Newbury take the points but United play the football

United went down 4-0 to Newbury in a game where the home team played the better football, enjoyed more possession and hit the woodwork twice but were undone by the visitors more direct approach, experience of football at this level, playing nine behind the ball and constant substituting of players that prevented the game from flowing and saw a total of seventeen minutes of stoppage time played in the match.

Against the run of play Newbury opened the scoring on eighteen minutes when a throw in on their right hand side saw the ball played to the left of United’s penalty area for the unchallenged Ellie Reed to shoot home.

United started the second half in the ascendency with Bonnie Messitt hitting the cross bar while Rose Page Smith showed good skill to run at goal and see Laura Ainscough dive full length to push the ball away for a corner.

However, two goals in as many minutes turned the match Newbury’s way with Rebecca Walker scoring on sixty nine minutes to be followed by Reed’s second.

Page-Smith saw a shot blocked by a defender’s hand shortly afterwards put play was waived on while Mollie Haines hit the wood work on seventy eight minute and the threatening Page Smith firing wide in the first minute of stoppage time. Maria Rodrigues competed the scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time.