Dom’s double and Skinner strikes to earn 3-1 win
Ascot United beat league rivals Wycombe Wanderers 3-1 on Sunday afternoon to reach the final of the Southern Region Women’s League Cup. In front of a crowd of around 80, the home side didn’t match their usual high standards but still had enough in the tank to see off plucky Wycombe; Dom Carrington’s brace and Tiff Skinner’s tap-in enough to see them through.
It took just 42 seconds for the hosts to take the lead, Carrington on hand at the far post to tap-in after ‘keeper Emily Strange had initially kept out Skinner’s shot with a sprawling save; Georgia Luckhurst-McCord with the earlier ball over the top to create the opportunity.
Wanderers were decent value for money and spent long periods in Ascot’s half, Esmee Sword’s header from a 10th minute corner flying over Lucie White’s crossbar.
But the Yellawomen created daylight in the 15th minute when Strange failed to hold onto Carrington’s speculative, lofted cross and Skinner gleefully stabbed home from inside the six yard box.
White then thwarted Freya Harris when clean through moments later as Wanderers threatened again, but they cut the arrears in the 25th minute with a stunning long-range strike when Kine Andersen found the top right hand corner from outside the penalty area.
And, they might have levelled when Sword ghosted onto Harris’s deep cross and fired over on the volley, Harris doing well to regain possession on the left wing, but the hosts had the last laugh of the half when Carrington rifled into the top left hand corner to make it 3-1 – also from distance – after Philippa Holden and Alix Todd had fashioned the chance in the 35th minute.
In the second half, Wycombe threatened briefly and Harris might have done better than shoot straight at White after racing into Katie Riddington’s pass in the 51st minute. Amy Leach then did superbly well to carve out a cross from the left wing although Harris was unable to get anything on it when racing into the six-yard box.
But that was as good as it got for the visitors and Ascot might have added a fourth only for Strange to tip Holden’s effort onto the bar – albeit from an offside position – after Carrington and Skinner’s neat interchange ended with the latter finding Holden. And, there was still time for Claire Couzens to try her luck from distance and Carrington to find the top of the crossbar from Todd’s pass, but 3-1 it remained.
The Yellawomen will face Eastleigh in the final after they ended Division 1 Rushmoor’s fairy-tale run with a 5-0 win in the other semi-final
Pictured: The Yellawomen celebrate scoring (shooting-stars.co.uk).
Ascot United: White, Luckhurst-McCord, Connor, Bennett, Spark, Todd, Carrington, Holden, Brown, Skinner, Davern. Subs used: Woods, Couzens, Cruickshank. Sub unused: Killick-Bird