only took the visitors until the 55th minute before they opened the scoring in the second period. Two strikers bore down on goal un-opposed and Passfield did well to force the shot onto the bar, but a Newbury defender was unlucky with the rebound, as she was unable to clear and only saw the ball ricochet into the net for 3-1. Just three minutes later saw a Chesham midfielder score an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area, right into the top corner. And at 4-1, Chesham’s dominance was now reflected in the score-line.

As the second half continued, Newbury were forced to make a couple of substitutions in order to protect one or two key players carrying knocks. They kept Chesham at bay again until the 83rd minute, when a Chesham break down the left resulted in a cross and a fifth goal. And so the final score was 5-1 to Chesham United, who are rightly the Southern Region Premier Division leaders, not having dropped a point after 11 consecutive wins. Newbury Ladies slipped to fourth in the table, but still sit one point ahead of Winchester City and Ascot United, in fifth and sixth respectively.

Match report Sue Hewett

Players: Carly Passfield, Sam Atkins, Lauren Hanson, Leanne Saunders, Kendall Gilmour, Jana Penazova, Caz Harkness (Capt), Shelley Forster, Amy McNab, Molly Baker, Ellie Reed, Gemma Burnett, Bec Walker, Becky Anderson.
Referee: Mark Bullock
Goal scorers
Leanne Saunders (pen)
Player of the match
Molly Baker
and Caz Harkness
Next fixture

Southern Region Premier

League season closed
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