Ladies bow out of County cup

A strange match in front of a large crowd that saw Woodley United play good passing football but were vulnerable to corners and free kicks from which four goals were conceded while the opening goal after ten minutes was an own goal when a long range strike which rebounded off the cross bar onto the back of keeper Bonnie Messitt and over the goal line.

Despite the early set back Ellen Surtees, May Hamblin and Mollie Haines were lively in going forward and enjoyed success in getting beyond Barton’s high back line but they were frustrated by their intended passes being over hit, failing to hit the target or the Barton keeper being quick to narrow the angle of clear from the edge of her penalty area.

The good response to the early set back was undone in two minutes when on twenty five minutes when United failed to clear a corner and Rovers reacted first to the loose ball to fire home from close range. This was quickly followed by a third a minute later when a drive at the near post beat Messitt.

Hamblin went wide when one on one with the keeper as United attempted to get toe hold into the game but in first half stoppage time a fourth was conceded when a forward was allowed to score unchallenged from a free kick.

Following the restart Sophie Ali found Hamblin who hit the cross bar but the game was over seven minutes into the half when a long ball found a Barton winger and despite looking off side showed good composure to slip the ball pass the advancing Messitt.

The scoring was completed on the sixty eight minute when another free kick was controlled in the Woodley penalty area and good skill by a forward saw her score.

Woodley did finish the game strongly playing much of it in Barton’s half with May forcing two corners and Surtees going wide from distance. However, it needed a good save for a corner from Messitt late in the game to prevent any further score.