No title-winning hangover for dominant Yellas
League champions Ascot United Women cruised to a 5-1 victory at Woodley United on Sunday. The Yellawomen, who secured the title last weekend, were in control against their hosts, whose injury nightmare saw them finish the match with just nine players.
Title winners received guard of honour
This was the fourth meeting of the season between these sides – Ascot having won the previous three – and the home side afforded Ascot a guard of honour as they entered the pitch.
Manager Andy Cox was absent on a coaching course – Will Blithing stepping in – and he and the decent number of travelling supporters were treated to another goal-fest.
Yellawomen impress in solid first half
To their credit, Ascot made it a decent spectacle on an awkward pitch, and they threatened after thirteen minutes when home ‘keeper Jo Nowak-Allum parried Leah Robertson’s shot, before Leah Littlechild lobbed the rebound over.
Liv Glover came agonisingly close to scoring the opener a minute later only for her shot to deflect off the inside of nutmegged ‘keeper Nowak-Allum’s legs before squirming wide – Beth Lloyd having charged down a clearance and teed her up – before Robertson slid home at the far post to make it 1-0 one further minute later; Littlechild providing the assist from the left.
Littlechild then sensed an opening just after the half-hour mark as the waves parted in front of her, and after driving through the middle she slotted home to make it 2-0.
Robertson scored her second and Ascot’s third with a tap-in at the far post after Kate Fox had picked up Alix Todd’s pass down the left wing and delivered an inviting cross, and it might have been 4-0 on the stroke of half-time only for Erin Huntley’s superb curling effort to clatter back of the angle of crossbar and post.
Second half more subdued as injuries blight Woodley
The home side were improved after the break and got their goal in the 53rd minute, although Ascot’s defending was well below their normal standards.
Before that, Littlechild had already threaded Lloyd in to blast home at Nowak-Allum’s near post to make it 4-0 in the 51st minute, but Ascot conceded soon afterwards.
There should have been little danger when Molle Haines launched a free kick into the box from near the centre circle, but the visitors allowed the ball to bounce, and Chloe Melton had the easiest of tasks to nod past Chloe Donnellan.
Ascot Substitute Sophie Doyle and Fox linked up well for Lloyd to fire over at the midpoint of the half, and then Woodley went down to ten players having already used their only substitute in the first half when Charley Evans had hobbled off inured.
Doyle then saw a shot well saved, but Todd delivered the resultant corner into the six-yard box, and Fox nodded home from virtually under the crossbar; 5-1 and 75 minutes played.
Woodley played the remaining eleven minutes including injury time with nine players, and Blithing was able to give young ‘keeper Libby Carter nine minutes of those when she came on for Donnellan.
Job done, and one more game to complete and unbeaten league programme.
What’s next for Ascot?
The Yellawomen play their final league game of the season on Easter Sunday and AFC Portchester are the visitors to The ‘Course.
Ascot United: Donellan, Rowntree, Todd, Huntley, Torry, Holden, Glover, Fox, Littlechild, Lloyd, Robertson. Subs (all used): Carter, Banduka, Doyle, Ward, Couzens
Entertainment: 2
Reporter’s Star Player: Phil Holden (Ascot United)
Attendance (estimate): 80