Ascot slip to narrow defeat against Swindon
Ascot United Women were edged out 2-1 at The Racecourse by title favourites Swindon Town on Sunday. The visitors, with a near-perfect record this season, were largely dominant throughout and led 2-0 heading into stoppage time, only for Hattie Kettle’s injury time header to give the hosts late hope.
Can The Yellawomen pull off an upset?
The game was almost a free shot for Ascot. Having won their last three league games – crucially against those in-and-around them in the lower half of the table – they had fast-tracked themselves to mid-table security, but expectations of a fourth victory were tempered by The Robins’ ominous record.
That said, Swindon’s perfect record had been ended one week early by Maidenhead United, the latter who Ascot had themselves beaten on the road earlier in the season. The question was would this have set the nerves jangling in the Wiltshire side’s camp having slipped to defeat against The Magpies, leaving themselves in 2nd place, one point behind leaders Moneyfields but with only one game in hand?
Seventh-placed Ascot had moved eleven points clear of the drop zone after their fine run, and they would need to be brave, physical and positive if they were to take anything from a highly-anticipated fixture against a side who only beat them 1-0 in the reverse match.
Playing in a 1-3-5-2 formation, manager Andy Cox stuck with the same starting line-up that won last Sunday, but would need to make two changes before half-time.
Swindon dominate but only score one
Ascot were unfortunate to lose Dani Dias to a hamstring injury after just three minutes, and they would lose Ali Balaam in first half injury time after she went down holding her ankle following a strong challenge; Ella Rowntree was introduced for the latter and looked dangerous down to the left thereafter.
In between that it was pretty much all Swindon, who pressed hard and forced a plethora of corners.
But shortly after Billie Haynes’ curling, left-footed cross-shot cannoned back of the crossbar, Taylor MacDonald stepped up to bend a fine free kick over the wall and into the left-hand corner in the 10th minute.
Ascot rode their look but thwarted a second as Libby Bedwell headed weakly at Cherry Preisner when she might have done better, Katie Sherwood saw her shot on the turn superbly tipped around a post by Preisner and Bedwell missed a sitter when she somehow headed wide from virtually under the bar.
With only one goal separating the sides as they changed ends, there was more than a glimmer of hope for the hosts.
More even second half sees Swindon steal it
Ascot had more intent on the break but it was still the visitors who created most of the chances and shortly after Annie Colston had flashed a shot wide, she got just enough on a corner to beat Preisner, although there were extended objections that the ball had actually crossed the line in a six-yard-box melee.
Colston then played in Haynes on the right, who drew a fine, sprawling save form Preisner in the 79th minute, before Preisner gleefully saved substitute Tori St. Clair’s shot, which was straight at her in the 89th minute.
Lino bowled over by late drama
But Ascot were rewarded for their endeavours three minutes into stoppage time when Kettle came steaming onto a corner from the left and glanced a header into the bottom right for her third goal in three games, 1-2 and a couple of minutes to salvage an unlikely point.
Just before that, the referee’s assistant had tripped over backwards in the afternoon’s comedy moment, before recovering to check his watch and the scoreboard, and refresh himself with where he actually was and what he was doing.
Sianna Hagerty, an earlier substitution, had made a menace of herself since her introduction and both she and Poppy Dearlove threatened in the dying embers, but Swindon held on for their second single-goal win over Ascot of the season.
The Yellawomen will travel to Abingdon United for a County Cup Semi Final next Sunday, and they will go there with no fear given their recent revival.
Ascot United: Preisner, Balaam (Rowntree 45’), Cox, Huntley, Doyle (Mason 82’), Kettle, Dearlove, Maxted, Fox (Luscombe 77’), Harney (Hagerty 71’), Dias (Lane 3’). Sub unused: Carter.
Entertainment: 4
Reporter’s Star Player: Billie Haynes (STFC) / Hattie Kettle (AUFC)
Attendance (estimate): 100 (25 away)