Then after ten minutes, Newbury forced three corners in quick succession. The second resulted in a real goal mouth scramble, after defender Leanne Saunders had advanced forward. New Milton were extremely fortunate to clear the danger, but only for another Newbury corner. This time, Ellie Reed’s cross into the box was met well by the head of McNab, but her effort again sailed just the wrong side of the cross bar. The deadlock was broken by Newbury after twenty minutes when a long goal kick was flicked on by Burnett and into the path of Shelley Forster. She had driven forward strongly, only to be have the ball pinched from her on the edge of the area. But she was not to be denied, battling well and winning the ball back from the same defender within a matter of seconds. This time, she was in possession and able to advance into the box, when she then found a delicious outside of the boot finish to see the ball fly into the top corner for one nil to Newbury.

The home side were now very much in the ascendency, but they were somehow unable to add their tally before the half time break and so it remained at one nil to Newbury.

After the re-start, New Milton’s players started as if they had been read the riot act at half time. They looked a completely different team and Newbury soon knew they were in a titanic contest. The visitors hitting the Newbury post just after the hour mark. The pace of the game was now frenetic and this suited New Milton far better. In an attempt to change the momentum, Newbury started to make changes and tried to utilise their strong bench. First with the introduction of Ayala Truelove and then also with the prolific Bec Walker stepping up from the Newbury Development Team. But in the 70th minute, New Milton did force an equaliser, with a shot from the edge of the area that curled inside the far post. It was perfect placement and unsavable, and all the New Milton pressure had finally told. One goal apiece now and with just twenty minutes remaining, the match was finely poised.

With the score-line still one, one with 84 minutes on the clock, Newbury threw back on their main strikers in an attempt to try to find a winning goal. That gamble proved foolhardy however, when it was New Milton who struck in the 90th minute. Newbury having given away a cheap corner, the cross was converted well at the far post to give New Milton a 2-1 lead at the death. This was a hugely cruel blow for Newbury, who saw their opponents leaving with all three points and the gap between the two teams having been closed to just two points. The home side would definitely rue the missed chances in the first half and they again learnt that one goal just isn’t enough at this level. But Newbury Ladies will have to re-group quickly, as they will face Ascot United Ladies in an away game this coming Sunday 31 March.

Match report by Sue Hewett

Attendance 29