Match Report
Match Report - 20 Feb 2011, Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies beat Reading Town LFC
The Robins made the short trip to nearby Reading Town without their regular keeper Kirsty Robertson who was unfortunately unwell so it was anyone's guess as to who might don the keeper's gloves! Emma Turner stepped into the breach and was largely untroubled, able to operate as an additional defender on occasion when needed.
Whilst this might sound as if this was a stroll in the park for the Robins the reality was very different. The opening 20 minutes were frustrating for the Robins as they struggled to get their fluid passing game beyond first gear. This was, in part, due to the hard working Reading players as much as it was down to poor passing selection and execution. Libby Shuttle came closest to making the breakthrough during this torrid spell when she saw her free kick cannon back off the cross-bar with the Robins strike force failing to capitalise on the rebound. The cross-bar was to play a significant role throughout the remainder of the game.
Sarah Lipscombe demonstrated her quality when she took advantage of a a good through ball, striking the ball firmly past the Reading stand-in keeper, Georgia McGill. Caz Paterson came close when her header from another corner clattered the bar and was smuggled away to safety by the Reading back line. On 32 minutes Lipscombe pounced again with a tidy finish following a scramble in the 18 yard box following another corner from Shuttle.
Paterson had another chance to extend the Robins lead when a cross from Lipscombe was fired in from the right. Paterson struck the ball firmly with her left foot only to see her effort hit the bar and bounce to safety. It was the same player who had a hand in the Robins 3rd goal when her right foot strike again found the bar but this time Tracy Corkett was on hand to finish from the rebound. Paterson found herself with an unusual hat trick as half time arrived having struck the crossbar 3 times!
A change in the Robins goal for the start of the second half saw Helen Adamson stepping up from the reserve team whose game had been postponed and making her 1st team debut. On 51 minutes, Emma Constable finished expertly with an
excellent half volley flying into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. Caz Paterson finally registered a goal for all of her efforts with a fine header from an Emma Constable cross. Needless to say, the ball struck the underside of the bar before crossing the line!!
Libby Shuttle was unfortunate not to extend the lead further when a fine strike from the edge of the box was tipped onto the cross bar by McGill. Shuttle then apparently decided that she wanted a hat trick of cross bar strikes when she drove a corner in from the left and watched as the ball duly hit the bar and bounced to safety. 7 strikes against the crossbar!! No more crossbar challenge in training gaffer!
Jo Atkins rounded off the Robins scoring in the 86th minute with a fantastic strike on the run, meeting a cross from Angie Whitney.
What began as a frustrating affair for the Robins settled down into a comfortable win and could have been more had it not been for the intervention of the crossbar.
Reading Town LFC 0 - 6 Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies