Ladies top Group B of Jubilee Cup

While not the best of performances compared to recent weeks, Woodley United gave a competent performance on Alton’s 3G pitch to leapfrog them to lead Group B of the Jubilee cup after two games with two wins and in doing so brought the hosts three game unbeaten run to an end.

The opening quarter of hour was an end to end affair with Nicole Haines gathering a low cross into her goal area after three minutes and Rosie Page-Smith flagged offside shortly afterwards. Alton’s keeper Sophie Bulpitt saved with her knees from a corner, Jade Bolian hesitated with only Haines to beat allowing Woodley’s keeper to collect the ball and Ellen Surtees saw her free kick go straight to Bulpitt.

Gradually United began to control the midfield with the lively Tatt Master being on the wrong end of a number of challenges and receiving free kicks for United. Dee Edwards was enjoying space on the right wing but her crosses where being cleared.

United’s best chance went to Mollie Haines on twenty eight minutes but she was unable to get a true connection on Page-Smith’s cross.

With the game looking as if it would go into the break goalless, Page-Smith curled a shot outside of the post before opening the scoring a minute later and three from half time when she scored following another free kick following a foul on Master.

Alton started the second half with greater urgency with Niki Moore lively but United’s defence offered Haines good protection.

In the sixty fourth minute sub Katie Lowther broke free of the home defence only to see her shot parried by Bulpitt to Master who as she went to shot into an empty net was fouled for a penalty which Bulpitt saved from Page-Smith.

However, three minutes later the forward did well to withhold a challenge to steer a low shot past Bulpitt to double the lead.

With Alton scoring from close range through Ella Williams after a Moore shot rebounded of the upright, United had a nervous finish that included five minutes stoppage time following an earlier injury to Lowther, but saw the match out for the win.

N Haines, Evans, Wilkins, Master, Surtees, Cook, M Haines, Ward (Pearson), Page-Smith, Sawyer, Edwards (Lowther)