| The First Team of Newbury Ladies FC travelled to Reading to take on a strong Woodley United side in a league fixture. The hosts started brightly and they took the lead after just 8 minutes, when a lucky rebound saw a Woodley attacker wriggle into the penalty area and place a composed finish low into the far bottom corner. With Newbury under the cosh, their hosts hit the cross bar two minutes later, but thankfully the ball fell into the arms of Newbury goalkeeper, Kat Brown. And Brown would be called upon again, after Woodley were awarded a penalty in the 18th minute. The Woodley number 9, Rosie Page-Smith, stepped up to take the spot kick, but Brown pulled off a tremendous diving save to her left to deny her and keep her Newbury team in the game.
Brown’s heroic save really buoyed her team mates and for the first time in the game, they went on the attack and found themselves deep in Woodley territory. Gemma Burnett had worked the channel well and her trickery gave her the space to send in a cross from the left. Becky Anderson was charging in at the far post, but her first time shot was well blocked from almost point blank range by the Woodley keeper and the ball went behind for a Newbury corner. The visitors had further half chances in the remainder of the first half, with the opposition goalkeeper looking less than convincing when called to deal with high balls and crosses. But the one nil score-line remained in Woodley’s favour at the half time break.
Newbury knew they were still well in this contest and they started the second half strongly, earning two corners, which they sadly did not capitalise on. But then on the hour mark, they had another excellent chance, when Amy McNab showed great strength and pace to reach the touchline and squeeze a thunderous shot towards goal. With the keeper beaten, the ball was somehow miraculously headed off the goal-line by a Woodley defender. Still Newbury went in search of the equaliser, but their set pieces were not their best on the day and they failed to make the most of any of those opportunities. Then Woodley had a quick break-away in the 70th minute, which Newbury Captain, Ellie Reed, did well to track back and clear, when her defence was exposed. But Newbury couldn’t hold out and just three minutes later, Woodley did score the killer second goal.
A controversial moment followed soon after, when Newbury’s forwards were about to race clear of the Woodley back-line, only for a suspect off side flag to be raised. Within seconds, Woodley went straight down the other end to add a third goal and further insult to injury for Newbury. The team spirit and character amongst Newbury’s players was to be admired however, as they did pull one goal back in the 79th minute, to make it an interesting end to the game. Newbury substitute, Amie Barnard, was upended in the box and the Referee had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick. Leanne Saunders showed huge composure to stride forward and slam home the penalty to make the score 3-1, with eleven minutes plus injury time still to play.
Newbury were unable to breach the Woodley defence any further and it would be the hosts themselves who wrapped up the scoring in the 88th minute, when they added a fourth. 4-1 the match finished.
Match report by Sue Hewett
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| Players: Kat Brown, Leanne Saunders, Sam Atkins, Lauren Hanson, Shelley Forster, Jo Walsh-Perks, Becky Anderson, Ellie Reed (Capt), Gemma Burnett, Amy McNab, Ayala Truelove, Ruby Oliver, Amie Barnard. |
