Ladies exit County cup at first round

United exited the BBFA Women’s Senior cup at the first hurdle after a lack lustre performance at home to Division One South leaders Wycombe Wanderers in front of a crowd in excess of seventy people.

In a game that saw few chances and little creative forward play defences dominated and the midfield became crowded with little time and space for creative play it was not surprise a single goal late in the game would settle the tie.

United elected to kick into the low sun in the first half but recorded only one shot at goal and that was Amie Benton’s twenty fourth minute shot into the side netting. Shortly after the match kicked off Rosie Page-Smith saw her free kick hit the visitors’ wall while Wycombe put a free kick wide five minutes before the half time break. This was followed three minutes later when Ellen Surtees’ free kick was headed away in the goal area for a corner kick.

The second half saw Page-Smith blocked when one on one with Wycombe’s keeper Batkin while United’s custodian denied Chante Inniss in similar fashion a minute later. Thereafter the best chances teams had off scoring were from free kicks which were poorly executed.

The game’s solitary goal came in the eightieth minute when a cross from the right was allowed to travel through United’s penalty area to be collect on the left and passed to centre back Charlotte Bagshaw to fire home from twenty yards.

Woodley’s best chance to level came in the third minute of stoppage time when Maddie Sawyer’ long range effort was caught by Batkin on her goal line.

Haines, Evans (Hunt), Wilkins, Thomas (Hamblin), Cooke, Surtees, Penny (Lowes), Stringer, Page-Smith, Sawyer, Benton Subs not used: Pearson and Lambourne