Ladies up to second place in league.

The Ladies returned to league action and despite the closeness of the score line where comfortable winners and in completing the double over Wokingham & Emmbrook moved up to second place in the league four points behind leaders Barton Rovers with two games in hand.

Kicking off, Woodley showed their intent as early as the first minute with the league’s leading goal scorer Rosie Page-Smith shooting wide, a free kick being scramble clear by the host’s defence three minutes later followed by them also clearing a Woodley corner of their own goal line two minutes later.

The lively Page-Smith was denied by the home keeper Megan Bonifacci in the eleventh minute and the same player saw another shot go wide on the quarter hour mark.

With May Hamblin and Becs Lowes dangerous on the flanks, Wokingham was showing little ambition in wanting to attack the Woodley goal and for most of the first half kept nine players in their own half.

This allowed United’s midfield trio of Tash Masters, Maddy Sawyer and Ani Radountcheua to see plenty of the ball and dictate the tempo of the game.

The home team’s first attempt at goal came after thirty minutes when a free kick was comfortably saved by Nicole Haines, who would go on to keep her third clean sheet in the last four games.

Full back Charlie Evans saw a cross fizz across the hosts’ goal area before Haines was required to deal with a long range shot in the thirty seventh minute. This was followed a minute later with Page-Smith finding Lowes for the winger to open the scoring from close range.

The second half saw Wokingham start with greater desire committing players forward that resulted in a more open game. United cleared a corner with Evans, now playing left midfield setting up Lowes on the counter attack only for the winger to shoot wide of the goal. Despite the home side looking more dangerous it always looked like Woodley would score the second goal. Page-Smith put another shot wide after sixty two minutes but was rewarded with a goal a minute later when she tucked a left foot effort wide of Bonifacci.

Evans pace was dangerous on the left as United continued to threaten but which was leaving space for the counter attack, one of which saw Caz Patterson being denied by the cross bar from thirty five yards and Sean Cleary being flagged off side in the second phase of play.

Haines was called on to make another save from a free kick while Alice Lilley was adjudged off side with just Haines to beat but Woodley withstood the pressure and finished the stronger with Hamblin denied by Bonifacci and then shooting wide before the game ended with United clearing another home corner.

Next Sunday see Woodley host Barton Rovers in the quarter final of the league cup, 1.30 pm ko.