The Round-Up
ERWFL – Sunday 18th December
ERWFL League Cup
Two more sides reached the quarter finals of the ERWFL League Cup this Sunday as the two remaining ties in the competition were played. Royston Town Ladies were at home taking on AFC Sudbury Ladies in the 3rd Round of the competition. It was AFC Sudbury who took the lead with Mia Etheridge putting them one up 15 minutes into the game held onto the lead going into the changing rooms at half-time. Stacey Teager doubling the advantage from the penalty spot 20 minutes into the 2nd half as she was brought down inside the box. Andrea Wright reduced the deficit to 2-1 for Royston Town with 10 minutes left, couldn’t find another goal as AFC Sudbury held onto the lead to progress into the next round. Have a home tie in the quarter finals in February taking on fellow Premier Division side AFC Dunstable Ladies.
Was a Cambridge derby in the other 3rd Round tie in the ERWFL League Cup with Division One side Cambridge City Ladies travelling to the Glassworld Stadium to play Premier Division side, Histon Ladies. New signing Nuala Wayne making her 1st appearance for Cambridge City giving the visitors the lead in the 1st half. Emma Littlewood putting Cambridge City 2-0 up early in the 2nd half the win was assured when Wayne netted her 2nd of the game to see Cambridge City into the quarter finals with a 3-0 win will be away to Acle United Ladies in February.
ERWFL Premier Division
3 games in the ERWFL Premier Division on Sunday to end the year. After 3 successive defeats in league and cup 2nd placed side Bedford Ladies finally got back to winning ways at home ending opponents Brentwood Town Ladies winning streak that had seen them climb up the table with 4 straight league wins. A brace scored by Michelle Byrne along with a hat-trick by Natasha Fensome seeing Bedford win the game 5-1 to move level on points with Haringey Borough Women at the top of the table however Bedford have played 4 more games than their title rivals. Leah Cowan scoring the goal for Brentwood Town Ladies.
Tight in the middle of the ERWFL Premier Division table with just 2 points now separating the sides between 4th and 8th. A single goal was enough to take all 3 points for Writtle Ladies at home to 3rd placed AFC Dunstable Ladies on Sunday the goal scored by Courtney Clarke the win seeing Writtle jump up the league standings to end 2016 in 4th place in the Premier Division.
It was an Acle United Ladies side depleted by injury and illness that travelled to Essex on Sunday to play Colchester Town Ladies the home side taking full advantage with a good 1st half performance to lead the game 2-0 at half-time. Nancy Butler putting the home side ahead on 16 minutes, Sasha Anderson making it 2-0 10 minutes later. That remained the score 2nd half as the match moved into the final 10 minutes. Hayley Demmon coming off the substitutes bench having been out off competitive action for a spell putting the ball into the back of the net for Acle United to see them pull a goal back. Acle United pushing for an equaliser late in the game got it with a couple of minutes of the 90 left Amber Rowland (pictured) sending the ball home to make it 2-2 and see the points shared.
ERWFL Division One
4 matches in ERWFL Division One to end 2016 and it’s Offley & Stopsley Ladies who end the year top of the table allow they were pushed all the way at home against Silver End United Ladies in a 7 goal thriller. The visitors scoring twice in the 1st half, Abigail Head and Kayleigh Steed on target with the goals with captain Rebecca Hollocks scoring a 3rd goal for Silver End 15 minutes into the 2nd half. Offley & Stopsley hit back with 4 goals with 4 different goal scorers to win the game 4-3 to take the 3 points. Gemma Coggins, Katerina Hamplova, Giselle Randall and Rianne Townsend-Brown all getting their name down on the score sheet.
It was raining goals at Kings Head Meadow as Wymondham Town Ladies took on bottom side Hoddesdon Town Ladies. The Norfolk side taking an early lead with Gemma Sanders scoring inside 2 minutes. Amber Cantwell doubling the lead 10 minutes later for Wymondham Town. Sally Hammerton with her 1st goal for the 1st team this season making it 3-0 on 19 minutes. Laura Hammerton netting her 1st goal too for the 1st team this season to make it 4-0 just past the half hour mark the lead was 5-0 at the break with Kayleigh Holloway scoring in the 37th minute. The goals continued to flow for Wymondham Town in the 2nd half Bethany Fretwell finding the back of the net 3 minutes after kick-off. Sanders and Cantwell both scoring their 2nd of the game on 60 and 63 minutes to extend the lead. Sally Hammerton bringing up a double figure score as she completed her hat-trick with 2 goals in 5 minutes in the 75th and 80th minute, 2 more goals added in the final 10 minutes of the match both scored by Laura Nicholls the final score 12-0 the result seeing Wymondham Town climb above Cambridge City Ladies to end 2016 in 2nd spot in the Division One table.
Getting tight at the top of the Division One table with 4th placed Colney Heath Ladies moving level on points with Cambridge City Ladies in 3rd on 24 points with a comfortable home win against Ipswich Wanderers Ladies on Sunday. Christina Freestone and captain Sophie Joseph both scoring in the 1st half to see Colney Heath lead 2-0 at half-time. Came out strongly 2nd half hitting the woodwork before Holly Sheridan put the ball over the goal line to make it 3-0. 20 minutes to play and Lucy Hancock made it 4-0 to Colney Heath, Sheridan with her 2nd of the game seeing Colney Heath win the game 5-0. 3 points now separate the top for in the ERWFL Division One table, although Cambridge City Ladies leading the way for much of the 1st part of the season have 3 to 4 games in hand on all their title rivals.
Plenty of goals elsewhere in ERWFL Division One too another 7 goal thriller at the Gateway Academy with Little Thurrock Dynamos Ladies at home taking on Stevenage Ladies Reserves. A brace from Georgia Fraser with Sophie Dowman also on target seeing Little Thurrock Dynamos score 3 goals wasn’t enough to take anything from the game however as Stevenage Ladies Reserves hit back with 4 goals to win the match a goal from Leah Littlechild along with a hat-trick for Daniela Martucci seeing the visitors take all 3 points.
The points were shared between Hertford Town Ladies and Hutton Ladies on Sunday however it looked unlikely for Hertford Town on home soil as they found themselves trailing 3-0, Laura Allen, Ebony Moore and Hayley Critchell with her 4th goal in 3 matches giving Hutton a good lead. Hertford Town came back into the game however Kerry Oldham with her 1st of the game 10 minutes into the 2nd half scored her 2nd goal of the game 10 minutes later. Carly Snell netting Hertford Town’s 3rd goal to level the scores with 10 minutes left.