There were a few games to choose from this Wednesday, but ultimately my eye was drawn to the Hampshire Women's Senior Cup tie between AFC Stoneham and AFC Portchester. This would be the fourth meeting between the Division One South rivals this season and, although the first meeting was a little one-sided, the next two had been level after 90 minutes. The teams had been battling it out towards the top of the table all season and this game was almost certainly going to be another close encounter.
Top tip when visiting Stoneham Lane. If you have already registered for the QR code entry system and you change your phone, remember to copy the code across. Trying to reset your password is difficult (the reset mail never arrived). Luckily, the helpful gent on reception found my previous registration and allowed me to scan the code with my camera. I was in, in time to go in search of teams sheets. Thanks to Portchester media guru Lindsay Hyde, who had already posted the Portchy team to X, for letting me photograph the Stoneham sheet too. Always a great help to match names to numbers. It was really good to finally meet Stoneham midfielder Abbie Awdas just before the game too. Thanks for following the blog Abbie (skip past the 71st minute of this one).
As it happened, kick-off was delayed by fifteen minutes to 8pm anyway, which made me immediately think if it would go to extra-time or straight to penalties in the event of a draw. With a 90 minute drive home ahead of me and a 5am start to look forward to, I was hoping for the latter. In the end, I needn't have worried.
Both sides had made changes to their starting line-ups, some enforced, some not. Stoneham were without top scorer Chloe Melton, serving the third of a three-game ban after being sent off against Portchester in the league meeting last month. Portchester had second top scorer Charmaine True on the bench. Leona Cullen retaining her place in goal for the first half, with Roxy Roberts on the bench too.
Top tip when visiting Stoneham Lane. If you have already registered for the QR code entry system and you change your phone, remember to copy the code across. Trying to reset your password is difficult (the reset mail never arrived). Luckily, the helpful gent on reception found my previous registration and allowed me to scan the code with my camera. I was in, in time to go in search of teams sheets. Thanks to Portchester media guru Lindsay Hyde, who had already posted the Portchy team to X, for letting me photograph the Stoneham sheet too. Always a great help to match names to numbers. It was really good to finally meet Stoneham midfielder Abbie Awdas just before the game too. Thanks for following the blog Abbie (skip past the 71st minute of this one).
As it happened, kick-off was delayed by fifteen minutes to 8pm anyway, which made me immediately think if it would go to extra-time or straight to penalties in the event of a draw. With a 90 minute drive home ahead of me and a 5am start to look forward to, I was hoping for the latter. In the end, I needn't have worried.
Both sides had made changes to their starting line-ups, some enforced, some not. Stoneham were without top scorer Chloe Melton, serving the third of a three-game ban after being sent off against Portchester in the league meeting last month. Portchester had second top scorer Charmaine True on the bench. Leona Cullen retaining her place in goal for the first half, with Roxy Roberts on the bench too.
Stoneham defending a corner The match got off to a very cagey start with neither side able to test the goalkeepers. The flow of the game was not helped by a couple of early injuries, both of which affected the home side. Right-back Kayden Wood went down inside the opening few minutes and was helped along the side of the pitch. Then with still less than 20 minutes on the clock, they also lost the tough-tackling Mia Flood from their midfield. The last time I was here I had really enjoyed her flying into tackles all over the pitch, although I'm not sure some of the Fleet Town players were quite so keen.
The first close call came in the 21st minute when Lynsey Crewe-Way saw her goal bound effort deflected over the top for a corner. Stoneham's relief, however, was short-lived. From the ensuing corner kick a far post header was palmed away from under the bar by Lucy Venables only for Millie Bradbury to latch onto the loose ball and nod home. 0-1.
Stoneham's response came in the form of a Larnie Bisson break down the right wing. Her delivery, deep toward the far post, was met by Leah Webster on the volley. The effort sailed wide but, to be fair, it was an extremely difficult chance. It really should have served as a warning to Portchester. Bisson had already looked like Stoneham's biggest attacking threat and she was beginning to give the Portchy defence some real problems with her pace and willingness to run in behind the full-back.
Just past the half hour mark Aimee Hall-Guy did well to set up a chance for Stacey Niven. Her shot across the face of the Stoneham goal drifted just wide of the mark. Shortly after this, Portchester brought on Charmaine True in place of Hall-Guy. The substitute almost had an immediate impact. Dropping deep she accepted a pass before threading a delightful through-ball up the right for Bradbury. Her cross, drilled across the face of the goal, was only a few inches ahead of Ellie Hooker arriving at the far post.
As we entered added time, it looked as if the visitors would take a narrow lead into the break but that was before the ever-dangerous Larnie Bisson took matters into her own hands. Exchanging a neat one-two on the edge of the box, she drilled a sweet strike into Cullen's top left corner. 1-1
HT AFC Stoneham 1 AFC Portchester 1. A first-half that didn't provide too many clear-cut chances for either team. The score line reflected the balance of play. Neither side had been able to establish any kind of dominance. My late night was looming ever closer.
The first close call came in the 21st minute when Lynsey Crewe-Way saw her goal bound effort deflected over the top for a corner. Stoneham's relief, however, was short-lived. From the ensuing corner kick a far post header was palmed away from under the bar by Lucy Venables only for Millie Bradbury to latch onto the loose ball and nod home. 0-1.
Stoneham's response came in the form of a Larnie Bisson break down the right wing. Her delivery, deep toward the far post, was met by Leah Webster on the volley. The effort sailed wide but, to be fair, it was an extremely difficult chance. It really should have served as a warning to Portchester. Bisson had already looked like Stoneham's biggest attacking threat and she was beginning to give the Portchy defence some real problems with her pace and willingness to run in behind the full-back.
Just past the half hour mark Aimee Hall-Guy did well to set up a chance for Stacey Niven. Her shot across the face of the Stoneham goal drifted just wide of the mark. Shortly after this, Portchester brought on Charmaine True in place of Hall-Guy. The substitute almost had an immediate impact. Dropping deep she accepted a pass before threading a delightful through-ball up the right for Bradbury. Her cross, drilled across the face of the goal, was only a few inches ahead of Ellie Hooker arriving at the far post.
As we entered added time, it looked as if the visitors would take a narrow lead into the break but that was before the ever-dangerous Larnie Bisson took matters into her own hands. Exchanging a neat one-two on the edge of the box, she drilled a sweet strike into Cullen's top left corner. 1-1
HT AFC Stoneham 1 AFC Portchester 1. A first-half that didn't provide too many clear-cut chances for either team. The score line reflected the balance of play. Neither side had been able to establish any kind of dominance. My late night was looming ever closer.
Late Purps pressure The second half began in much the same style as the first with the majority of the action confined to the middle third. The first real action came in the 54th minute when Roxy Roberts, on for Cullen at half-time, was left scrambling across her goal by an effort from Anna Lewis, leaving the Portchy stopper relieved to see the ball pass the far post on the correct side from her point of view.
What Portchester had managed to do since the half-time break, was find a way to keep Bisson a little quieter. So much so that Stoneham made a change, giving their winger a breather. Of course, with rolling subs, they were able to bring her back on later in the half.
Just before the hour mark Charmaine True, after winning a midfield tussle some 35 yards out, spotted Venables off her line and tried drifting a ball over the stranded keeper, only for her aim to be a little off centre. Stoneham then manufactured a half-chance with a raid up the right that saw the ball played across the Portchy 6-yard box and find Chloe marshall towards the back post. With the ball behind her, the striker spun quickly but pulled her shot just past the post. That proved to be crucial six minutes later when Portchester got their noses in front again.
Look away now Abbie. Mille Bradbury dispossessed Abbie Awdas in midfield before sending a looping effort over Venables. The keeper was able to get a fingertip to the ball but was unable to prevent it dropping into the far corner. 1-2. A precision strike from Bradbury, who was on fire now. Three minutes later, accepting a square ball from True, she again sent an drive over Venables from 25 yards only to see the ball come back off the crossbar this time. Inches from a hat-trick.
There was certainly no let up in the battling, especially in midfield where both sides were more than capable of putting a tackle of two in. However, as in the first half, there were few clear goalscoring opportunities around.
With five minutes to go True managed to wriggle clear of the defence before striking well only for Lucy Venables to have got her angles spot on to make the save. Then, with the clock winding down, Stoneham had one last chance. Leah Webster played a deft pass behind the Portchester lines for the re-introduced Bisson to run onto. However, her run was taking her diagonally away from goal and, swivelling to get a strike off, she coudln't quite get enough power behind it to beat the dive of Roberts.
FT AFC Stoneham 1 AFC Portchester 2. As expected, there was very little to choose between these teams, divided on the night by a superb finish from Millie Bradbury for the second goal. At least I got home before midnight. Portchester can now look forward to a semi-final meeting with Southampton U21s on April 28th.
Portchester can now also look forward to the Premier League next season after their scheduled game with Fleet Town was awarded as a home win. This now means that, even if Portchester were to lose their final league game at Havant in early May, The Hawks will not be able to catch them. Many, many congratulations to everyone concerned. If they do avoid defeat at Westleigh Park, they will have gone the entire league season undefeated. This will also be their second consecutive league championship and fourth promotion on the bounce. That's some achievement.
AFC Stoneham: 13.Venables, 2.Wood, 3.Lewis, 4.Moody, 5.Ingram(c), 6.Stevens, 7.Marshall, 12.Flood, 10.Delaney, 9.Webster, 11.Bisson. Subs: 8.Awdas, 14.Curtis, 15.Dancer, 16.Freeman-Wood, 17.Bicknell
AFC Portchester: 1.Cullen, 2.Bell, 4.Jennings, 6.Marshall, 17.Hooker, 8.Niven, 7.Crewe-Way, 9.Taylor, 23.Bradbury, 21.Currie(c), 12.Hall-Guy. Subs: True, Hinton, Wilson, S.Williams, Roberts
Ground Number: Re-Visit
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Entrance: N/A
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What Portchester had managed to do since the half-time break, was find a way to keep Bisson a little quieter. So much so that Stoneham made a change, giving their winger a breather. Of course, with rolling subs, they were able to bring her back on later in the half.
Just before the hour mark Charmaine True, after winning a midfield tussle some 35 yards out, spotted Venables off her line and tried drifting a ball over the stranded keeper, only for her aim to be a little off centre. Stoneham then manufactured a half-chance with a raid up the right that saw the ball played across the Portchy 6-yard box and find Chloe marshall towards the back post. With the ball behind her, the striker spun quickly but pulled her shot just past the post. That proved to be crucial six minutes later when Portchester got their noses in front again.
Look away now Abbie. Mille Bradbury dispossessed Abbie Awdas in midfield before sending a looping effort over Venables. The keeper was able to get a fingertip to the ball but was unable to prevent it dropping into the far corner. 1-2. A precision strike from Bradbury, who was on fire now. Three minutes later, accepting a square ball from True, she again sent an drive over Venables from 25 yards only to see the ball come back off the crossbar this time. Inches from a hat-trick.
There was certainly no let up in the battling, especially in midfield where both sides were more than capable of putting a tackle of two in. However, as in the first half, there were few clear goalscoring opportunities around.
With five minutes to go True managed to wriggle clear of the defence before striking well only for Lucy Venables to have got her angles spot on to make the save. Then, with the clock winding down, Stoneham had one last chance. Leah Webster played a deft pass behind the Portchester lines for the re-introduced Bisson to run onto. However, her run was taking her diagonally away from goal and, swivelling to get a strike off, she coudln't quite get enough power behind it to beat the dive of Roberts.
FT AFC Stoneham 1 AFC Portchester 2. As expected, there was very little to choose between these teams, divided on the night by a superb finish from Millie Bradbury for the second goal. At least I got home before midnight. Portchester can now look forward to a semi-final meeting with Southampton U21s on April 28th.
Portchester can now also look forward to the Premier League next season after their scheduled game with Fleet Town was awarded as a home win. This now means that, even if Portchester were to lose their final league game at Havant in early May, The Hawks will not be able to catch them. Many, many congratulations to everyone concerned. If they do avoid defeat at Westleigh Park, they will have gone the entire league season undefeated. This will also be their second consecutive league championship and fourth promotion on the bounce. That's some achievement.
AFC Stoneham: 13.Venables, 2.Wood, 3.Lewis, 4.Moody, 5.Ingram(c), 6.Stevens, 7.Marshall, 12.Flood, 10.Delaney, 9.Webster, 11.Bisson. Subs: 8.Awdas, 14.Curtis, 15.Dancer, 16.Freeman-Wood, 17.Bicknell
AFC Portchester: 1.Cullen, 2.Bell, 4.Jennings, 6.Marshall, 17.Hooker, 8.Niven, 7.Crewe-Way, 9.Taylor, 23.Bradbury, 21.Currie(c), 12.Hall-Guy. Subs: True, Hinton, Wilson, S.Williams, Roberts
Ground Number: Re-Visit
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
Portchy corner
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