Match report
READING LADIES 0 AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 3
Dons eased past their Southern Combination League opponents with a determined second half performance after being held scoreless at the break. Opportunist goals from Laura Smith, Maria Bertelli and Keisha Ramos sealed the win, with several more chances going begging - Beth Sims, Amy Price and a penalty from Julie Bygrave all missed and the home keeper made a couple of great saves.
Dons continued their unbeaten run with a well earned victory over determined Southern Combination League opponents, Reading Ladies, in the third round of the F.A. Women's Cup. Jemma Lindfield's back injury forced her out of the squad, but it was the same starting line up as the previous weekend that took to the field.
Reading started the livelier of the two teams, but Tracy Perry was well up to the task, and AFC eased themselves into the game and Laura Smith, Maria Bertelli, Kylie Davies and Julie Bygrave all went close. Reading fought back with a couple of balls over the top of the defence that required smart defending from Rachel Axon, and the ball swung from end to end, with half chances falling to both sides. Goal-a-game girl Bygrave had the best chance of the half, but failed to connect with Sarah Mulligan's cross. Keisha Ramos shot just past the post from Davies' cross and Mulligan pulled the ball just over, as well as causing panic in the Reading defence with her crossing. Reading didn't surrender though, and held firm through a combination of luck, good defending and profligate finishing from AFC, and just before the break could have taken the lead, but the ball scraped past the Perry's post.
Graham Newnham's half time pep talk had the desired effect, and the AFC ladies came out for a much stronger second half. Davies immediately found herself free on the right and her cross bounced clear off the front post, and this was followed by efforts by Smith, Sims Mulligan (twice), Bygrave and Davies (twice), before Laura Smith finally made the breakthrough, pulling a through ball down, taking one touch and then firing home from close in. AFC continued to pressure the home goal, and Davies and Mulligan both going close. Lauren Nuttall replaced Sims, dropping in at left wing-back with Ramos pushing up front and within a minute Bygrave headed inches over and Ramos poked Maria Bertelli's cross just wide. The same two players combined to better effect five minutes later, Bertelli stroking home Ramos' cross for the Dons' second. Moments later Bertelli headed Bygrave's cross over the Davies teased her way down the right flank and cut to the by-line, but her attempted cross hit the hand of out-stretched hand of a defender and the linesman somewhat harshly talked the referee into a penalty. Cometh the hour, cometh the woman, but on this occasion Bygrave crashed the spot kick against the bar, and in the ensuing melee both Bygrave and a defender received accidental knocks to the head. Jessica Lewis-Cole and Amy Price replaced Michelle Riley and Bygrave with six minutes remaining, and within a minute Keisha Ramos beat the keeper to a through ball and sealed the win with an easy tap in. In the final minutes Mulligan hit the side netting with a powerful effort and Price chased down a ball over the top but could only lob the ball into the grateful keeper's hands.
After a lack-lustre first half, the second half was a great improvement, with Reading hardly troubling the half-way line and even Rachel Axon finding herself on the edge of the opponents box at one point! In the end it could have been several more, but Reading never stopped working hard and deserved the breaks. |
