Ascot impress in 4-0 south-coast victory
ASCOT United Women made light work of awful weather conditions as they won 4-0 at Sholing Sports on Sunday afternoon. The Yellawomen were in total control throughout, as two unanswered goals each for Leah Littlechild and in-form Liv Glover were enough to send them back to the summit of the league table.
Yellawomen back in league action after trio of cup matches
Andy Cox’s troops returned to their Southern Region Women’s Football League programme after FA, League and County Cup action on the previous three weekends, a spell where they had slipped to third in the table as their rivals had capitalised on their games in hand.
And, the unbeaten visitors knew they could return to the summit with a victory as new leaders Oxford City had a blank Sunday whereas 2nd-placed Woodley’s clash with 5th-placed Wycombe had fallen foul of the weather.
Yellawomen impress in front of travelling support
Despite the conditions, Ascot played some impressive flowing football in the first half, and were rewarded inside four minutes when they took the lead. Alix Todd escaped down the left wing, swung in a teasing cross, and Littlechild planted a glancing header into the right-hand corner to put the Yellawomen 1-0 up.
Cox’s side were well-back by a travelling support approaching thirty fans – half of the crowd – some commitment from them having earlier battled their way down a sodden M3 motorway.
They watched on as Glover saw an effort saved and then Jess Drage’s header cannoned off a defender for a corner, but the patient visitors scored a quickfire double mid-way through the half to assert control.
Sholing unable to land a glove; Ascot have their own Glover
And, that double came from Glover, who pounced on a poor backpass after Littlechild had initially drifted up field and across it on a mazy run, to hammer past home ‘keeper Grace Jenman.
That strike came in the 25th minute, but her next effort two minutes later was a cracker. This time, Kate Fox drove forwards and found Glover with her back to goal, but Glover’s rapid spin-cycle left her marker rooted before rifling a left-footed shot with her next touch into the bottom right to make it 3-0.
Jenman produced a fine, diving save to turn Beth Lloyd’s curling effort over for corner on the half-hour mark, but three-nil it remained at the break with Sholing totally shut out at the other end.
Second half; game management as heavens open
The hardy spectators were relieved to escape the first half having only been given a taste of life in a wind tunnel, so when the driving rain mixed in with the gale as the second-half started, it was a case of digging in with no covered shelter at the hosts’ Oasis Academy ground.
And, their side duly dug in too; continuing to play attractive football they scored a fourth five minutes after the restart when Glover was involved on the left, Todd swung in a cross that deflected up and into the six-yard box, and Littlechild reacted quickly to loop a precise header over Jenman and into the net.
Huntley and Drage stand firm at the back; Holden outstanding
At the other end, Jess Drage and Erin Huntley snuffed out anything The Boatwomen tried to muster; Emily Flegg their stand-out player but simply unable to carve out anything other than a tame effort that the otherwise unoccupied Jodie Gray-Piazza claimed.
And, even when they threatened in a decent spell midway through the half, Littlechild showed her worth at the other end of the pitch when tracking back to her own left-wing corner flag to mop up the pieces.
Jenman impressed in the hosts’ goal and her four-goal concession told nothing of her display, palming away Lloyd’s stinging effort and claiming brilliantly later-on as Ascot sought a fifth.
A fifth goal did almost come from the boot of substitute Sophie Doyle. U18’s manager Stu Connor – watching on from the sidelines on his birthday – saw his young starlet thump a stunning first-time strike onto Jenman’s crossbar from fellow substitute Leah Robertson’s cross in the 68th minute cross, but the ball bounced onto the goal-line and out leaving the woodwork as rattled as its windswept surroundings.
Holden continued to call the shots in midfield, and her ninety-minute display would leave the fans lauding having watched her back to her best after injury.
The rain had, by now, abated leaving the wind to dry out the travelling fans before their journey home, although there was still time for Doyle to fire over first-time when Jenman had spilt Danielle Kjaer’s drilled-cross late-on.
The win moved Ascot top on goal difference, but crucially with two games in hand on Oxford City in second place.
Huge credit goes to Ascot – and indeed Sholing – for their respective performances in tough conditions. If they can play like they did with the elements against them, then bring on the next storm.
There was not so much desire for another soaking from the travelling fans though, but they won’t mind a bit this time around having been warmed for the homeward leg of their 120-mile round trip by a stellar display.
Ascot United: Gray-Piazza, Knight (Luckhurst-McCord 64’), Todd, Huntley, Drage, Torry (Doyle 56’), Holden, Fox (Kjaer 72’), Lloyd (L. Robertson 56’), Littlechild, Glover (Magrath 72’).
Entertainment: 4
Reporter’s Star Player: Phil Holden (Ascot United)