The Round-Up
Sunday 5th January
Cambridgeshire Women’s Premiership
2019 saw a large expansion in the county leagues in Cambridgeshire a host of new sides joining saw the Premiership increase to 13 sides with a new look single Championship starting with 15 now down to 14 alot of football to be played an plenty of intrigue developing as the fixtures unfold. Newly promoted side Leverington Sports Ladies ending 2019 top of the pile in the Premiership a close battle at the top between themselves and Haverhill Rovers Ladies with Peterborough Northern Star Ladies Reserves joining the battle late on, several others well placed to mount a challenge in 2020.
Five matches in the Premiership to start the new year. Leverington Sports beginning the new year with a local derby match away to march Town United Ladies who ended 2019 in a rich vein of form with 3 straight wins taking them up to 5th in the Premiership table. Proved to be a tight game with March coming away with a 2-1 victory courtesy of a 7th goal of the season from Jordan Turner and a first of the season and first in 62 matches for Claire Newton (that stat provided by March). The result lifting march up to 4th in the table 3 points off the leaders with 2 games in hand.
That narrow defeat for Leverington Sports sees Peterborough Northern Star Ladies Reserves take over at the top of the Premiership table as they came out on top in a narrow win at home to St Ives Town Ladies Development on Sunday. PNS Reserves 6th win of the season edging the result 3-2 to collect the 3 points. Hannah Flatters in her 4th appearance scoring her first goals for the club celebrating a 1st half brace with Ellie Spendelow also on target for the hosts.
Ketton Ladies promoted to the Premiership as Championship North champions last season are up to 6th in the Premiership table 5 points off top spot with games in hand themselves as they started 2020 with a win. Playing at home in the league for the first time this season were taking on Histon Ladies Reserves a brace scored by captain Beth Goodman securing a 2-0 victory.
A brace for Ketton Ladies. Beth Goodman on Sunday.
Ketton leading a trio of sides mid-table on 13 points well positioned to push on in 2020, Fulbourn Institute Bluebirds getting off to a winning start in 2020 at home to Cambridge University Women on Sunday. Top scorer Marie Stubbings netting a brace taking her tally to 20 for the season. Ebony Rule too also amongst the goals since rejoining the club on target for a brace herself to move to 11 for the campaign. Eleanor Woodley playing in just her 3rd game for Fulbourn scoring her first goal for the club helping the hosts to a 5-1 win. Cornelia Buettner making her first appearance for Cambridge University Women getting her first goal.
Finally in the Premiership Cambridge City Ladies new A side 9th in the table are far from out of the tussle above on 12 points, 6 from top spot with a game in hand as they began 2020 with a 4th win of the season at home to bottom side Riverside Ladies on Sunday. A spirited performance from the visitors battling back to score to goals but by then the damage had already been done as Cambridge City leading 4-0 at half-time went on to win the game 6-2. Bronte Rapley along with a brace for Phillipa Witherspoon along with a goal for Sasha Tristam the scorers in the 1st half for Cambridge City. Adding a 5th goal 2nd half Riverside getting it back to 5-2 with Ines Sophia Lopes scoring both goals. Witherspoon completing her hat-trick to see the match won 6-2.
Cambridgeshire Women’s League Cup
One game outstanding from the quarter finals of the Cambridgeshire Women’s League Cup played this Sunday a Peterborough derby with ICA Sports Ladies at home to Netherton United Ladies. A tough fought match Annie Posnett scoring for ICA Sports Ladies, it was Netherton United who edged the win however to reach the last 4 of the competition with Jenna Nairn on target to score a brace to clinch a 2-1 result setting up a home clash with St Ives Town Ladies Development on Sunday 22nd March. Last season’s finalists Cambridge University Women at home to Riverside Ladies in the other semi-final.
Goal mouth action from Sunday’s League Cup quarter final (photo credit Gary Reed)
Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship
Plenty of drama going to unfold in the 2nd half of the season too in the Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship. A brilliant start to the season for Cambridge Rangers Women as they end 2019 well clear at the top with a 100% record 10 wins from 10 played. Very tight below with potential challenges lurking. The top two seeing their opening games of 2020 called off an opportunity to close the gap presenting itself. Pinchbeck United Ladies themselves with a 100% winning start to the season a number of call offs seeing them with games in hand 6 wins from 6 going into Sunday’s away match to local rivals Deeping United Ladies. The hosts holding the advantage at half-time leading the game 1-0 Pinchbeck fought back in the 2nd period to equalise and go on to score the winning goal to move up to 3rd in the table Courtney Walker scoring both goals taking her onto 11 for the season. Pinchbeck 9 points behind leaders Cambridge Rangers with 3 games in hand.
Eaton Socon Ladies new to the league enjoying a good start to the season 3rd in the Championship at the start of 2020. Began the new year with a trip to in from Newmarket Town Women Development climbing up into the top 6 at the end of 2019. Leading 2-0 at half-time Newmarket went on to score a further 2 in the 2nd period whilst keeping a clean sheet to win 4-0 and climb a place into 5th spot in the Championship. Maisey Flack and Olivia Caffarelli with their first goals for the side along with a goal for Brooke Wickens and top scorer Talia Irvine taking her to double figures for the season.
Park Ladies ending 2019 on a high recording back to back wins continued their excellent form into 2020 with a 3rd straight win away to Cardea Ladies this Sunday. Another high scoring match the sides sharing 8 goals between them. A good start to the season too for Cardea a winning start 4 from 4 behind with their fixtures a first loss coming at home to Pinchbeck in their final game of 2019. Park opening the scoring in the first minute 1-0 up Cardea coming back to level 10 minutes later Phoebe Deidda with the goal. Park retaking the lead midway through the first half ending the first half well scoring two late goals to go in 4-1 up at the break. Cardea fighting back scored twice more in the 2nd half, Park though adding a 5th goal clinching a 5-3 victory. Francesca Plitsch with a hat-trick goes onto 11 for the season. Georgia Payne and Sherrie martin also on the scoresheet.
A mixed set of results so far in the new look Championship for Isleham United Ladies 3 wins and 5 losses from the first half of the season a positive start to 2020 as they won for the 4th time this season at home to Swavesey Spartans Ladies on Sunday. Poppy Green scoring her first hat-trick for the club helping Isleham United to a 5-2 win. There were first goals too for Becky O’Connor and Kayla Simpkins. Alexandra Herbert scoring for Swavesey Spartans who after this weekends results drop to the bottom of the table with just one victory so far this season.
That because previous bottom side Haverhill Rovers Ladies Development began 2020 with their first ever league win. A tough start to life since joining the Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship despite some battling efforts and good performances at times not collecting the points to show for it that changed on Sunday with a big win away to Burwell Tigers Ladies. Gemma Codling scoring a hat-trick for Haverhill was joined on 3 goals by Jenna Wright a hat-trick on her first appearance for the side. Amy Evans appearing for the Development side for the first time netting a brace in an much welcomed 8-2 win.