Cray Wanderers Women vs Woodcoombe Sports – SECWFL Premier – Sunday 20th October – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 7
Cole 13, Jackson 18, 55, Pooley 28, 89,
Atkins 44, Brown 78
Woodcoombe Sports 0
Cray Wanderers Women returned to winning ways after last weekend’s defeat to Sevenoaks Town in some style with a seven goal performance against Woodcoombe Sports at Flamingo Park.
The Wands moved up to 4th in the table on 12 points, four behind leaders London Road who have played two games more.
Ahead of the game all thoughts are with Claire Goldsmith, one of the team’s great leaders who was injured last week against Sevenoaks Town with a leg injury and we send our regards and love to Claire.
On a murky and wet afternoon which later was adorned by sunshine and a rainbow the match started fairly slowly with both teams feeling their way into the game.
Around the ten minute mark though Cray began to exert pressure and Katie Jackson’s right wing corner to the far post was put wide by Megan Webster. Then another Jackson corner into the area fell to Jessica Pooley whose shot was cleared off the line and behind for another corner.
From the corner in the 13th minute, Cray took the lead when Jackson’s right wing cross was hard to defend against and Ellie Cole volleyed in from close range.
Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Pooley’s fine ball put Jackson through down the right and with typical aplomb lofted a shot into the net for her 13th goal of the season.
Shortly after Jackson flicked an effort over off the top of the bar and Cray were looking in fine fettle.
In the 28th minute, Cray scored a well worked third when Louise Chenery found Chloe Ashdown down the left of the area who clipped in a shot which came back off the right post but came out to Pooley who slotted in from 15 yards into the bottom left corner.
To be fair to Woodcoombe, the Sittingbourne never at any time threw in the towel and kept plugging away and from a corner down the right, Lois Wagstaff cross was glanced across goal by Maddy Titshell.
Then Ella Taylor made a run forward and after her first shot was blocked the follow up from outside the box was saved by Sam Sharp. This was followed by Louise Booth firing in a shot from distance into the arms of Sharp.
For Cray, there were still openings and Atkins set up Ashdown who shot over via the top of the bar. Then Jackson turned away down the left and her shot was saved by Lillie Jones.
In the 44th minute, Cray scored a fourth goal and again well taken with a ball over the top for Atkins who hit a crisp cross-shot wide of Jones and into the bottom left corner.
Just before half time Annemarie Blanche shot over but Cray had established a good lead at the break.
HT: 4-0
The second half began with Woodcoombe looking positive and were desperately unlucky not to score when Titshell from 35 yards fired a shot towards goal which hit the underside of the crossbar and back out into play.
For Cray, Cole headed wide from a corner and Chenery saw a shot held as the game was going from end to end.
In the 55th minute Cray added a fifth when Blanche’s ball through found Jackson who marched in on goal and slotted her second from ten yards.
For Woodcoombe, Alana Jeffrey put a ball across which had no takers in the box. Then Booth shot wide and Ella Taylor set up Titshell for a shot which was slightly deflected through to Sharp.
Cray came close to a sixth when Hrystyna Kulishko put Pooley through on goal but was denied a second goal by a save by Jones’ legs.
The Wands continued to attack and Akasia Brown shot wide and then Ashdown saw a shot down the right pushed out by Jones, Pooley’s effort was blocked and then Webster shot wide.
In the 78th minute though Cray did score a sixth with the goal of the match by Akasia Brown who has recently returned to the team after 3 months out with injury with a cracking strike from over 25 yards which hit the top right corner of the net.
Woodcoombe continued to seek a consolation and Titshell who worked hard up front saw a shot held by Sharp and then down the right Chelsea Meany set up Titshell who shot wide of the right post.
Before the end, Pooley drove a shot wide of the left post, Meany saw a shot held by Sharp and for Cray, Danielle Smith saw an effort saved by Jones.
There was still time for one more goal in the 89th minute which was worked by Smith down the left and set up Pooley who drove in a shot at the near post and into the net for her second goal.
In the end Cray had rebounded in the best way possible to the Sevenoaks defeat with the win and sit nicely in 4th place with games in hand and have the best goal difference in the league and also their first clean sheet of the league season. Woodcoombe are 9th and second bottom but played well with only 11 players (no substitutes) and also played with great enthusiasm and kept on going until the end and a credit to themselves and the league. One more point to note, the performance of referee Alison Wade was also excellent and that is two very good refereeing performances I have seen in the last two days.
Watching the Wands women is always a joy and they play some great football. Their next two league games are at home vs. Margate on Sunday 3rd November and then against Tunbridge Wells Foresters on Sunday 10th November, both 4.30 pm ko’s. They could be worth a watch.
Cray Wanderers: Sam Sharp, Ellie Cole, Megan Webster, Hannah Gilmour, Louise Chenery, Millie Main, Annemarie Blanche, Chloe Ashdown, Olivia Gregory, Katie Jackson, Jessica Pooley: Subs: Okasia Brown, Olivia Moore, Hannah Atkins, Danielle Smith, Hrystyna Kulishko
Woodcoombe Sports: Lillie Jones, Chloe Dawson, Rachel Cockell, Louise Booth, Emily Arnold, Ella Taylor, Alana Jeffrey, Maddy Titshell, Isabell Bullen, Chelsea Meany, Lois Wagstaff
Referee: Alison Wade
