Yellawomen hit Portchester for six in semi
Beth Lloyd scored a hat-trick as Ascot United Women produced a classy display to beat AFC Portchester 6-2 in the league cup semi final on Sunday. The Yellawomen were made to work hard by their impressive visitors, but upped the gears in the second half in what was their best performance for several weeks.
Cup final carrot dangled in front of league high-fliers
With both sides impressing in the SRWFL Premier Division – Portchester in fourth place and with games in hand in their first season at tier five – this match-up had the potential to be a close affair. And, with the other semi-involving the teams in sixth and seventh place, the winners of this one would surely be favourites for the cup.
Portchester had won nine of their eleven games since the post-Christmas restart, whereas Ascot remained imperious at the head of the league and had comfortably won an early-season league encounter in Hampshire.
Entertaining first half sees Ascot ahead
Both sides contributed to a first half littered with chances, and the visitors showed their attacking threat early on when Gemma Hillier volleyed agonisingly wide of the right-hand post after Mia Adaway’s deep cross had been recycled.
At the other end, Leah Littlechild fired straight at visiting ‘keeper Roxy Roberts midway through the half with both Alix Todd and Kate Fox involved in the build-up, but the hosts would strike first blood in the 23rd minute.
And, it was a goal crafted by regular suspects Littlechild and Lloyd – the former picking out the latter with a fine ball through – and Lloyd kept her composure to fire the ball over Roberts with enough technique to get it down under the crossbar.
Ascot doubled their lead three minutes later when Erin Huntley sent Todd away down the left, and her hanging cross looked to be going in until Roberts clawed it away, only to see her clearance strike defender Brooke Marshall before Leah Robertson pounced to tap in on the goal-line (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk).
Portchy threaten; Eilidh Currie impresses
The visitors were, however, far from done, and when playmaker Eilidh Currie picked out April Hill in the 28th minute, her rising strike was tipped over the bar by home ‘keeper Chloe Donnellan.
And, when Mia Adaway had a sight of goal soon afterwards, the home side were relieved to see her smash her first-time effort over the crossbar.
But The Yellawomen’s much-improved performance after last week yielded a third goal in the 37th minute when Phil Holden – who would leave the pitch injured shortly after – played a sublime pass through for Kate Fox, who beat the onrushing Roberts with a shot from just outside the area that the covering defence could not keep out.
However, Portchy made it interesting before the teams changed ends when Adaway’s thumping shot beat Donellan and clattered the underside of the bar; April Hill nodding home the loose ball.
Lloyd strikes early in stellar second half
To their credit, Ascot came out on the front foot after the visitors had posed the late question of them in the first half and after Kate Fox has escaped down the right inside the opening minute and teed up Lloyd, the latter made no mistake with a sweet finish into the bottom left.
But the visitors were one of the best sides Ascot have faced this season, and they responded inside three minutes when Currie tried her luck from fully forty yards with an audacious effort that Donnellan could do little about.
A plethora of chances followed; Fox, Littlechild and Lloyd all linked up for Littlechild to strike a low effort that Roberts got down well to turn around a post, before she found the net in the 70th minute after winning the ball back near the touchline and teeing herself up for a long range drive that took a nick off a defender en-route to the bottom left.
That goal made it 5-2, and after Lloyd had dithered over what would have been a sitter, Alix Todd saw her free kick well saved once again by Roberts in the 80th minute. But, the home side struck their sixth when substitute Alice Balaam’s cross bounced out of Roberts’ grasp, allowing Lloyd to rifle home the afters and complete her hat-trick.
Portchy finish strong
The visitors will surely have something to say in next season’s campaign and showed incredible desire to continue pressing.
And, they were unlucky to strike the woodwork twice in the closing stages, firstly Adaway was denied by a combination of Donnellan and an upright after nipping in from the left and shooting, before substitute Charlotte Keenan thumped the crossbar via a deflection two minutes from time.
Ascot are blessed with having three good goalkeepers in their ranks and Donnellan played her part with fine hands to keep out Adaway’s stinging drive from a tight angle in added time.
That was it, and Andy Cox’s side will look forward to a cup final against Winchester City at Scours Lane on Sunday 27th April; City seeing off Sholing 3-1 away from home.
What’s next for Ascot?
The Yellawomen travel to Woodley United next Sunday as they look to take a giant step towards the title; Woodley will no doubt have something to say having already lost to Ascot three times this season.
Ascot United: Donellan, Couzens, Todd, Huntley, Torry, Holden, Cox, Fox, Littlechild, Lloyd, Robertson. Subs (all used): Vince, Balaam, Ward, Banduka, Paver
Entertainment: 4
Reporter’s Star Player: Beth Lloyd (Ascot United)
Attendance (estimate): 90