WOODLEY UNITED LADIES got off the mark in the Southern Region Premier Division with their first league victory of the season.
The Kestrels recorded their first points and win of the season against Wycombe Wanderers in a match the Chairgirls will wonder how they did not leave Bulmershe Pavilion victorious.
United got off to the best possible start with Maddie Sawyer opening the scoring in the fourth minute when she received the ball from a long Ellen Surtees’ corner before firing into the roof of the net from close range.
A combination of gritty defending and good goalkeeping by Sophie Measham saw her twice deny the visitors when one-on-one, parrying the ball off the goal line before a Wycombe shot hit the cross bar enable.
But Woodley held on to keep a clean sheet before doubling the lead three minutes before the half time break.
Surtees saw her free-kick rebound back into play from the base of the Wycombe goal post and with the ball bouncing around it was initially cleared of the goal line before Wycombe’s keeper Amy Whale punched the ball onto the back of defender, only for the ball to cross back over the goal line.
The second half was less frantic defensively for Woodley, who defended with more assurance especially after Sarah Harrison had reduced the deficit in the 61st minute.
United’s best chance of the half came in the final ten minutes when the excellent work by May Hamblin resulted in her cross being pulled back across the goal line leaving Lucy Routledge unmarked in front of goal but the forward put her shot over the cross bar.
The win sees Wycombe now replace Woodley at the foot of the table and takes United out of the relegation zone.
Woodley United: Measham, Day, Wilkins, Vaughan, Surtees, Gooch, Haines, Bendall, Routledge (D’Cruz), Sawyer, Hamblin Subs not used: Hunt and Tripp
