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Sunday 29 February 2004 FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, Southern Division
AFC Wimbledon
2
-
1
Watford Ladies
Match report
AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 2 WATFORD LADIES 1
A shoulder injury to Julie Bygrave gave Keisha Ramos the chance to play in her preferred position up front and Rachel Axon returned from her enforced absence through injury from the Enfield Town debacle. With Jessica Lewis-Cole leaving the club during the week and Amy Price dropping back down to the reserves to get some pitch time, Danni Davies and Rose Maskell were brought in on the bench.
Dons started brightly enough, with Laura Smith twice going close in the opening minutes, firstly shooting straight at the keeper after a powerful run and cross from Ramos, then forcing a good save from the Watford keeper. Halfway through the half and a cleared corner was returned on the volley by Michelle Riley and Maria Bertelli spectacularly crashed the ball home only for the linesman's flag to rule it out. Despite having most of the play, for the second week running the ladies fell behind. With thirty three minutes gone Katherine McKenna's speculative thirty-five yard free-kick went in off the crossbar, leaving Tracy Perry flailing. Unlike the previous week, manager Graham Newnham was content with the first half performance, if not the score. "Remember Ipswich", he said at the break. "We were the better team in the first half, and just need more self-belief to win this."
And he was right. Watford rarely threatened the Dons goal in the second half. Sarah Mulligan curled a free kick onto the edge of bar and post from the right edge of the corner box and the ball rebounded to Smith two yards out, but unable to get any power on her header. Mulligan again went close with a double effort, forcing a fine save from the keeper before lashing the rebound over. Also unlike the previous week Dons were patient enough to believe the goals would come. The first was in the sixty-eighth minute, Kylie Davies winning the ball on the right and passing inside to Smith, whose exquisite through ball found Keisha Ramos running into the right side of the box, and she coolly placed the ball across the keeper and into the far corner. Eight minutes later and Laura Smith sealed the victory when Mulligan's cross from the left was headed on by Ramos and fell invitingly for her on the edge of the six yard box and she smashed the ball in on the volley.
