That could have signalled an avalanche of Oxford City goals, but Newbury’s players showed some real steel, not letting that early set back derail them. They started to get to grips with Oxford’s midfield and Newbury’s defence were performing strongly. Leanne Saunders made a solid block inside her penalty area, then goalkeeper, Kat Brown, pulled off a save, and Sam Atkins was on hand to clear for Newbury. All the possession was Oxford’s, with Newbury looking to threaten on the counter attack.

After comfortably saving a direct Oxford free kick, Brown then pulled off a stunning diving save to her right. The resultant Oxford corner was headed away by Ellie Reed and the follow up shot was wide of Newbury’s goal. Newbury were battling hard in every department and Oxford City really knew they were in a game. Having smashed the visitors for nine in their last visit in the Cup, earlier this season, Oxford were definitely surprised by Newbury’s resilience.

Brown was again called upon to keep Newbury’s hopes alive, when she foiled the Oxford striker, who had been played through for a one-on-one chance. Ayala Truelove, who was getting through an enormous amount of work in midfield for Newbury, then played a lofted ball over the top of the home defence. Amie Barnard showed a good turn of pace to nip in behind, but Oxford were saved by their keeper, who came off her line well and just pipped Barnard to the ball on the edge of the area.

Oxford City then had a cross from the right that skimmed the Newbury cross bar, but Becky Anderson was there to clear the danger for Newbury. The visitors were hanging on, hoping to reach half time still only the one goal behind. But then Newbury’s best moment of the game came in the 42nd minute. Again, it was the pace of Barnard that was the weapon. This time she was played in by a killer pass from her strike partner, Gemma Burnett. Barnard was through and she took one touch to control, before firing the ball home past the advancing keeper. Newbury had equalised right on the stroke of half time and Oxford City’s players and management were devastated. For all their possession, they had found a very stubborn Newbury rear guard. And when Newbury needed some quality, it was provided by Barnard, who was making her first appearance of the season. And so it was one goal apiece at half time.

The second half began in a mirror image of the first, with Oxford City carving out another one-on-one opportunity for their Number 9. Again, Brown had the better of her, blocking another goal-bound effort to keep the scores level. This re-focussed Newbury’s players and they again showed the same defensive discipline that they had in the first half.

But Newbury hearts were broken in the 67th minute, when they were unable to close down a shot quickly enough on the edge of the area, and the ball was sent looping just under the Newbury cross bar. This put Oxford back in front and they took a 2-1 lead. They had doubled that advantage within just a minute, when some desperate defending by Jo Walsh-Perks, was not enough to prevent Oxford scoring a third goal.

Brown again pulled off a tremendous one-on-one save in the 77th minute, as she was in inspired form between the sticks for Newbury. More Oxford pressure saw some really strong blocked challenges, first by Walsh-Perks and then by Nicole Pearce. Oxford had to settle for a corner. Again goalkeeper, Brown saved from close range. But in the game’s closing stages, Brown was unable to prevent Oxford from scoring two further goals in the 86th and 90th minutes, as Newbury’s eleven players really began to tire.

The 5-1 score-line was not reflective of how heroically Newbury’s players had performed against all the odds. And they had certainly given the home side a scare at a half time. Newbury now have the Christmas break in fixtures, but they will look to build on these good foundations for their remaining matches in the new year.

Match report by Sue Hewett