The Round-Up
Sunday 17th March
FAWNL Southern Premier Division
Coventry United Ladies extend their unbeaten league run this season to 14 matches with a big home result on Sunday to maintain their 4 point lead at the top of the FAWNL Southern Premier Division. Playing in 3G were taking on Gillingham Ladies who have been stripped of their place in the FAWNL Plate Final after fielding an ineligible player in the semi-finals, this sees semi-final opponents West Bromich Albion Women advance to the final the 2nd season on a row this has occurred with Flyde Ladies suffering a similar fate last season.
Gillingham falling behind to an early goal as Lois Jefferies headed the ball in from a corner kick to give Coventry a 3rd minute lead. Amber Hughes sliding in at the far post to finish a cross doubling the lead midway through the first half. Jefferies making it 3-0 with a shot across the keeper, a 4th goal quickly followed with Amy Wathan striking moments later. Coventry leading 4-0 at the break. Hughes with her 2nd of the game extending Coventry’s lead just seconds into the 2nd half. A powerful strike from distance from Marie Gauntlett bringing up a 6th goal. Beth Merrick coming on in the 2nd half for Hughes making an immediate impact cutting inside to shoot from range and score. Wathan with a bullet header from another corner scoring Coventry’s 8th from close range. Gauntlett off a free-kick out wide scoring another spectacular goal from distance sealing a 9-0 victory for Coventry.
Also a big win too for 2nd placed Chichester City Ladies as they bring an end to a run of 3 straight defeats in the lead. Travelled to Essex on Sunday to play bottom side C&K Basildon Ladies. The visitors taking the lead midway through the first half Jess Lewry brought down inside the box stepping up to take and score the resulting penalty. A 2nd goal quickly coming Kim Stenning volleying in at the far post from a Nadine Bazan cross to open her Chichester account. Molly Clark sending in a 3rd goal 3 minutes later, a 4th goal coming in first half injury time with Clark getting her 2nd beating the keeper to score.
Chichester on the front foot right from the off in the 2nd half creating chances, 63 minutes on the clock an Clark gets her hat-trick. Sara Tubby introduced to the action making an instant impact putting the ball over the keeper to make it 6-0. Into the final 5 minutes Chichester pushing for more goals Clark finding the back of the net for her 4th of the afternoon. Tubby scoring her 2nd of the game in stoppage time to secure an 8-0 win for Chichester.
Cardiff City came back from a goal down to secure the win at home with a late goal on Sunday in a hard fought contest with Milton Keynes Dons Ladies to maintain the pressure on 2nd placed Chichester City Ladies. The visitors scoring from a curled effort in the 13th minute, Milton Keynes Dons held the advantage for much of the game closing in on the final 20 minutes the Welsh side came back to level with Chloe Lloyd scoring from a 25 yarder to make it 1-1. The winner coming with 6 minutes left to play Cardiff hitting Milton Keynes on the break Kylie Nolan round the keeper pulling it back for Grace Horrell to chip over the defence from 18 yards out and score to win it 2-1.
A fantastic crowd of 846 in attendance at Home Park on Sunday as Plymouth Argyle Ladies took centre stage at the League One sides ground. Were hosting Portsmouth FC Women. The visitors taking the lead on 19 minutes from a short corner taker Katie James getting the ball back from Rachel Panting coming up the line and scoring with a superb strike from wide to make it 1-0 2 in 2 from James. Plymouth levelling the scores minutes later winning a corner up the other end the ball into the six yard box Kayley Lane turning six yards out and scoring to make it 1-1. Jade Widdows scoring her first Portsmouth goal last weekend restoring the visitors lead with 10 minutes left to play in the first half scoring from the angle outside the box to make it 2-1. Natasha Knapman introduced to the action for Plymouth in the 67th minute making an impact as she levelled the scores for the 2nd time in the match minutes later getting onto the end of a Lane cross to see Plymouth earn a share of the points.
Queens Park Rangers Women came back from 2 goals down at home on Sunday to earn themselves a point against Loughborough Foxes Women. Goalless heading into the final minute of the first half Tiana Hicks bringing the ball on getting a shot away from the top of the area finding the bottom corner to put Loughborough into the lead her first goal of the season. An hour played Loughborough bring on Eva Rogers another substitute making an immediate impact on hand to bury a shot from inside the box after Shauna Chambers blast was blocked the rebound falling kindly. QPR getting a goal back almost straight away Courtney Ward-Chambers with a strike from distance over the keeper to make it 2-1. Ward-Chambers coming close to making it 2-2 hitting the post in the 71st minute. Jo Wilson beating the offside trap putting the ball over the line to level the scores with 12 minutes left to play. 7 points from 3 matches Loughborough covering over 700 miles in that time move back up to 5th in the Southern Premier Division table.
Their U23s side winning the Hertfordshire Women’s County Cup earlier in the day, Watford Ladies 1st team were at home to Oxford United Women in the afternoon. The visiting side taking an early lead with Emily Allen scoring from a corner in the 16th minute. The lead doubled late in the first half from another corner with new signing Gemma Sims scoring her 1st league goal in the 43rd minute. 2-0 up at half-time Watford getting it back to 2-1 early on from a corner routine Katherine Huggins taking getting it back to put in from wide her ball in creeping in at the near post. Oxford soon restoring their 2 goal cushion Lauren Haynes with a great finish from 20 yards out to make it 3-1. A left wing cross turned into thier own net by Watford saw Oxford go 4-1 with 12 minutes left to play Danielle Scanlon on in the last 10 minutes scoring from a free-kick wide on the left to reduce the deficit to 4-2, Oxford in 4th winning the 3 points, 5 points off 2nd placed Chichester with 2 games in hand.
FAWNL South East Division One
Two games played in FAWNL South East Division One on Sunday. League leaders Crawley Wasps Ladies dropping points for the 1st time since promotion to the league last weekend held to a 0-0 draw with Cambridge United WFC. Hardly a blip as they came back strong in midweek with a 4-0 away win against 3rd placed Actonians Ladies. This Sunday Crawley were at at home taking on Norfolk side Norwich City Ladies. Lauren Graves making her first appearance in goal for Crawley’s first team. The hosts taking an early lead Megan Stow firing them into the lead inside 10 minutes. Rachel Palmer’s corner floated in to the far post bringing up Crawley’s 2nd in the 22nd minute. Kemina Webber rounding the keeper on the half hour to make it 3-0, finishes from Naomi Cole and Darcey James late in the first half seeing Crawley into a 5-0 lead. Jenny Drury scoring a 6th goal for Crawley early in the 2nd half Stow going on to claim a hat-trick securing an 8-0 win to see Crawley take a 10 point lead at the top of the table.
A good week for Cambridge United WFC building on a confidence boosting point earned against Crawley at home last Sunday beat Norwich City Ladies 1-0 to push into contention in mid-table in midweek. At home again this Sunday were taking on Actonians Ladies. Cambridge taking the lead through captain Kelley Blanchflower the striker running on to beat the keeper to the ball take it wide and send the ball over the line. Cambridge hitting Actonians on the counter to score a 2nd Blanchflower left inside for Becky Shephard inside the area digging the ball out from her feet to make it 2-0. Alessandra Barreca scoring from a free-kick in the 37th minute pulling a goal back for Actonians. A break in play early in the 2nd half as a torrential hailstorm hit the ground the players retreating to the dressing room. The sun soon returning, Mollie Coupar from inside the box heading in a free-kick to put Cambridge 3-1 up. An handball inside the box seeing Cambridge awarded a penalty Shephard burying it to score her 2nd of the game. Coupar with a chipped effort scoring her 2nd of the game to seal a 5-1 win for Cambridge who move up into the top half of the table. Back in action on Tuesday evening at The Abbey Stadium with momentum going into the Cambridge Women’s Invitation Cup Final against rivals Cambridge City Ladies.