Amersham & Chalfont 0 - 1 P&R Ladies 2's

The Ladies 2's made the very early trip to Amersham and Chalfont worthwhile with a 1-0 win against tough oppo on Saturday. With lots of changes in the squad from the previous week, captain Jax made the team talk short and sweet before the game and focussed on what could be learnt from the 3-2 loss at Buckingham. The team structure proved to be the crucial difference to that performance and the team executed the changes perfectly!

Mandy Wilton held the midfield shape, blocking the through ball which caught us out last week, and Heather Boulton and Cleo Browne played the inner roles brilliantly - harassing defenders, getting forward early and staying central to pack the middle of the pitch. There were a couple of scares in the first 10 minutes with Hannah Doherty making some clearances and a couple of good saves but then after that P&R piled on the pressure. After a couple of chances went begging in the D, the goal came from Browne on 12 minutes. It wasn't a perfectly struck shot, but it wrong footed the defence and crept in to settle the visitors nerves.

The next 20 minutes was all orange, with Mollie Edgar on the left and Beth Tait Alexander on the right both having lots of luck getting behind the defence but not being able to get that final ball into the goal. 2's debutant Maisy King supported from left half brilliantly and the team were unlucky not to score again before half time.

The 2nd half started with A&C putting the oranges under much more pressure but Lucy Plummer and Pam Saker stood firm with Mandy Wilton and Bethan Harris also getting back into the defensive lines to make some crucial tackles when it looked dangerous. Both flanks worked well as a team with the halves, wings and inners creating great triangles and Kate Wensley worked tirelessly up front - staying high and giving the team some real stretch in attack. She deserved a goal for her efforts but couldn't find that final opening to get it!

The team should have gone 2-0 up 10 minutes from the end, with the ball being cleared by the GK, and 2 defenders without it going over the line despite the best efforts of Edgar, Browne, Wensley, Tait-Alexander and Boulton all doing their best to place the ball in hard to reach places.

Laura Hodder took a solid stint at right wing for the final 10 minutes and almost got in behind the A&C defence with her first touch; she proved difficult to get past and worked hard to keep the ball in the A&C half and away from danger which aided P&R in keeping possession high up the pitch and away from danger.

P&R worked really hard in the last few minutes as A&C desperately tried to equalise but they couldn't win the ball back from the visitors and the game finally finished 1-0 to the visitors!

Next week the team travel again, this time to Wallingford HC for a 10.15 PB and probably with yet another different starting 11!! All supporters welcome as we try and keep the pressure on at the top of the division.