Had a few ties to choose from but the clash I fancied was Royston Town Ladies v Sawbridgeworth Town WFC. An all Hertfordshire clash, Royston Town Ladies also known as The Crows compete in the Eastern Region Women's Football League Division One South.
Their opponents, Sawbridgeworth Town WFC, The Robins play in the same division. Have played a game in the FA Women's Cup already this season competing in the Preliminary Rd where they overcame a team playing in the league above the ERWFL Premier Division, Stevenage Ladies 1-0.
More or less straight down the A10 from Norfolk, the venue for the match Royston Town FC. Compact ground surrounded by housing, a small covered stand on one side with a nice clubhouse. The weather still decent as we approach the end of September warm with cloud cover.
Royston Town Ladies starting XI - Grace Leslie, Rebekah Fisk, Katie Seymour, Paige Rolfe, Gemma Barlow (C), Amy Cooper, Heather Parete, Emma Phipps, Jo Rutherford, Amie Jones, & Georgia Gannaway.
subs - Stacey Hassen, Victoria Rutherford & Hannah Mardell
Sawbridgeworth Town WFC starting XI - Rebecca Tyson, Louise Terry, Georgia Jackson, Jackie Day (C), Ann Anstey, Jacqueline Stott, Jemma Whiteman, Emma Parker, Kelly Holesworth, Shannon Hardinges & Hannah Fowler.
subs - Claire Thompson & Chloe MacDonald.
It's Royston to kick off wearing white shitrs & socks with black shorts against Sawbridgeworth lined up in black and red hooped shirts and socks with black shorts. Straight from kick off the home side are putting the visitors under pressure getting players in and around the box, the move ending with the ball being played back to Royston's Heather Parete who tries a speculative effort from 25 yards that goes straight into the gloves of Sawbridgeworth keeper Rebecca Tyson.
Royston striker Jo Rutherford links up with Georgia Gannaway play a good one/two with the former dragging her shot inside the box across the face of goal. Soon after it's Gannaway who drags her shot across goal as Rutherford holding the ball up on lays it off into her run.
For all their pressing Royston are finding it difficult to breakdown the Sawbridgeworth back line they are keeping their shape forcing the home side to play it out wide rather than through the centre, winning tackles getting the ball forwards is a struggle, when they do it it forwards it's played out to the wide positions into Shannon Hardinges the no10 looking to play in striker Hannah Fowler. Chasing the pass though Fowler is beaten to the ball by Royston keeper Grace Leslie who comes racing out of her box to kick clear.
The visitors suffer an early injury blow, midfielder Jemma Whiteman hurts her knee challenging for the ball, tries to carry on but can't, coming on in her place is Claire Thompson. Going out to the wide right position Thompson puts in decent cross into the box, tracking back though Royston's Paige Rolfe gets her foot on the ball to clear for a corner before Fowler can reach it.
In the middle for Sawbridgeworth Jacqueline Stott has a shot from 40 yards that Tyson takes, immediately sets off a counter attack the ball finding Emma Phipps out on the right her cross is too close to Leslie. Sawbridgeworth can't keep the ball it is won back played into Rutherford who shoots from the edge of the box sending her effort narrowly over the crossbar.
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| Royston Town Ladies Emma Phipps on the ball |
Royston have a free kick left of the box 20 yards out it's Paige Rolfe standing over the ball, puts in a good ball, that is dipping just not enough to creep under the bar, over.
GOAL! Rolfe has another chance to put a set piece into the box as Royston have a free kick towards the halfway line on the right. The ball is flighted into the box, Rutherford jumps for it but can't reach it as it bounces down in area, it's Georgia Gannaway who is following up gets her head to the ball to divert it past Tyson and into the net 1-0.
Royston are on top are keeping possession and pressing forwards in numbers, keeping Sawbridgeworth pinned back the visitors can't find an out ball and make it stick. Another Royston attack breaking down the right it's Phipps who plays the ball into Rutherford on the edge of the penalty area she drags her shot wide of the post although diving Tyson had it covered good leave.
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| Royston's Paige Rolfe & Sawbridgeworth's Kelly Holesworth tussle for the ball |
Sawbridgeworth with some good possession make progress down the right Stott plays the ball forwards for Fowler to chase, Leslie is out of her box quickly once more to clear.
GOAL! It's Rolfe with the set piece again this time 40 yards out little wider this time the ball comes into the box in the middle six yards out Rutherford coming in tries to get her head to it, misses, it's an OG however as the Sawbridgeworth defender coming in with her deflects the ball into the back of her own net 2-0.
Half-time Royston Town Ladies 2-0 Sawbridgeworth Town WFC
A strong 1st half performance from Royston have dominated play and possession have scored twice although their have been few chances on target. Sawbridgeworth have worked hard and for the large part defended solidly against Royston's attackers have struggled to keep the ball however and haven't registered a shot on target, that would need to change 2nd have if they wanted to get back into this cup time as they kicked off the 2nd half.
GOAL! This then was not the start to the 2nd half that Sawbridgeworth wanted, despite a bright start putting Royston's back line under pressure for once, it's is the home side who score as they break the ball getting played into Georgia Gannaway out wide left she runs with the ball, cuts back inside losing her marker inside the box and shoots pulling the ball wide of Tyson and into the back of the net 3-0.
Sawbridgeworth's Shannon Hardinges looks the most likely to get something going forwards for the visitors is making herself available for Jacqueline Stott and Kelly Holesworth in centre midfield to pass to, Hardinges in turn is looking to get the ball into Fowler gets a good cross in from the wide right position, Royston's Leslie is alert to the run Fowler is making intercepts the ball.
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| Sawbridgeworth Town WFC's Shannon Hardinges looking for a pass |
Royston make their 1st change bringing on Victoria Rutherford for Amie Jones. Sawbridgeworth's Ann Anstey and Royston's Jo Rutherford have had a good battle all game the striker rarely getting the better of the defender pushed out wide she does manage to stab a ball into the box for Victoria to latch onto sends the shot wide of goal.
2nd change for Royston as Paige Rolfe comes off for Hannah Mardell. Play is a little more even Royston sitting back a little with a 3 goal cushion. From a throw wide left deep in Royston's half Sawbridgeworth's Stott plays a good pass into the centre for Hardinges she can't bring it under control for the shot as Royston clear only out to Sawbridgeworth's full back Georgia Jackson who has a shot from 30 yards out Leslie makes the save.
GOAL! Royston have a corner it's Jo Rutherford to play the ball in from the right a good ball sent into the 6 yard box central Royston defender Amy Cooper meets it with her head smashes the ball against the crossbar, it there to meet the rebound and scores despite a Sawbrigdeworth player trying to hook it off the line 4-0.
Final change for Royston, Stacey Hassen coming on late for Katie Seymour.
Sawbridgeworth's Stott has a chance to pull a goal back for the visitors as Holeworth plays her through in the centre looks to sweep the ball wide of Leslie and into the back of the net the keeper though sticks a leg out to divert the ball wide for a corner kick.
Have been some committed challenges throughout the whole match 50/50 balls with neither player willing to back out. Hardinges is the latest player to need treatment after coming off the worst, is able to carry on.
Sawbridgeworth's no12 Claire Thompson puts in a vital block to stop a Jo Rutherford cross before the ball strikes the crossbar from a long range ball sent back in.
Jo Rutherford has done everything bar score a goal as she drags another shot wide of goal. Royston have a corner, Gemma Barlow heads the ball back in towards goal, Rutherford looks to hook it into the back of the net but Tyson bravely saves from close range to deny her at the near post.
Sawbridgeworth with a good attack down the left the ball coming back into Stott in the centre she looks to pass to Hardinges who has make a great run coming in from the right, under pressure from Barlow she can't get her shot away as Royston look to counter attack break quickly Jo Rutherford into no14 Victoria Rutherford she is through the Sawbridgeworth defence, keeper Tyson comes out of her box makes a great saving tackle with her legs to win the ball outside the box.
Royston keeper Leslie then tips the ball over her bar as Sawbridgeworth's Stott shoots from 20 yards as the visitors work the ball up the pitch late in the game, the corner the last action of the match the final whislte blows and Royston Town Ladies win the tie 4-0 to progress into the next round of the FA Women's Cup.
A good performance today from Royston Town Ladies they will fancy their chances of further progress in the FA Women's Cup, will be a tough opponent for whoever they draw in the next round.
Sawbridgeworth Town WFC will be disappointed with the result, can't fault the effort though worked hard defensively to try and keep Royston's attackers out, didn't have the ball enough at the other end their own attackers frustrated.
My 1st look at both sides hope to see more of both over the season. I thank Royston for the hospitality and the Sawbridgeworth manager Stephen Gleeson for helping me out with the teams.
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