This Sunday BotP made the short trip down the A34 to The Northcourt where home side Abingdon United Development were taking on champions-elect Beaconsfield Town, in a game that could well seal the Division One North title. Regardless of Penn & Tylers Green's result at Tilehurst, Beaconsfield just needed to avoid defeat to make the title their own. They'd already seen off Abingdon in the reverse fixture back in September where second half goals from Nicole Brown, Dominique Carrington and Violet Kingston-Wheeler had seen them come away with a 3-0 win. However, United were coming into the game on a run of six without defeat, including the excellent Chairman's Cup semi-final win at AFC Stoneham last weekend. Today's Abingdon squad was much-changed from that game at Stoneham though, with only six of the starting eleven remaining.
As always, great to meet up and chat with Beaconsfield marketing manager Craig Anderson prior to kick-off. Thanks for posting your team sheet and helping me get to see the Abingdon one. Much appreciated.
As always, great to meet up and chat with Beaconsfield marketing manager Craig Anderson prior to kick-off. Thanks for posting your team sheet and helping me get to see the Abingdon one. Much appreciated.
Beaconsfield opened the game at a very fast pace but were very soon quietened by an Abingdon side that were clearly determined to make a fight of it. This was not going to go like clockwork for The Rams, they would have to work hard for the point they needed.
The game settled into something of a scrappy affair. Beaconsfield had more of the ball, but neither side unduly worried their opposite goalkeeper until the 17th minute when Sarah Davern's in swinging corner caused Georgie Hartley to palm the ball down into the path of Dominique Carrington who had to take it first time and couldn't keep the effort down. A few minutes later a flick on from Lydia Vettese gave Katie Riddington a sight of goal but her attempted lob didn't clear Hartley.
Just before the half-hour mark, Abingdon engineered an opportunity for Ellie Owen, who was played in on the left side of the box. However, Lisa Phillips was out quickly and, when Owen tried to cut back onto her right, the chance was gone.
Dom Carrington and Lucy Casey combined well on the right just past the half-hour, but once again Georgie Hartley got down sharply to cut out the low ball across the box. Then with five minutes to go before the break, a powerful run from Riddington forced another Town corner which Davern went across to take. Once again the midfielder swung in a dangerous looking ball that fell to Carrington at the far post. The winger must have thought her stab goalward was destined for the net, but didn't count on some excellent defending from Evie Pearce, who cleared the ball off the line much to the relief of her team-mates.
HT Abingdon United Development 0 Beaconsfield Town 0. No doubt that Beaconsfield were on top but they weren't their normal, fluent self. Abingdon, to be fair, dug in well and were making it very hard for their visitors despite not really giving Lisa Phillips anything to worry about.
The game settled into something of a scrappy affair. Beaconsfield had more of the ball, but neither side unduly worried their opposite goalkeeper until the 17th minute when Sarah Davern's in swinging corner caused Georgie Hartley to palm the ball down into the path of Dominique Carrington who had to take it first time and couldn't keep the effort down. A few minutes later a flick on from Lydia Vettese gave Katie Riddington a sight of goal but her attempted lob didn't clear Hartley.
Just before the half-hour mark, Abingdon engineered an opportunity for Ellie Owen, who was played in on the left side of the box. However, Lisa Phillips was out quickly and, when Owen tried to cut back onto her right, the chance was gone.
Dom Carrington and Lucy Casey combined well on the right just past the half-hour, but once again Georgie Hartley got down sharply to cut out the low ball across the box. Then with five minutes to go before the break, a powerful run from Riddington forced another Town corner which Davern went across to take. Once again the midfielder swung in a dangerous looking ball that fell to Carrington at the far post. The winger must have thought her stab goalward was destined for the net, but didn't count on some excellent defending from Evie Pearce, who cleared the ball off the line much to the relief of her team-mates.
HT Abingdon United Development 0 Beaconsfield Town 0. No doubt that Beaconsfield were on top but they weren't their normal, fluent self. Abingdon, to be fair, dug in well and were making it very hard for their visitors despite not really giving Lisa Phillips anything to worry about.
Beaconsfield coach Brian Harris was back in his dug out very early after the half-time break, and clearly not best pleased with the first-half performance. The team were out soon afterwards and a few changes had been made to the line-up. Henna Hussain was now leading the line with Mollie Carter sitting in the 10 role.
The changes seemed to unsettle the home defence. Whilst Lucy Casey is a very effective and pacy striker, the physical presence of Hussain completely changed the game and while the Abingdon central defence were worrying about her, space was opening up for other players to exploit. That's exactly what happened in the 53rd minute when Freya Harris found space to burst into the box, before being bundled to the ground. Penalty! and no real complaints from the home team. Katie Riddington stepped up, calmly sending Hartley the wrong way to make it 0-1.
The Rams had one hand on the trophy now, and just past the hour, they took an even former grip. Mollie Carter played an exquisite through ball for Freya Harris to run onto, holding off a challenge before sliding a shot across Hartley, which came back off the inside of the far post. The ball rebounded across the face of goal and it was Harris who was quickest to react, forcing the ball over the line at the second attempt. 0-2.
Two up with under half an hour to go, Beaconsfield maybe took their eye off the game for a minute and they paid the price when, four minutes later, Ellie Owen struck to get a goal back for Abingdon. 1-2
However, the Beaconsfield lapse lasted just two minutes. Stunned back into action they produced a glorious move to get their two goal margin back. Carter was the instigator once again, slipping a precision pass inside the full-back for Henna Hussain. Looking up, she saw Katie Riddington making the run into the box and, in turn, supplied the perfect low ball across the six-yard line for a relatively easy tap-in. 1-3
That was pretty much game over and title in the bag. Abingdon were not going to score three in the final 20 minutes, even if Beaconsfield concentration did wane again. In fact, it was Beaconsfield who almost scored again the 75 minute, when Mia Thomson got on the end of a ball into the box, only to see he stabbed effort collected well by Hartley who, despite conceding there, had performed admirably between the Abingdon sticks.
With just a couple of minutes left on the clock, there was a nasty incident when Lydia Vettese landed heavily on her shoulder. There was a fairly long delay before, after being replaced, she was able to walk around the pitch back to the dugout, the injury seemingly not as bad as it first looked.
That just left Gemma Whitchurch to give us the pass of the game in the 91st minute. Bursting out of the back four again, as she had done frequently, the centre-half spotted the run of Henna Hussain before curling a defence-splitting pass, with the outside of her boot, perfectly into the strikers path. Unfortunately for Beaconsfield, Georgie Hartley had also spotted the run, and was off her line to narrow the angle well enough to force Hussain to shoot wide.
And that was it. Game over. Beaconsfield were champions of Division One North.
FT Abingdon United Development 1 Beaconsfield Town 3. A much better performance from Beaconsfield in the second half where the produced a few moments of magic that proved too much for a determined Abingdon team. United played their part in this game without really posing too much of a threat up front. It will be very interesting to see how they fare against Oxford City in the Chairman's Cup Final.
For Beaconsfield there's one more league game to complete, a home tie with bottom side Caversham United next weekend. Then they can start the preparations for next season in the Premier League.
Abingdon United Development: Hartley, Biddle, Pearce, Southey, Ives, Sadler, Hughes, Godfrey, Owen, Grey, Ward. Subs: Lopez-Catalan, Dellar
Beaconsfield Town: Phillips(c), R.Harris, Smith, Vettese, Whitchurch, Hill, Carrington, Davern, Casey, Riddington, Kingston-Wheeler. Subs: Thomson, Carter, F.Harris, Hussain, Lance
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance:
Programme:
The changes seemed to unsettle the home defence. Whilst Lucy Casey is a very effective and pacy striker, the physical presence of Hussain completely changed the game and while the Abingdon central defence were worrying about her, space was opening up for other players to exploit. That's exactly what happened in the 53rd minute when Freya Harris found space to burst into the box, before being bundled to the ground. Penalty! and no real complaints from the home team. Katie Riddington stepped up, calmly sending Hartley the wrong way to make it 0-1.
The Rams had one hand on the trophy now, and just past the hour, they took an even former grip. Mollie Carter played an exquisite through ball for Freya Harris to run onto, holding off a challenge before sliding a shot across Hartley, which came back off the inside of the far post. The ball rebounded across the face of goal and it was Harris who was quickest to react, forcing the ball over the line at the second attempt. 0-2.
Two up with under half an hour to go, Beaconsfield maybe took their eye off the game for a minute and they paid the price when, four minutes later, Ellie Owen struck to get a goal back for Abingdon. 1-2
However, the Beaconsfield lapse lasted just two minutes. Stunned back into action they produced a glorious move to get their two goal margin back. Carter was the instigator once again, slipping a precision pass inside the full-back for Henna Hussain. Looking up, she saw Katie Riddington making the run into the box and, in turn, supplied the perfect low ball across the six-yard line for a relatively easy tap-in. 1-3
That was pretty much game over and title in the bag. Abingdon were not going to score three in the final 20 minutes, even if Beaconsfield concentration did wane again. In fact, it was Beaconsfield who almost scored again the 75 minute, when Mia Thomson got on the end of a ball into the box, only to see he stabbed effort collected well by Hartley who, despite conceding there, had performed admirably between the Abingdon sticks.
With just a couple of minutes left on the clock, there was a nasty incident when Lydia Vettese landed heavily on her shoulder. There was a fairly long delay before, after being replaced, she was able to walk around the pitch back to the dugout, the injury seemingly not as bad as it first looked.
That just left Gemma Whitchurch to give us the pass of the game in the 91st minute. Bursting out of the back four again, as she had done frequently, the centre-half spotted the run of Henna Hussain before curling a defence-splitting pass, with the outside of her boot, perfectly into the strikers path. Unfortunately for Beaconsfield, Georgie Hartley had also spotted the run, and was off her line to narrow the angle well enough to force Hussain to shoot wide.
And that was it. Game over. Beaconsfield were champions of Division One North.
FT Abingdon United Development 1 Beaconsfield Town 3. A much better performance from Beaconsfield in the second half where the produced a few moments of magic that proved too much for a determined Abingdon team. United played their part in this game without really posing too much of a threat up front. It will be very interesting to see how they fare against Oxford City in the Chairman's Cup Final.
For Beaconsfield there's one more league game to complete, a home tie with bottom side Caversham United next weekend. Then they can start the preparations for next season in the Premier League.
Abingdon United Development: Hartley, Biddle, Pearce, Southey, Ives, Sadler, Hughes, Godfrey, Owen, Grey, Ward. Subs: Lopez-Catalan, Dellar
Beaconsfield Town: Phillips(c), R.Harris, Smith, Vettese, Whitchurch, Hill, Carrington, Davern, Casey, Riddington, Kingston-Wheeler. Subs: Thomson, Carter, F.Harris, Hussain, Lance
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att:
Entrance:
Programme:
Katie Riddington opens the scoring from the spot
RSS Feed