Most of my coverage of women's football in Cambridgeshire has been in the higher leagues the FAWPL South East Division One with Cambridge WFC and the ERWFL Premier Division with Gt Shelford, but I have wanted to catch a few games in the county league set up too. This season there are 3 divisions in Cambridgeshire, having previously been the two split between North and South. Now for the 2104/15 there is the Women's Premiership comprising of 7 teams and then the Women's Championship North with 8 teams competing and the Women's Championship South with 6 teams competing.
It is the Cambridgeshire Women's Championship South that gets the coverage today starting with a fixture between the two clubs at the bottom of the table Cambridge Rangers v March Town United Ladies.
It's still early days in the season, today's host Cambridge Rangers have played 4 matches and have 3 points having won 1 and lost 3 of there opening fixtures. March Town United Ladies were bottom playing catch up with most of the rest in the league having played just the 2 games before today and yet to pick up a league point.
The venue for today's league encounter Girton Recreation Ground in the north of Cambridge. Arrived a little later than I wanted to due to the copious amount of tractors hogging the A10 on a Sunday morning but nevertheless found the pitch introduced myself to both coaches and was all set for the match. The pitch prepared by the ground staff had a good gradient upon it from one goal mouth to the other and is somewhat exposed to the elements although bright and sunny there was a stiff breeze swirling around.
Cambridge Rangers squad - Connie DeMartino, Zoe Colgate, Peggy Keeler, Laura Bevins, Nicola Brewin, Elizabeth Dobson, Tanya Prince, Hoi Yee Ng, Ali Hodgson, Rachel Hesketh, PJ Burns, Ruth Brazewell.
March Town United Ladies squad - Helena Casen-Morris, Becky Bourlet, Emma Frost, Michelle Cracknell, Sydney Davis, Michelle Fisher, Anna Hatcher, Hannah Johnson, Charley Miller, Emma Searle, Kirsty Smith, Rachael Davies & Jade Pointer.
(roll on roll off substitutes)
It was the home side, Cambridge to kick off the game their kit pink shirts, black shorts with pink and black hooped socks against March lined up in yellow shirts with black across the chest and shoulders, black shorts and socks. The visitors were fielding an outfield player in goal for today's match.
The visitors were on the attack early on keeping the ball in Cambridge's half as the looked to break in numbers, getting the ball into the channels they couldn't find a final ball to threaten Cambridge's goal, neither keeper touching the ball in the opening 5 minutes until March's captain Anne Hatcher tries to launch a pass over the top for striker Michelle Cracknell to chase down she can't reach it before Cambridge's Connie DeMartino comes out off her line to take the ball.
March work the ball down the right hand side of the pitch eventually winning a corner, the 1st attempt is headed behind by a defender, on the 2nd corner the ball coming into the centre is headed down into the ground by Hatcher, bouncing across the six yard line comes to Emma Frost at the far post her shot comes back off the post and Cambridge clear.
GOAL! The visitors take the lead through their captain Anne Hatcher as the midfielder beats the offside trap is free for a run on goal one on one with the keeper, she shoots early the keeper trying to kick the ball away can't get enough on it to stop the ball going into the back of the net 0-1.
Having been causing problems down the right of the pitch for March, Emma Searle has moved over to the left finds herself with plenty of space as the ball is put through to her 25 yards from goal she takes two strides with the ball then shoots pulls her shot across the goal and wide.
Cambridge have had little of the ball in attack been defending for the most part do win a free kick wide right the set piece played into midfielder Nicola Brewin on the edge of the box her turn and shot is blocked at close range then put out for a throw, keeping the pressure on the ball coming to Cracknell she has a shot from 20 yards out, nervous hands from the March keeper but she does enough to deflect the ball up onto the crossbar and then clear.
GOAL! March double their lead as they break quickly the ball coming to Emma Searle who makes a driving run down the right of the pitch on the run shoots from 25 yards out, the keeper gets a glove to the ball but doesn't stop it going into the net 0-2.
Cambridge captain Hoi Yee Hg, looks to get an attack going combines well with Brewin in the centre working the ball forwards is put into Ali Hogdson who shoots early pulls the effort wide of the post.
GOAL! March have a 3rd goal from another corner put in from the left, DeMartino gets her gloves to it palms the ball away from her goal, but not clear of the box, the ball is lofted back in towards Searle waiting at the far post unmarked she has a free header puts the ball home to make it 0-3.
GOAL! Cambridge pull a goal back almost immediately as they counter attack swiftly, it's Hodgson with the early shot the effort blocked, March fail to get the ball clear as it is played out to the wide right position, the cross is drilled across the area, comes all the way through to Hodgson out left, who inside the box drills the ball low and across the keeper to score and pull one goal back before half time 1-3.
Half-time Cambridge Rangers 1-3 March Town United Ladies
A strong 1st half performance from the visitors with most of the possession have created more chances and scored 3 goals, right on the stroke of half time Cambridge pull one goal back.
It's March to kick off the 2nd half, Cambridge getting hold of the ball start the 2nd half the brighter.
GOAL! The ball is held up well by PJ Burns in the middle 20 yards out with her back to goal lays it off into the run Hoi Yee Ng is making in support 25 yards out she unleaches a shot driven low towards goal at pace the keeper attempts to kick it away doesn't get the contact required and it's a goal 2-3.
Just the start the home side needed to the 2nd half pulling a 2nd goal back early on, but March still have the lead as they win a corner via a good run from the back from Emma Frost, the ball is played into the area 10 yards out it's Jade Pointer who rises to meet the ball with her head, DeMartino is well placed to take the ball.
Pointer has another chance as she receives the ball wide right looks to drive inside evades a challenge from Yee Ng outside the box manages to get a shot away, it takes a nick off a defender and spins wide of goal for a corner. The set piece is played out to the edge of the area and it's Hatcher who shoots wide from 18 yards out.
Yee Ng getting forwards in attack is played in through the middle looks to curl a low shot inside the post from outside the box, the ball won't turn back in time as the keeper see's it wide of her post.
GOAL! It's 3-3 Cambridge are back on level terms, from a long ball played forwards that March's defence heads up and away it is Yee Hg who gets her head to the ball, then the ball is headed back to her 30 yards out she sends a looping ball high into the box looked a nothing ball but causes the keeper problems dropping down close to the crossbar is under it and goes in to make it 3-3.
Cambridge have done well to get back into the match, now though March are spurred into action with Hatcher playing the ball out to the right for Pointer to run onto, not breaking her stride she takes an early shot lacks any power, easy take for the keeper.
Pointer then breaks beating her marker on the right is free baring down on the area looking to go central, but Cambridge's defence recover well tracking back to make a vital tackle to deny the shooting opportunity. Pointer get's another chance to attack soon after this time evades the covering tackle get's free inside the box but leaning back into her shot drags it wide.
GOAL! Heartbreak for the home side, but joy for the visitors as March regain the lead. The attack on it's Hatcher who plays the ball through the Cambridge back line onto Pointer her shot inside the box is blocked loops up and back out towards Cracknell 25 yards out, has time to line up her shot, sends it back in at a good height and pace and scores 3-4.
Cambridge win a corner after the referee allows the advantage after a hand ball, The set piece is flashed across goal at a good height but no pink head can meet it. March counter attack the shot coming early from Pointer is deflected up spinning into Cracknell, chesting it down she puts her shot wide, last action of the match and March win it 4-3 to register their 1st 3 points of the season and move off the bottom of the table.
A lively game with plenty of goals March starting the stronger going 3-0 up before Cambridge struggling to get on the ball managed to pull one back right on the stroke of half time. The home side doing well to fightback level the scores just didn't have enough energy left to hold on as March came back to seal the victory.
Thanks to both clubs for helping me out with the squad details.
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