Ladies put on a five star performance!

On a wet bitterly cold afternoon United put in a five star performance to end 2017 and see them head Group B of the Jubilee cup after one game on goal difference.

Playing up a slight sloop into the rain, Woodley made good use of the firm flanks to put pressure on their visitors from the outset and were nearly awarded with the opening goal in the seventh minute when May Hamblin pulled her shot wide of the post with just Amy Woodhouse to beat in the Wargrave goal following a good low cross from Becs Lowes.

A minute later the lively Hamblin was fouled as she went past the last defender with only Woodhouse between her and goal and then opened the scoring in the tenth minute following a Rosie Page-Smith assist.

Page-Smith doubled the scoring immediate from the restart receiving the ball from Ellen Surtees to slot past Woodhouse left side.

A third goal in five minutes saw Hamblin score of the inside of the Wargrave left post following another Lowes cross.

Lowes shot wide following good play from Page-Smith on thirty two minutes and such was United’s dominance with Holly Wilkins enjoying her best game of the season at left back and Surtees and Alice Cooke dominant at centre back that it was not until five minutes before half time that Wargave had their first shot at goal, gaoling wide of Nicole Haines right hand post.

The industrious Lowes got her reward a minute into the second half when she reacted quickest to Woodhouse spilling substitute Eva Thomas’ cross and poking the ball into the net from two yards to give United their fourth goal.

Woodhouse denied Page-Smith before the final goal was scored after sixty one minutes Lowes crossed to Page-Smith whose shot was parried by Woodhouse and another substitute Katie Lowther shot into an empty net from six yards.

Although the scoring was complete both Mollie Haines and Ellie Vaughan were denied by the woodwork, Vaughan’s striking the base from twenty five yards, while Natasha Masters was unable to get any purchase on the ball in an increasingly heavy Wargave penalty area.

Wargave rallied towards the end of the game seeing two shots go wide but as with the first half did not trouble Haines during the second period.

As the game entered the last two minutes the move of the game saw centre back Faye Ward pass to Surtees on the left wing half way line. Surtees travelled with the ball before crossing to Lowes who from twenty yards volleyed into the side netting.

An interesting stat from this game saw every outfield player substituted with Woodley making full effect of having five substitutes and the repeated substitute rule.

A good first half to the season that sees United still being in contention for four competitions and only suffered defeat twice, once in the league and once in the FA Women’s cup.