Youngsters shine at Ascot beat Woodley 4-1
Ascot United Women scored twice in each half as they came from behind to beat Woodley United Women in the league cup on Sunday. On afternoon where their younger players shone on the big stage, The Yellawomen triumphed against Woodley for the third time this season.
Double deja-vu for Ascot and Woodley
The visitors must be getting sick of the sight of Ascot having already been heavily beaten at the Racecourse in both the league and FA Cup, but they are a solid side and are one of four teams separated by just a point at the top of the Southern Region Women’s Football league; could this be third time lucky?
As for Ascot, this was the second of three consecutive cup games – sandwiched between their FA Cup defeat at Brentford and next Sunday’s county cup tie against Newport Pagnell Town, and they mixed it up to good effect with the introduction of some of their U18 JPL team.
The linesman’s flagging!
As in the last match, Woodley would strike first early-on, although it was a little later than in the FA Cup tie – five minutes – as Lucy Giles unleashed a fine long-range effort that sailed over Chloe Sadler and into the net.
But Ascot were level just six minutes later when Chloe Ball raced onto Charlie Torry’s ball over the top, showed great strength to hold off the covering defender, before slotting the ball across visiting ‘keeper Jo Nowak-Allum and into the bottom left.
But the hosts were frustrated by two quickfire offside decisions that denied them from taking the lead; firstly from Leah Robertson’s follow-up effort following Ball’s shot that Nowak-Allum had saved, and then Liv Glover’s tap-in after Ball had slotted the ball through a crowd of players.
Robbo Rocket earns half-time lead
All of that action had come inside the opening sixteen minutes, and as time ticked towards half-time, it was Robertson who illuminated proceedings.
Alix Todd swung over a corner from the right, Nowak-Allum came and didn’t claim, and although the loose ball had drifted towards the far corner of the penalty area, Robertson didn’t think twice before unleashing a thunderous, rising strike that flew into the top-right hand corner.
Second half littered with chances
The home side carved out numerous chances after the break, and almost added a third when one of their young starlets, Darcey Taggart, thumped the left-hand post six-minutes-in after Robertson’s tenacity had led to her dispossessing Woodley defender Charley Evans.
Glover’s first-time toe-poke was then saved by Nowak-Allum before Evans – the visitors’ best player – hobbled off with a knee injury on the hour mark after bravely trying to run it off for four painful minutes.
Leah Littlechild then threaded through for Robertson who could only side-foot wide, but when Ball and Robertson linked up for Glover, the diminutive forward flummoxed Nowak-Allum before side footing home number three in the 68th minute.
Youngsters weigh-in with the goods
Much of Ascot’s threat came down the right wing – Lauren Knight (pictured) having a solid performance at the back of it – and she made way amid a flurry of substitutions in the second period.
Littlechild then split the visitors wide open again with a raking pass to another youngster – Ella Rowntree – and she cracked a shot form a tight angle that Nowak-Allum saved once again.
Robertson then fired wide first-time, but the overworked Nowak-Allum would produce a stunning save to deny Glover at the far post – standing up well and getting a strong hand to what looked like a net-ripping shot – Rowntree and U18’s star Sophie Doyle both linking up in the build-up.
At the other end, Woodley threatened twice in quick succession through Chloe Melton – firstly with a chip that drifted over Sadler’s bar and then with an awkward, bouncing effort from long range that Sadler did well to claim with a sprawling save.
But ascot were on top and Robertson might have had a hatful as she fired straight at Nowak-Allum with ten minutes remaining and then wide of target five minutes later, but when Rowntree and Robertson linked up for Doyle in added time, she showed great composure to hammer into the top right and make it 4-1, much to the delight of most of the 100-or-so fans in attendance.
Ascot United: Sadler, Knight, Todd, Drage, Torry, Huntley, Fox, Littlechild, Lloyd, Ball, Glover. Subs (rolling): Robertson, Taggart, Rowntree, Luckhurst-McCord, Doyle
Entertainment: 4
Reporter’s Star Player: Lauren Knight