Abingdon’s lead was extended just six minutes later, when a cross came into the Newbury penalty area from the right this time. The ball was initially cleared, but not far enough and a follow-up shot was smashed back in, clipping the underside of the bar and falling over the line for two nil. Newbury still looked dangerous on the break however, with one long upfield pass from Kendall Gilmour, playing in striker, Bec Walker for a one-one-one shooting chance. The keeper just did enough to get a glancing touch on the ball. This took the power out of the shot and as it was trickling towards the goal, the Abingdon defender had enough time to get back and hook the ball clear.

Cruelly for Newbury, the game was taken away from them just two minutes later, when Abingdon went straight down the other end to score a third goal. And they added goals four and five in the next five minutes, to totally stun the Newbury players. Five nil was the score-line at half time.

Newbury’s Development Team improved massively in the second half, with some heroic defending, particularly by Saide Gulliver and also Marie Prout in between the sticks for Newbury. They performed brilliantly to keep Abingdon at bay again until as late as the 79th minute. They did then score a sixth goal and this seemed to sap what little energy Newbury’s players had left. Because sadly they conceded again on 84 minutes. But they were the only two goals that Abingdon scored in the entire second period, but it was enough to see them take a convincing seven nil victory overall.

Match Report by Sue Hewett