Newbury Ladies Football
Match Report -- Season 2017-18
Berks & Bucks Women's Senior Cup Round 1
Sunday 15th October 2017
Newbury Ladies 0 Barton Rovers Ladies 1

Newbury Ladies were in Senior County Cup action when they played at home against Barton Rovers in Round One.

The opening period saw some good Newbury pressure, with their first corner after just 5 minutes, It was an Ellie Reed set-piece, which the visiting defence cleared. Newbury were having a lot of joy when playing down the flanks, avoiding a congested midfield. Whilst the Barton back-line were having to do a lot of defensive work, Newbury were unable to find that killer pass to create a real clear-cut shooting opportunity. Becky Anderson was having an influential game for Newbury in the wide areas, but still the home side was unable to capitalise on their first half pressure.

Just prior to half time, Newbury were forced into a re-shuffle, when captain, Caz Harkness suffered a dead leg under a heavy challenge. She couldn’t continue and so Ruby Oliver entered the fray for Newbury in an early substitution on 44 minutes. The first half ended goal-less.

It was Barton who started the second half the strongest and the first ten minutes saw Newbury’s defence having to deal with a wave of Barton attacks. They did so well and gradually it became a more even encounter. If anything, Newbury began to ramp up the pressure again, with a flurry of shots coming the way of Reed, Anderson, Amy McNab and Tracey Beales. The Barton goalkeeper was forced into two good saves and still there was no breakthrough. Then against the run of play, Barton were awarded a debatable free kick just inside the centre circle, after a 50/50 challenge involving Reed. It looked a soft decision, but from the resulting free kick Barton pumped a central ball over the top of the Newbury defence. As Barton’s Amie Benton beat the offside, she was through on goal and slotted coolly past the keeper to give her side a one nil lead after 72 minutes.

With not much time left on the clock, Newbury reacted by bringing on fresh legs and they made two quick substitutions, which saw the introductions of Lauren Hanson and Bec Walker, replacing Anderson and McNab respectively. Again, Newbury were having pressure in the Barton half, but they lacked a cutting edge and a final finish. In chasing an equaliser, Newbury almost conceded a second goal, after a Barton breakaway that saw a shot cannon against the cross bar in the dying minutes. Newbury went straight down the other end and won a corner, in a pulsating climax. The corner was half cleared and Newbury’s Jana Penazova was invited forward to strike the ball from 30 yards. Her left footed shot would have had the keeper beaten all ends up, but cruelly it hit the inside of the left post, rebounded across the face of the goal and somehow stayed out. Barton’s slender one nil lead remained intact and the Referee blew for full time just seconds later.

So it will be Barton Rovers and not Newbury Ladies, who progress into Round 2 of the Senior County Cup. Bizarrely however, both these same teams will face each other again next week. This time it will be Barton’s turn to host Newbury and the competition that sees them again pitted against each other is the Southern Region League Cup.

Match Report by Sue Hewett

Players: Chloe Hunt, Ayala Truelove, Leanne Saunders, Sam Atkins, Shelley Forster, Jana Penazova, Ellie Reed, Caz Harkness (Capt, replaced by Ruby Oliver on 44 mins), Tracey Beales, Becky Anderson (replaced by Lauren Hanson on 74 mins), Amy McNab (replaced by Bec Walker on 78 mins).
Referee: Ian Herrington
Goal scorers
Player of the match
Becky Anderson
Next fixture

Southern Region Premier

League season closed
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