Maidenhead United Women 1 Keynsham Town Ladies 2
Sunday 4th December 2022
FA Women’s National League Division One South West

Sunday’s mean women’s football and saw a return for a second Maidenhead United game in two weeks for me. It’s always a pleasure to catch up with everyone at York Road. The journey proved nice and simple despite a rail replacement bus service so I was munching on my now customary Magpie Burger just after 1pm. It was another dull day, cold and with a nasty wind, one my Nan always used to call a lazy wind, which she used to say, goes straight through you rather than going around!

There were some enthusiastic local mascots for the day, the girls from Wessex Primary School who had pictures taken with the players and walked out with the two teams and officials onto the pitch before the start. A really nice touch from Maidenhead which will be something the girls will remember for a long time and hopefully inspire some future stars.

The game started with the visitors very much on the front foot, playing a high press game which caused the Magpies problems and looked a yard quicker all over the pitch. An early free kick just outside the box was was struck well by Corinne Yorston for Keynsham which the defence did well to block. Gemma McGuinness looked the best player on the pitch, getting in behind the Maidenhead defence regularly and it was a smart finish from her which opened the scoring on 16 minutes. McGuinness latched onto a good through ball into the area and lifted it beautifully over Magpies keeper Gemma Harvey as she dived at her feet. 0-1.

Maidenhead reponded well to going behind and forced a couple of corners, both swung into a good area in the six yard box by Megan Halfacree but no-one was there to challenge Charlotte Haynes in the visitors goal. Next Sarah Thompson picked up a loose ball and played a lovely crossfield pass to Halfacree who drove to the byline, pulled it back across the six yard box where Natalie Cowell just failed to get a touch under pressure, a defender clipped the ball away from Lydia Vettese and it fell to Chrissie Nazif whose shot was blocked.

That could have been a turning point as the visitors doubled their lead minutes later. The impressive Chauntine Lyons and McGuinness combined well down the left flank with the latter receiving the ball just inside the area, showed quick feet to turn Gemma Bloor and again lift the ball over the advancing Harvey for another top class finish. 0-2.

McGuinness was again involved in two further chances, the first she had a good low shot from distance which was well gathered by Harvey, and the second McGuinness killed a long ball beautifully before playing in Justine Lorton who could only find the side netting.
H-T: Maidenhead United 0 Keynsham Town 2

The second half began with much of the same, McGuinness again racing clear onto a long ball over the top but saw her effort tipped over the bar by Harvey. Maidenhead then took a foothold in the game and started to win possession and find more space but without forcing any clear cut chances. Kajal Malhotra pushed a little further forward and made some good runs down the left flank, with Vicky Carvill and Amy Saunders taking control of the midfield.

On 61 minutes the hosts made a breakthrough. Some great work at the back by Bloor released Halfacree who ran on before playing a lovely curling defence splitting ball over the top and into the path of Cowell who finished well. 1-2.

Maidenhead were now in the ascendancy, they kept pushing for an equaliser but found the visitors sitting a lot deeper and defending well. A much improved second half performance was nearly capped off when Halfacree hit a free kick from 30+ yards only to see it hit the top of the bar and rebound to safety. They threw everything at the visitors in the last ten minutes but just came up short.
F-T: Maidenhead United 1 Keynsham Town 2

There were plenty of good performances all round for Maidenhead, Sarah Thompson and Vicky Carvill being the pick for me but shout-outs to Gemma Harvey who made some good saves and didn’t have a chance with either goal, Chrissie Nazif who had a good game and Ines Cipriano who I think must have covered every blade of grass on the pitch! A spirited comeback from the Magpies after the break but it was a case of just leaving themselves too much to do.

Keynsham looked a good side with Gemma McGuinness being the stand out player especially in the first half. I was also impressed by Chauntine Lyons and Justine Lorton. A pacy attack that played off the shoulder of the defence and looked dangerous every time they went forward.

All in all a very good game in cold conditions, the quintessential game of two halves. Just sitting in the stand with three layers on I was frozen, so hats off to both sides for making this such an entertaining game. Looking forward to my next visit which won’t be for a month or so for various reasons but hoping to be back mid January, probably with more drawings…

Ascot United Women 6 Oxford City Ladies 1
Sunday 11th December 2022
Southern Region Women’s Football League Premier Division

So the race to try to get back from Ipswich to Ascot in time for one of the handful of games that had survived the frozen temperatures was on. After checking the train app I decided on an early start, the 9.06am from Ipswich could get me back with plenty of time to spare, or so I thought. The train was sitting at the platform as I arrived so on I got. Ten minutes later we were still sitting there and eventually an announcement was made over the tannoy to inform us the points at Manningtree had frozen up and we were likely to be staying put for a while. One saving grace was at least we were on a nice warm train!

Finally at 10.45am we got the call that we were about to move although the train we were on, a direct one to Liverpool Street would now terminate at Colchester and we’d have to change there. Luckily for us we’d only have to wait for 5 minutes for this connection but you can probably guess the platform was completely packed.
Even the platform clock (see right) seemed to have lost the plot in the freezing weather. Finally the train to London arrived and just after 11.15am we were on our way. The race was most definitely on!

Everything was going smoothly until I reached Paddington where it was the usual chaos we seem to suffer whenever we get any slightly unusual weather. Trains cancelled, running late, frozen up etc meant I had to wait until 12.40pm before finding a train going to Reading (normally I would have gone back to Waterloo to get to Ascot but engineering works meant there was a bus replacement service with no trains running). By now I’d just about given up with the match but received a lifeline when Andrew Batt said he could pick me up at Reading and get me to the game! We arrived just as the teams were coming out onto a very cold and frosty Racecourse Ground pitch. I went to the cafe where a lovely lady sold me some cheesy chips to warm myself up and we were away.

The game started with Ascot on the front foot with an early shot from distance going narrowly wide. The hosts took the lead following a nice build up down the right flank which culminated in a cracking Izzy Woods shot from the edge of the box which arrowed across Nicole Spittle in the visitors goal, nestling in the bottom left hand corner. 1-0.

Ascot were now firmly on top and Woods came close to doubling their lead after picking up a lovely through ball from Sarah Davern with Spittle saving well. The second goal did arrive shortly after. A Davern corner wasn’t dealt with, a shot was headed off the line by Amber Le Beau which lead to a goalmouth scramble and was eventually stabbed home by Dom Carrington. 2-0.

A third followed shortly after, again from a wickedly swung in Davern corner, with Georgia Luckhurst-McCord taking advantage of more confusion in the Oxford defence putting the ball away nicely before wheeling away in delight. 3-0.

Ascot were now rampant and added a fourth when Dom Carrington played a wicked ball across the six yard box which was spilled by Spittle into the path of Nicole Brown who wasn’t going to turn down the early Christmas gift, tucking the ball away into the unguarded net. 4-0.

Ascot had a couple of further chances to end the half, first Tiffany Skinner was played in but her shot was thwarted by an excellent last ditch block from Le Beau, and moments later Carrington had another chance after a great run down the right but saw her effort go inches wide of the far post.
H-T: Ascot United 4 Oxford City 0

A dominant first half performance from the hosts gave the visitors plenty of things to think about during the half time break.

The second half started with the mist descending on an already gloomy day and the visitors looked a lot more competitive all around the pitch, pressing higher up and negating Ascot’s midfield. Oxford almost found a way back into the game early on when Kimberley Slessor’s free kick from 25 yards out was tipped onto the crossbar by Yellas keeper Lucie White.

Although the visitors had improved since the break, Ascot were still making chances. First, Carrington was played into the area but dragged her shot just wide of the far post, quickly followed by a well hit strike by Nicole Brown which whistled past the post, nearly taking out the home team’s match reporter!

A scrappy second half suddenly sprang into life after a superb goal from City. Jessica Biggerstaff turned on a loose ball and smashed the ball past the helpless White. A stunning effort which would only turn out to be a consolation for the visitors but a fine one at that. 4-1.

Ascot weren’t finished, a great run from Brown down the left where she played a ball across the six yard box for what looked to be a certain tap in for Georgia Bowers at the far post but somehow, between Slessor and Spittle, they managed to block her effort only to see Brown pick up the rebound and roll the ball into the net. 5-1

There was still time for a seventh goal in the game as Brown again found herself through and one on one with Spittle. This time she dummied the keeper, flicking it past her as she dived at her feet, before stroking it into the empty net for her hat-trick. 6-1.

The referee blew his whistle straight after the goal completing a comprehensive victory for the Yellawomen.
F-T: Ascot United 6 Oxford City 1