The Round-Up
Beds & Herts – New Season Sun 11th September
A new season of County league football across the country began this weekend, teams putting a long pre-season behind them and playing their 1st competitive games of the season. A new look to The Round-Up this season breaking it down into smaller sections, everything still covered, this edition focuses on Beds & Herts.
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire run a combined women’s football league, with 3 divisions. This season there are 9 sides contesting each league. Hertford Town Ladies won the Division One title last season and have been promoted to the ERWFL above. A few new sides in the leagues whilst some are no longer there. A patchy start to the season across the 3 divisions with just the 6 fixtures to cover in The Round-Up.
Beds & Herts Women’s Division One
Sharnbrook WFC won Beds & Herts Division Two last season with Houghton Athletic Ladies finishing runners-up, both have come up along with 3rd placed Hitchin Town Ladies. Toddington Rovers Ladies have folded before the season kicked off. There is also a new name in the league St Albans Ladies, were Harvesters FC Ladies before.
3 fixtures in Division One this Sunday to kick off the season, Sandy Ladies were away to Sherrardswood Ladies, the visitors had spent much of last season near the bottom of the table pulling themselves out of trouble late on. A much more positive start to this season as they finish the day top of the league. Kayleigh Bennett scoring twice, with goals too from Loren Ellard, Amber Williams and Kirsty Gavin in a 5-0 win.
Sharnbrook WFC, bounced straight back from relegation to Division Two winning the title and started life back in Beds & Herts Division One with a win. Were away to League Cup winners, Garston Ladies. A goal 2 minutes before half-time for Gemma Franklin was followed by 3 more in the 2nd half, Charlotte Mullins on target in the 56th minute, before Sian Cunningham struck the back of the net twice in the last 10 minutes to see Sharnbrook seal a 4-1 win. Jane Hales netting the goal for Garston Ladies.
A 2nd successive promotion for Houghton Athletic Ladies to reach Division One started their new season with a home game against St Albans Ladies. Emma Hawkes grabbed the goals for the home side as they ran out 2-0 winners. All 3 results against sides you’d expect to be contesting the title indicates Division One is going to be highly competitive once again.
Beds & Herts Women’s Division Two
Hitchin Belles and Evergreen Ladies finished 1st and 2nd in Division Three last season to win promotion to Division Two, 3 more sides came up too as the leagues were readjusted both Icknield Ladies and Bedmond Ladies have since folded. Panshanger Ladies join Division Two from the league below whilst Flitwick Ladies drop down from Division One. Woburn Lionesses become, Woburn & Wavendon Lionesses Clarets (and need a twitter account asap with a shortened version of that name).
Watton Ladies travelled to Hitchin Belles on the opening Sunday having had a good pre-season, were confident for the new campaign. Knew Hitchin Belles would be a good test early on having lost just the one game on their way to the Division Three title last season, but despite 2 goals from Shannon Page for Hitchin Belles, Watton ran out comfortable winners beating them 8-2.
In the other match in Division Two, Garston Ladies FC 96 were away to relegated Flitwick Ladies. Lauren Berryman and Scarlett Stanley scored the goals to see Garston get off to a winning start.
Beds & Herts Women’s Division Three
With all the adjustment in the league over the summer, sides folding and new sides joining their are just the 4 of the sides left in Division Three that started Bedwell Rangers, Crawley Green Ladies, Hatfield Town Ladies and Shefford Town & Campton Ladies. Evergreen Eagles come down from Division Two. Kings Langley Ladies are no more. The new names in the league this season are Hertford Town Ladies new reserves side, Potters Bar United Ladies, Wheathampsted Ladies and Woburn & Wavendon Lionesses Blues.
Just the one match took place in Division Three on Sunday with the latter named side at home to Hatfield Town Ladies. Woburn & Wavendon Lionesses Blues hitting the visitors for 7. Amy Gibbons scoring a hat-trick, Georgia Payne netting a brace plus a goal a piece for Lizzie Richardson and Emily Chown.