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Sunday 05 September 2004 FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, Southern Division
AFC Wimbledon
0
-
3
Cardiff City Ladies
Match report
AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 0 CARDIFF CITY LADIES 3
Newly promoted Cardiff City Ladies - unbeaten in the League in over a year - cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Kingsmeadow.
Laura Smith returned from holiday to shore up the midfield and injuries to Lauren Nuttall and Natalie Barette gave Rachel Woodland a first start this season in the back line. Beth Sims was unavailable up front, so Michelle Storrier made the step up from the reserves for her debut.
With ten minutes gone, Marie Barrow continued where the Brighton forwards had left off the previous week, making use of a poor official to break the offside trap on the left, but Gewnnan Harries headed the cross wide. Two minutes later and Harries cut inside Vicky Elcome only to drag her shot wide. For the third time in four games an early substitution forced a change in the Dons' game-plan, Keisha Ramos replacing Rachel Woodland at the back and Andi McGrady coming on in midfield for her first competitive start in AFC Wimbledon colours. McGrady had the home side's only first half shot in anger just before the half-hour, but her thirty yard dipping effort just cleared the crossbar. The ball over the top again did for the defence when Harries ran through on her own on the left, cut in, then clipped the ball over Lou Cooper to put the visitors in front a minute before the break.
Once again the Dons conceded an early second half goal as Harries ran through unmarked again, this time on the right, and placed the ball past Cooper with the outside of her boot. Just before the hour Storrier did well to fashion a half chance for herself, but her shot was easily saved, then on the hour Chantelle Miller broke free down the right wing and her superb cross found Barrow unmarked at the back post with plenty of time to turn in Cardiff's third. Cardiff were content to sit on their lead after that, and Dons pressed forward in search of a consolation, but could get no closer than Michelle Riley's header from a Julie Bygrave corner that tested Julie Brealy.
