It’s a right royal day out for Ascot
Ascot United Women maintained their position at the top of the league with a 3-0 against Reading Community Trust Women on Sunday. Ascot, who are unbeaten in the league, were gifted two own-goals by their hosts, but were nonetheless in total control against a Reading side unable to create one clear chance of their own.
Yellawomen aim to keep pace against reborn Royals
The visitors arrived in Slough knowing a win would keep them at the top of the league, and standing in their way were bottom-played Reading Community Trust, reborn out of the ashes of Reading Women, who had taken demotion from step two to take their place at step 5.
Just a few years earlier, the hosts were playing in front of over 3000 fans when Arsenal visited their former Select Car Leasing home, but nowadays they are watched by a fraction of that as tenants at Arbour Park. That said, the Yellawomen’s following boosted the attendance once again, travelling in numbers just as they had done a week earlier in their south coast win over Sholing Women.
Yellawomen dominate first half and score twice
It was pretty much all one-way traffic from kick off with Reading unable to force a single opening, whereas home ‘keeper Cherry Preisner was in action as early at the sixth minute with a brilliant close-range block from Beth Lloyd’s thunderbolt; Charlie Torry having superbly picked out Liv Glover earlier for the assist.
But the visitors were given a helping hand in their opening goal after ten minutes when Reading defender Mia Bradley rifled Leah Littlechild’s dangerous cross into her own net; this time it was Jess Drage who had catalysed the move.
However, Ascot’s second midway through the half was a well-worked effort that required little assistant from The Royals. Erin Huntley’s pass out to Alix Todd got her side moving, Todd cushioned the ball on for Glover’s intelligent run down the left channel, and her cross to the far post found a gleeful Littlechild, who tapped home (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk)
Lloyd fired over the bar from Littlechild’s right-wing cross in first-half injury time, but two-nil it remained at the break.
Scrappy second half but visitors still on top
The second period was more of a luke-warm mulled wine than a vintage on the first day of Advent, but Ascot did enough to stay on top for a comfortable win.
They put more daylight between them and Reading eleven minutes after the restart when Reading substitute Poppy Airey nodded Chloe Ball’s delivery back over her own’ ‘keeper Preisner and into the net for a second own-goal of the afternoon.
Preisner was hugely impressive and got down well to Torry’s thumping effort after Reading had made a hash of clearing Todd’s corner, and would later react well to tip Littlechild’s flick away.
Substitute Leah Robertson was straight into the mix after her introduction – seeing an effort chalked off for offside after Ball had slid a delicious ball across the box – and then audaciously scooping over Preisner and onto the inside of a post; all within two minutes of entering the field.
Lloyd clipped the top of the crossbar after being teed up from an indirect free kick with the last kick of the game, but 3-0 it remained for Andy Cox’s side.
Ascot United: Gray-Piazza, Knight, Todd, Drage, Huntley, Fox, Torry, Holden, Fox, Lloyd, Littlechild, Glover. Subs (used): Rowntree, Doyle, Luckhurst-McCord, Ball, L. Robertson
Entertainment: 3
Reporter’s Star Player: Erin Huntley (Ascot United)