Ladies start the New Year with a win

Playing their first game for five weeks, United got 2019 off to a winning start and completed a league double over New Milton Town Ladies.

However, Town started lively and took the lead in the second minute when following a throw in Tiffany Skinner was allowed to fire home from twenty five yards.

The opening quarter of hour was end to end with the visitors having opportunities to extend their lead while Rosie Page-Smith had chances to level.

Ellen Surtees excellent tackle denied Caitlin Steele while the visitors’ keeper Rebecca Ingram spilled the ball before gathering at the feet of Ruth Pearson.

United started to exert pressure with May Hamblin dangerous on the left wing and it was Hamblin who levelled on twenty three minutes when she fired home from close range following Maddie Sawyer’s corner kick.

Ten minutes later United had the lead when Charlie Evans’ cross was converted by Page-Smith a yard from the goal.

However, the lead was short lived when New Milton levelled in the thirty fourth minute following United’s Holly Wilkins miss kick evading Nicole Haines and scoring in her own net.

The second half started in explosive fashion with Town’s Olivia Watts having a chance in the first minute immediately followed by Jodie Penny seeing her effort cleared off the visitors’ goal line and Evans shooting wide. The game then settled down with Woodley enjoying greater possession but neither side troubling the goal keepers.

The decisive goal came seven minutes from time when good work by Sawyer saw her cross from the goal line for Mollie Lambourne to steer the ball pass Ingram. Buoyed by the goal Lambourne and Evans both saw chances go wide in the final five minutes.

Haines, Evans, Wilkins (Hunt), Pearson (Thompson), Surtees, Stringer, Penny, Sawyer, Page-Smith, Thomas, Hamblin (Lambourne) (Ward)