THAMES VALLEY COUNTIES WOMEN'S LEAGUE

Sunday 19th March 2006

WANTAGE TOWN LADIES 4
v
AFC NEWBURY RESERVES 0

Wantage Ladies’ confidence rides high after 4-0 victory.

Wantage were optimistic after last weeks 1-1 draw with Oxford United Reserves and, having already beaten Newbury earlier on in the season, they kicked off. It took only ten minutes before the domination by Wantages midfield paid off. Pressure on the Newbury goal lead to a goal kick which was won straight back by Hayward, who placed the ball through two Newbury defenders for King to run onto and slot into the back of the goal.

Newbury settled into the match and despite organising their defence a number of Wantage attempts went wide of the goal. Wantage continued to press and created space down both wings. Although Newbury attempted to put several passing moves together they never really pressured the Wantage defence or keeper.

Goal two came after 38 minutes from another Newbury goal kick which was collected by Clipston, taken back down the left wing and crossed to Mrzyglod who, turned and drilled the ball past the keeper.

Wantage made no changes at half time and started the second half as they had ended the first, despite the fact that Newbury had made changes to their defence. Within 12 minutes of the restart Wantage were awarded a free-kick just inside their own half. Barguss struck the ball deep into the heart of Newbury’s defence where it was collected by Mrzyglod who again manoeuvred around Newbury’s defence with ease and placed the ball wide of the keeper into the goal.

As the match continued Clipston, Hayward and McMullen continued to rip holes in the Newbury midfield and it was only through good goal keeping and some desperate defending that Wantage didn’t score. Newbury did manage to break through the Wantage defence on a couple of occasions but never really troubled the keeper. Manager Leigh Adams made changes to the team in order to rest players for the semi-final against Newport Pagnell next week.

Sarah Snowdon made an instant impact and in the 88th minute she nipped past the Newbury defence to cross the ball into the goal area, only for it to be played back across the goal. As other players turned away, thinking the ball was going for a goal kick, Snowdon chased to keep it in play and then struck the ball, from the narrowest of margins, with such force that it hit the far left post and went into the back of the net.

Team: Chris Shaw, Helen Hayward, Tanya Mrzyglod (c), Angie Cross, Lucy Blackwell, Kayleigh Barguss, Sarah Dunkin, Sarah Kinsella, D Clipston, Becky McMullen, Laura King.
Subs: Sam Williamson, Sarah Snowdon.

Marie Wornham (Wantage Ladies Football Coach)

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THAMES VALLEY COUNTIES WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOOTBALL PLATE

26th February 2006

WANTAGE TOWN LADIES 3
v
AYLESBURY UTD LADIES 2

King’s hat-trick sees Wantage Ladies through to Semi-final.

On a rather cold and blustery February Sunday afternoon Wantage Ladies faced their opponents Aylesbury United Ladies, a team who had beaten Wantage 2-1 earlier in the season. Undaunted by this fact and with confidence running high after a run of several good results Wantage kicked off.

Aylesbury took immediate control of the game, keeping Wantage pinned in their own half for the first ten minutes and testing both the defence and keeper. Wantage soon settled and some swift passing play saw Helen Hayward making several lightning runs down the right wing and crossing the ball into the Aylesbury area, unfortunately only to be met by the Aylesbury defence.

Aylesbury’s continued domination of the midfield meant they were able to control most of the play but both Jade Bolton and Nic Allen worked hard in defence to stop the Aylesbury attacks. However, in the 39th minute Aylesbury got their breakthrough after a disastrous defensive error by Wantage as they failed to clear a simple ball and one of the Aylesbury strikers pounced and chipped the keeper.

At half time manager Leigh Adams made dramatic changes to the formation in a do-or-die effort to win the match. It paid off and after just twelve minutes Laura King was able to take advantage of a misplaced kick from the Aylesbury defence and drilled the ball into the left-hand corner of the goal.

Wantage continued to pressure Aylesbury and with the midfield now evenly matched there were attempts on goal by both teams. In the 69th minute Aylesbury took advantage of a clash between two of the Wantage defenders, leaving their striker with just the keeper to beat.

Wantage didn’t give up and continued to plug away at the Aylesbury defence. The midfield began to create more space for each other and, as the quality of the passing improved, an equaliser seemed inevitable. As the 80th minute approached King received the ball inside the Aylesbury half, sprinted past two defenders and thumped the ball into the goal, leaving the keeper stranded.

With extra time looming and the tension rising both teams anxiously tried to retain possession. A Wantage corner, played in by Hayward, flew to the far post where it was met by the head of Sam Williamson and then, unfortunately, the post. Aylesbury were quick to clear the ball but it was collected by the Wantage midfielders and played through to King who, turned and once again, sprinted around the Aylesbury defence to slot the ball in the right-hand corner of the goal in the 88th minute.

Marie Wornham (Wantage Ladies Football Coach)