Ladies 2's beat Maidenhead 4's 5-1

The Ladies 2's remain on track for the Div 3 promotion spots after a convincing 5-1 win over Maidenhead 4's at Altwood School. A 4.15pm push back under floodlights didn't dim the spirits of the team who put on a great show and worked really hard to avenge a 3-1 defeat from earlier in the season.

With Grace Slade suffering an injury in the warm up, the team went down to the bare 11 and realised they needed to get ahead quickly and pile on the pressure before tiredness kicked in during the second half. The plan was executed perfectly with Heather Boulton getting stuck in up front and causing the Maidenhead defence all sorts of problems early on. P&R went 1 nil after 10 mins or so with Boulton in the right place at the right time after Beth James set up from the right. A second from Boulton 10 minutes later settled the nerves, and a third from Steph Newton before half time put the oranges in a great position.

After going close a couple of times in the first half, P&R's short corners started clicking and the team were unlucky not to add to their tally with Ady Brown smashing the balls in from the top of the D and narrowly missing the posts left & right! The fourth did come from a short corner - the initial strike was defended well, but Newton was on hand to bury the ball in the bottom corner and keep up her 2 goals a game ratio.

Maidenhead changed their set up in the second half and benefitted from more of the play especially down their right and they got a goal back after some good combination play caught P&R out on the counter attack. Maidenhead then won a series of short corners but couldn't apply the final touches and P&R cleared their lines.

Lulu Broadbent and Katie Murphy both drove P&R out of danger from their half back positions and supported the front five superbly all game long, especially as the 11 tired with no subs available. P&R added a deserved fifth goal just before the end with Naomi Ashcroft slotting home to seal a convincing win.

Next week the team go back to early starts with a 10am pushback at home to local rivals Scarlet Runners.

Saucy POM - Lulu Broadbent & Beth James (jointly)