Boss Cox weighs in on impressive form.
Ascot United Women’s fine form continued on Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 victory on the road at Bournemouth Sports.
‘Sports had beaten Ascot to the step-five Southern Region title by a nose a couple of years ago, but with both of them now at Step-four, there is no doubt who is in the ascendancy.
Mia Delaney’s brace earnt the three points for the County Cup Champions who have now lost just twice in ten games since a remarkable turn of the year – those defeats coming against runaway top-two Swindon and Moneyfields – but it is the goalscoring form that has caught the eye.
Ascot started slow and Bournemouth had the better of the chances in the opening fifteen minutes with former Ascot player Molly Gladwell hitting the post directly from a corner, before ever-dependable stopper Cherry Preisner made an outstanding point blank range save from another corner.
But it was Delaney who broke the deadlock with a clinical finish from just inside the box; her curling shot found the top right hand corner following a cross from Jacey Lane.
Bella Cox then repeated the earlier trick from Sports, as she hit also the crossbar directly from a corner.
Ascot defenders Kate Fox, Erin Huntley and Cox all remained solid, limiting the hosts’ opportunities as they took a 1-0 lead into the break.
After the interval, it was the Lane-Delaney combination again that earnt Ascot a second when the former’s great run down the line ended when she cut the ball back again for the latter to rifle home from a similar position to her earlier strike.
Late-on, Beth Lloyd played an exquisite pass into Dani Dias, she slipped the ball under the keeper, but her touch diverted the ball wide to thwart a third goal.
Speaking after the game manager Andy Cox said “it was a solid performance in a tricky way fixture. Mia was the player of the match after being aggressive throughout and always looking a threat [scoring two].”
“It was probably a 2 for entertainment, but it’s a difficult place to come.”
Having scored 19 goals in as many games before the Christmas Break, Cox’s side have now netted 23 goals in those ten games since – more than doubling their goal-a-game average – in a ruthless change up-top.
The Yellawomen are now a top-six side and with both 7th-placed Abingdon and 8th-placed Plymouth lying ahead in their final three game run-in, their chances of holding onto that position look promising, especially as they next entertain 10th-placed Keynsham in a week’s time.
That is the final home game of the season, and it promises to be a poignant one with talismanic striker Lloyd set to retire at the end of the season; the home faithful will always remember her contribution to the squad, especially in the title-winning season of 24/25.
And, in case anyone was ever in doubt, The Yellawomen are now mathematically safe with an unassailable thirteen point cushion over the bottom two; not that this was ever in any doubt midway through their fine run.
It is very hard to move up one division in the Women’s pyramid and stay up without significant backing. To have done so, and moved into the top half, is a simply outstanding achievement, of which the club and its supporters are truly proud of.
Three games remain, and the foot stays on the accelerator!
For the record, it seems destined that the league title will be decided on the final day of the 22-game season when Moneyfields (P19, 52 points) entertain Swindon (P19, 54 points). Anyone looking for a game in and-around Portsmouth on 26th April may want to mark that card for a cracker.
All in all it was a good weekend for the senior section after Ascot United’s crucial win at Hayes 24 hours earlier. Meanwhile, Ascot United’s Under 14’s Diamonds are still in the hunt for a title of their own after winning a double header, also on Sunday.