Maidenhead United Women v Bridgwater United Women
FAWNL Division One South West
After Saturday’s trek it was nice to have a game that was just a 25 minute bus ride away. A visit to Bottom Meadow, home of Bracknell Town and Sandhurst Town, was to be my 16th game of 24/25 and my eighth women’s game of the season albeit the first league game. This would also be the fourth “home” ground I’ve seen the nomadic Magpies play in just over two seasons.
Both sides had lost their opening fixtures last weekend, Bridgwater narrowly losing 1-0 at home in a tight encounter with Abingdon United, while Maidenhead suffered a 4-0 reversal away at one of the promotion favourites, Moneyfields. Both were looking to get their first points on the board from this match.
I’m not sure of the reason but Maidenhead were decked out in their change kit of purple with Bridgwater wearing their usual red and black striped shirts at the kick off.
Both sides looked up for it in the opening minutes and the first goalmouth action came from Maidenhead, a quick move down the left led to a great cross from Simone O’Brien, swinging long towards the far post but Jess Smith had tracked back well and managed to clear away from the fast approaching Tia Johnson.
In the fourth minute the visitors took the lead. A corner from the right was floated into the six yard box, the Magpies defence were not able to clear with the ball falling to Keeley Banfield who hit a shot through a forest of legs from just inside the box and into the net. 0-1
The Robins were now on top and from another corner floated in the Magpies keeper Kendra Clarke punched the ball away under a challenge from a visiting player with both staying down. The injury was bad enough to force Maidenhead keeper off the pitch and hastily taken away to hospital. With no reserve goalkeeper on the bench, forward Izzy Stockton donned the jersey for the remaining 75 minutes of the game.
This forced a reaction from the home side as they looked to push forward looking to level and keep the ball away from their stand-in keeper. Another great ball across the box from O’Brien and was inches away from the foot of Aleasha Lunn at the far post. Next a nice turn on the edge of the box from Macey Nikiah-Walters made space for a shot but Robins keeper Alex Madden was perfectly positioned to save.
The visitors came back with a nice move from a free kick involving Faith Bedford and Holly Tappin who played in Ellie Bell but her shot was too high. For the last fifteen in the half it was end to end stuff but with neither keeper really being tested. A final chance for the visitors came with Beth Everson setting Bedford free in the area but the ball sailed over the bar from her strike.
One final effort from distance by Natasha Rasmussen went whistling over the bar, although it was well covered by Madden, which closed the half.
H-T: Maidenhead United 0 Bridgwater United 1
Four minutes into the second half a quick break down the left flank by Tappin was crossed and half cleared in the box only for it to fall to Grace Clark who managed to get underneath it and send it over the bar.
Maidenhead fashioned a chance when Nikiah-Walters raced onto a through ball from Rasmussen and clear of the defence, choosing to shoot across the keeper from a tight angle with the shot flashing wide of the the far post.
On 65 mins Everson again raced onto a ball through the middle of the hosts defence but scuffed her shot in the area which allowed stand-in keeper Stockton to gather.
Bedford did well to win the ball back halfway inside the Magpies half and to shrug off the challenge from Lunn before running towards the box. The defence covered well, shutting down the space for a shot three times before she picked out Tappin in the area whose shot was well saved down low at the near post.
Substitutes Emily Norfolk and Ellie Manners came on and worked well stretching the visitors down the flanks, and Manners found space in the area but, trying to make sure the ball cleared the keeper, just put too much on it and sent it over.
The hosts were now pushing forward to try to find an equaliser but were getting closed down quickly whenever on the ball and not being able to find the killer ball to pick out the run, especially down the flanks. They were also getting caught on the break, another lung busting run down the left from Tappin ended with her pulling the ball back to Smith but again her first time strike was too high.
Still the waves of attacks came from the hosts and they had one final chance when they won a corner in what felt like the 40th minute of added time. The Magpies sent everyone up including the keeper, Lunn swung in a corner that bounced about off heads finally falling to Stockton but she was closed down, her shot blocked and cleared, with the referee blowing the final whistle to end an enthralling game.
F-T: Maidenhead United 0 Bridgwater United 1
You can’t fault the commitment from the Maidenhead players but they never really looked like scoring and didn’t work the keeper anywhere near enough. Good performances from obviously Izzy Stockton, keeping a clean sheet against the odds and could have levelled at the death, a great effort from her. Ashlee Withers was another who did well, breaking up several attacks and getting some important tackles in before being replaced. Isacc Gregory was another who impressed, covering well at the back. Fingers crossed everything is ok with keeper Kenny Clarke and she has a speedy recovery. It was also lovely to see Megan Halfacree back on the pitch after a long time out with injury. Welcome back Megan!
Bridgwater will be happy with the win and three points but will probably feel they should have put the game to bed a lot earlier. They had several clear chances, especially in the second half, which were spurned and they could have thrown two points away right at the death but for some last ditch defending. On another day they could have won by three or four but the important thing is they saw the game out…just!
All in all a good game with a great ebb and flow, with the ball going from end to end but all too often the finishing just letting both sides down on the day.
Good luck to both teams for the rest of 24/25 and I’m sure I’ll catch up with both sides again later as the season progresses!