Ashridge Park Women v Farnborough FC Women
My season wasn’t due to start until the 13th July but that was until I received a message from grassroots legend, photographer Andrew Batt, letting me know Ashridge were playing a friendly against Farnborough and would I like to be picked up? Well, as regular readers of my reports will probably know, I’ve got a soft spot for Ashridge after following them in different guises over the last two years and it’s always good to catch up with Bryn and Duncan, the management team there, I’ve also spoken to Craig Shields, the Farnborough manager, so it was a total no brainer.
The weather was a different thing. After several heavy downpours overnight and again in the morning followed by a brief lull, and then thunder and lightning decided to join the party with a new downpour just as I walked to our meeting place half an hour before kick-off. Strangely as we got closer to Cantley Park the weather improved and fortunately the game kicked off in bright sunshine.
A bit of background for the game. Ashridge had a great season in 23/24, their first in the Thames Valley County Women’s Football League, finishing a very creditable third in a tough Division One, only losing four games. Farnborough for their part had a spectacular start to life in the Hampshire County Women’s Football League, winning the title in Division Three and receiving a double promotion to Division One as a reward for their success. They made it a double winning the Hampshire Women’s Trophy, beating Bursledon Ladies in the final.
As expected this led to two evenly matched sides going head to head and it was nip and tuck all through the first half. Both sides played some nice football but with neither side able to trouble the two goalkeepers. Farnborough took control in the second, pinning the hosts in their own half for long periods but the closest we came to a break in the deadlock was a superb headed goal line clearance from Rachel Stevens denying the visitors the lead and a great piece of play from Ellie Stalley which ended with her crashing a shot against the Ashridge bar from the edge of the area at the death. They did have a penalty shoot-out to complete the game which Ashridge won 4-2.
It would have been a good runout for both sides with some impressive performances from players on both sides. No surprise most of the standout players were defenders in this goalless friendly, Elena Torroni the pick of the Ashridge side closely followed by good performances from Lucy Thomson and Rachel Stevens, with Leighann May and Georgia Stalley looking a very assured partnership at the back, and the aforementioned Ellie Stalley who looked very lively coming on in the second half for Farnborough.
All in all one of the more entertaining and enjoyable 0-0’s I’ve seen with the game played in a good spirit. Looking forward to seeing how both sides fare in their respective leagues next season and hope to see similar success for both sides in 24/25. Good luck to both. Oh, and the downpours returned as I walked home after getting dropped off by Andrew. It’s almost as if I have a black cloud following me around…
Above photos are courtesy of Andrew Batt and you can check out his gallery from this game by clicking the button below.