Match Report
Match Report - 09 Apr 2009, Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies beat Slough Ladies FC
The Robins welcomed local rivals Slough Ladies to Larges Lane for an eagerly awaited league fixture.
Slough came out of the blocks at a pace that suggested a hard night ahead of the Robins, playing long diagonal passes into the spaces between centre halves for their fleet footed front players. They pressed their hosts hard when not in possession so it was of no surprise that the quality of the final ball was lacking. But the Robins were not intimidated by the approach of their visitors and began to impose their own tempo on the game and settled down into some very tidy one and two touch football.
The first real chance of the game fell to the impressive Corkett who worked hard to get onto the end of a through ball. She controlled the ball with her first touch and then held off a Slough defender to get her shot away. Phillips in the Slough goal reacted sharply to get an outstretched leg on the ball to deflect it to safety. This seemed to give the Robins a lift as they continued to press and keep the visitors penned in their own half for the next few minutes, trying to create openings. Any clearances were returned with interest by the Robins back line which was looking very assured. One such clearance from the in form Tasha Boyle found Elly Maggs. She got on the end of the pass and attacked the Slough fullback at pace. Her cross found Jen Friar on the far edge of the penalty area. Friar controlled with her first touch and struck venomously with her second to open the scoring on 34 minutes.
Pankhurst and Patterson broke Slough attacks down in the middle third and their assuredness in possession allowed Maggs and Constable to join Corkett and cause the Slough back 4 problems. A pass played in from the Robins right flank was expertly headed down by Corkett to Constable. Again the first touch was excellent and the second firing the ball past Phillips for the Robins second goal on 41 minutes.
After such a good first half performance there was always the danger that Slough would look to start fast again and force their way back into the game which they are always capable of. However, the Robins were in determined mood and within 2 minutes of the restart an astute pass from Constable picked out the run of Corkett who found herself through on goal with only Phillips to beat. Corkett retained her composure and calmly stroked the ball into the back of the net to give the Robins a comfortable lead.
Slough regrouped and redoubled their efforts to get something from the game as they continued to deny space and to set up chances of their own. There was a stubborness about the Robins that was to prove almost irresistable as the defensive unit was rarely breached and on the rare occasions it was, the returning Sam Holloway was on hand to take control of the situation.
Patterson came close twice in quick succession, once from a free kick that flew narrowly over the target and the second, a shot that flashed wide of the far post.
Corkett, who was a persistent thorn in the side to Slough with her aggressive pressurising, had another well struck effort cleared off the line with Phillips beaten.
That creative combination of Maggs and Constable conjured up another chance when Maggs cleverly worked the ball between 2 defenders for Constable to lob the Slough keeper from the edge of the box. 8 minutes later Maggs got herself on the scoresheet after being set up by substitute Tracey Beales.
A minute later Slough got themselves on the scoresheet when a shot squirmed through the grasp of Holloway for 5-1.
With 10 minutes remaining, Kim Lockyer entered the fray replacing the hard working Friar. Lockyer rounded off the scoring when she dispossessed a defender on the edge of the box and struck the ball over Phillips.
An impressive performance from all of those donning the red of the Robins against a good Slough side who had taken the 3 points in the earlier league fixture back in November. The Robins need to build on this, arguably their best performance of the season so far, as they welcome Shanklin Ladies for an Easter Sunday league fixture at Larges Lane.
Bracknell Town Ladies FC Bracknell Town Ladies 6 - 1 Slough Ladies FC