The Round-Up

Cambridgeshire – Sunday 8th January

Cambridgeshire Women’s Premiership

A handful of games to start the New Year in Cambridgeshire this weekend, 5 matches played across the 3 Division’s. Two games in the Women’s Premiership with Newmarket Town Ladies level on 15 points with Cambridge United WFC Reserves at the top of the table having the opportunity to pull ahead into top spot with their title rivals not in action. Newmarket Town who have yet to play a league game at home this season were the hosts at last playing Park Ladies 2nd bottom without a win since promotion last season. Abbi Griffin gave Newmarket Town the lead in the 6th minute with Nadine Basson (pictured) making it 2-0 inside the last 10 minutes of the 2nd half. Newmarket Town went on to secure all 3 points with 12 minutes left on the clock in the 2nd half, Lauren Deller scoring the goal to see them go 3 points clear at the top of the Premiership.

  The points were shared between ICA Sports Ladies and St Ives Town Ladies as both side fought out a 3-3 draw in Peterborough on Sunday. St Ives Town Ladies captain Sasha Smith taking her goals tally for the season to 8 with a goal. Georgia Stancombe also on target with her 4th goal of the season along with an own goal conceded by ICA Sports Ladies whose 3 goals came courtesy of a hat-trick from Lorna Hart in her 1st start of the season.

Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship North

One game in the Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship North and it was a great start to 2017 for new side Boston United Ladies as they secured their 1st 3 points of the season following on from a good league cup group win to end 2016. Were at home to Hungate Rovers Ladies on Sunday. A hat-trick from Demi Barai along with a goal each for Victoria Bradford and Ella Marie Mcororey seeing them get the 3 points with a 5-2 victory.

Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship South

 In the time it took to write one Round-Up and begin another more bad news lands with the new another side has disappeared from a league that makes it more than a leagues worth of women’s football sides in the East alone gone in 6 months is a real concern not just in the women’s game by in the grassroots game in general. St Ives Rangers Ladies are now no longer listed in the Cambridgeshire Women’s Championship South. Know it was a big step up from the U16s Leagues for the side but they gave it a shot beginning the season in need of players, wish everyone well a the club and hope it’s just a temporary absence and the club returns in the future.

Noticed it of course as the loss of St Ives Rangers Ladies alters the layout of the league table to the one I put up just 24 hours ago with points won against St Ives Rangers scrubbed off. It affects the game between 2nd placed Newmarket Town Ladies Reserves on Sunday away to 3rd placed Milton Ladies the most. Newmarket Town Ladies Reserves had gone above Milton at the end of 2016 a win would see them pull further clear however Milton were unbeaten in the league 2 points behind with games in hand. A goal from Amy Butterfill along with a brace from goal scoring machine Kirsty Lemmon-Sparkes saw Milton Ladies win the match 3-0 however having lost 3 points they remain in 3rd 2 points behind Newmarket Town Ladies Reserves.

Milton Ladies in 3rd are 6 points behind Championship South leaders Cambridge City Ladies Development but do have 2 games in hand. Cambridge City started the year with a home match against Riverside Rovers Reserves who enjoyed a strong end to 2016. Cambridge City were to strong on the day, Bella Simmons scoring 4 goals in the game with Carla Penny also netting a hat-trick, Erin Fox also scoring in an 8-2 win, moving onto 19 points Cambridge City like Milton are also unbeaten so far this season.