Match Report
Match Report - 14 Sep 2008, Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies beat Wycombe Wanderers
The Robins started this fixture brightly with Patterson and Pankhurst dictating the early pace of the game. The first chance fell to Jo Whittaker following an excellent through ball from the influential Emma Constable. Whittaker's shot flew across the face of the goal and surely only needed a touch to direct it on target to score. The Robins forced their first corner after 5 minutes. The ball found Constable whose strike narrowly went over the bar. Dawn Campell who proved to be a thorn in the side of the Wycombe defence with her excellent crosses, beat her fullback only to see her shot strike the outside of a post. This early pressure resulted in a breakthrough on 19 minutes when striker Danni Wheeden making her league debut, finished well from an excellent Campbell cross.
Wycombe, however, were not there just to make up the numbers and their patient passing game found them causing the home defence some problems. Several good passes into the space between the Robins central defenders created half chances which were eventually snuffed out by the combination of Boyle, Barton and Emily Campbell. Wycombe enjoyed reward for their hard work in the 39th minute when they won possession in their half and worked the ball down their right hand side. The resultant cross deceived stand-in keeper Sarah Cox as the ball found the net. Half-time 1-1.
Clare Shell replaced the injured Pankhurst at the start of the second half and joined Patterson. Both played their part in helping to re-establish the Robins rythm of the first half. Emma Constable came closest in the early part of the half when her volley from outside the box flew over the crossbar. Whittaker worked hard against her fullback who had come on as a half time substitute and proved a combative and effective defender. Whittaker managed to evade her opponent on several occasions to link play up with her central midfield colleagues but for a spell, the Robins were finding it difficult to tame their increasingly lively opponents. Wycombe continued to press with pace and purpose and forced Cox into a very good left handed save.
As the heat took its toll, both teams began to tire. Bracknell introduced Kim Lockyer for Danni Wheeden on 76 minutes and she took up her usual right sided berth with Dawn Campbell moving to the left flank and Whittaker joining Turner in a striking role. It wasn't long before the fresh legs of Lockyer created problems for Wycombe's back line. Her first run at her defender saw her drill an excellent cross behind the Wycombe defence which narrowly evaded the onrushing Whittaker. The Robins continued to play patiently probing for the opening they craved to try to win the game. From another good period of possession the Robins forced a corner in the 86th minute. Campbell drove the ball into the 6 yard box where a scramble ensued, defenders and attackers lashing at the loose ball. Michelle Turner created order from chaos when she pounced to strike the ball home through a crowd of players from 5 yards. Lockyer again got the better of her defender and put in another excellent cross which was met by the head of Whittaker at the near post. Her downward header beat the Wycombe keeper for 3-1 in the 89th minute.
A decent performance as the new players begin to settle into the team and 3 more points on the board. Next week sees the Robins travel to Aldershot for what promises to be a lively local derby.
Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies 3 - 1 Wycombe Wanderers