Woodley United ladies progressed into the next round of the Berks & Bucks FA Women’s Senior cup thanks to a goal in each half against division rivals Long Crendon.
The visitors enjoyed the opening spell forcing a couple of corners and the closing minutes but in between United were comfortable with keeper Jennifer Heine having little to do thanks to the performance of defenders Gemma Simms and Charley Evans.
May Hamblin’s running was a constant threat to the Long Crendon’s defence with the Woodley forward flagged offside in the fourth minute. On the quarter hour, Mollie Haines skilfully ran past three defenders to pass to Sarah Lawrence in the opposition penalty area.
Lawrence was crowded by defenders with the ball falling to Steph Slann who shot over the bar.
Long Crendon saw appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Steve Anderson when Kirsty Walker fell following a challenge following which Lawrence fed the ball to May who fired wide of the goal.
A combination of defender and keeper denied Simms with a header from a Maddie Sawyer corner.
Three minutes into first half stoppage time Long Crendon’s keeper Amy Whale denied Lawrence but the decisive opening goal came four minutes later and was a fair reward for Hamblin’s first half performance.
Evans’ clearance was headed by a Long Crendon player towards her own goal which Hamblin reacted first two some thirty years from the goal line.
Beating two players, Hamblin fired past Whale from the edge of the penalty area into the net.
Two minutes into the second half a Woodley free kick was parried by Whale and bobbed around the penalty area before Slann again fired over the bar.
Lawrence saw a shot blocked as Woodley continued to press forward with what was to be the winning goal coming in the 70th minute.
Ellen Surtees played a short corner one two with Hamblin before advancing to the edge of the penalty and put a cross towards the far post that Whale pushed into her net.
As the game approached full time, Long Crendon’s Michelle Bailey saw her 25 yard free kick rebound off Heine’s cross bar and cleared for a corner and then Emilie Lovelock attempted to lob Heine only for the effort to sail over the cross bar. Shortly afterwards the referee called time on proceedings.
Woodley United: Heine, Evans, Wilkins (Haines N), Gooch, Simms, Measham (Surtees), Haines M, Slann (Quinn), Hamblin, Sawyer, Lawrence (Stringer) Sub not used: Benton
