Cray Wanderers Women vs The Comets WFC
Adobe FA Cup 2QR – Sunday 22nd September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers Women 2
Jackson 14, Syms 17
The Comets WFC 4
Reid 16, 74, Lowter 25, 45
Cray Wanderers Women’s first home FA Cup tie ended in defeat as Comets won a lively contest at Flamingo Park to advance to the 3rd Qualifying Round.
The game was a cracker from the start and by the 25th minute it was 2-2 after Cray twice went ahead through Katie Jackson and Kiera Syms. Each time Comets levelled through Audrey Reid and Arendje Lowter. Just before half time Lowter scored her second to put Comets in front at the break and in the second half scored a fourth, again scored by Reid to complete the scoring.
Both teams play at the same step in the Women’s game but in different leagues, the Wands in the SCEWFL Premier with Comets in the Greater London League Premier and it looked at the start like it was two evenly matched teams.
The Comets had the first chance of the game when from a corner down the left the ball was headed wide by Shannon Biesley.
Cray came close when Millie Main’s shot was blocked and fell to Annemarie Blanche whose shot hit the top of the crossbar and into the arms of keeper Ellie Vaughan.
In the 14th minute Cray went ahead when Katie Jackson latched onto a ball down the right of the area and from just inside the area stroked the ball into the bottom left corner for her tenth goal of the season.
The lead lasted just two minutes when down the right, Audrey Reid cut inside and into the area and shot wide of Sam Sharp and into the net.
A minute later it was 2-1 to Cray as Jackson played in Kiera Syms again down the right and finished with some style wide of Vaughan and into the net.
The game just looked to be settling when in the 25th minute Comets levelled again from a free kick down the left from Elsa Wu into the box which fell to Diede Fennema whose shot was pushed out by Sharp but following up Arendje Lowter fired in the rebound.
Cray came close again from a Jackson corner down the left which went right across goal but couldn’t get a touch.
A minute before half time Cray almost went back in front when Syms played in Jackson down the right but fired just past the left post.
Then in the last minute of the half, Comets went in front when Kirsten Walker and Reid combined down the right to find Lowter who from 25 yards who lofted a shot over Sharp and into the net.
HT: 2-3
The second half began with Syms seeing a shot from outside the area go through to the keeper for Cray and Jackson saw an effort deflected also to the keeper.
Cray looked to get back on terms but Comets were defending well and almost grabbed a fourth when Lowter’s cross was put behind by Lauren Henry, then Reid shot over.
Then, down the left, Tara Copeland broke forward and fired a shot just over the bar and Reid fired over the bar. For Cray, Hannah Barham saw a low shot gathered and Jackson shot wide from 25 yards.
The next goal was looking crucial to the final outcome and in the 74th minute, Comets scored a fourth with Elsa Wu and Michelle Keating combing to play a ball into the box for Reid and with the ball loose, took the ball round Sharp and rolled the ball into the net.
It was nearly five a couple of minutes later when Copeland’s left wing cross to the far post fell to Keating but from three yards her stab towards goal was saved on the line by Sharp.
Cray were looking to pull a goal back to set up a dramatic finish and Louise Chenery and from a free kick, Hannah Gilmour saw shots held.
From another free kick, Barham saw a shot saved and just before the end Jackson set up Hannah Atkins down the right who shot wide of the right post and Jackson saw an effort blocked by Shannon Biesley.
In the end Cray bowed out of the FA Cup but it was an excellent game played in a great spirit which both teams deserve credit for and Cray now continue on into the League and also the Kent County Cup and League Cup still to play for in a very long season.
Cray Wanderers: Sam Sharp, Ellie Cole, Hannah Gilmour, Vittoria D’Urso (Megan Webster, 51), Lauren Henry (Hannah Atkins, 80), Claire Goldsmith, Kiera Syms, Millie Main (Hrystyna Kulishko, 67), Chloe Ashdown (Hannah Barham, 60), Annemarie Blanche (Louise Chenery, 80), Katie Jackson: Subs: Grace Dodds, Danielle Smith
The Comets: Ellie Vaughan, Pia Mingkwan, Shannon Beisley, Olivia Dalton-Hoffman, Clare MacLeod, Kirsten Walker, Elsa Wu, Audrey Reid, Lina Velcheva, Arendje Lowter, Diede Fennema: Subs: Michelle Keating, Tara Copeland (both came on at half time)
Att: 49
