The U’s first season together continues to deliver the goods after stunning Chelmsford City in a closely-battled league cup semi final clash at Melbourne Stadium. A goal in either half from Cahill sandwiched a single response from City to bring the team closer to a season Double.
Well aware of the demand that would be put on them by a team who dominate the league’s premier division, Coach Simon King opted for a strong back four made up of Paton, Howlett, Farrow and Gamble, herself dropping back from midfield to cover an injured J Craddock-Ball. Newstead donned her gloves to take her place between the sticks, as has been the standard throughout the campaign.
With Cahill up front, a staggered midfield formation saw Ager and Vinton cover opposite wings, with C Craddock-Ball, L Morgan and Adams in the middle.
The opening minutes saw a confident and composed City dominate possession, typically sending diagonal balls to either wing for pacey deliveries back into the box. Experience of a longer-established, maturer team was tangible, reflected by the U’s often being second to the ball and looking a little out of sorts when under pressure.
As minutes entered double-figures however, the U’s began to look more structured in formation and less rushed when on the ball, delivering some outstanding counter-attacks that were denied only by nippy defenders and questionable offside decisions.
With the returned pressure continuing, the sixteenth minute saw a short pass from the home keeper chased down by Ager, blocking a clearance and sending a perfect through-ball to an onside Cahill who nestled a left-foot shot between keeper and post.
The deficit was met with an increase of pressure from City which eventually paid off six minutes later, an unfortunate bounce in the centre circle getting past Howlett to allow a City through-ball to lob Newstead.
With all things square, the U’s continued to apply more pressure with fast balls to Vinton and Cahill in particular, breaks again being denied by a responsive defence and the linesman’s flag. City’s script of switching between wings became easier to read as the first half progressed, making the U’s appear to have more dominance than before. Farrow was replaced by Pope as left-back, providing a fresher method of delivery along the wing to Vinton.
As half-time approached, the U’s were increasingly becoming first to the ball, with the footwork of Morgan in particular establishing ground over the visitors.
The second half saw much of the same pressure from the U’s with little change in formation. City showed more closer play than the first half, favouring simple passes to maintain possession over longer deliveries. This change in method paid off, with far more time spent in the U’s half and several attacks putting Newstead and the back four under pressure.
The U’s responded in kind though, quick to force wingers wide to make crosses easier to shut out. This visibly frustrated the home team, enabling the U’s to focus on making their own impact when countering.
The fifty-eighth minute rewarded their efforts, a fantastic left-wing run from Morgan ending with a cross for Cahill to beat the keeper and regain the U’s lead.
A vocal City captain’s attempts to raise players’ heads made an impression, City responding with more physicality and runs at goal which resulted in a distant left-foot curler narrowly missing its target two minutes later. As City’s taste for a second goal increased, so did the pressure in the U’s half, the visitors’ defensive line experiencing a barrage of attacking motions for some time.
City continued the onslaught, requiring Newstead to deny a number of attempts at goal, in particular a point-blank shot on the edge of the six-yard box.
As minutes passed though, the U’s found themselves beating City to the ball, winning more challenges and outpacing tired legs. A change in layout further bolstered the U’s strategy with sub Greenleaf replacing Ager in the seventy-second, Cahill taking the right-wing position in her place and introducing a new threat to City’s back line. Paton was also replaced by Farrow a few minutes later.
As the closing minutes arrived, the scales were balanced in terms of possession but City were visibly playing a more scrappy game, desperate to achieve dominance and score an equaliser. The U’s faced the onslaught with a mixture of composure and lofty clearances as soon as a threat took shape.
As the clock ticked into the ninetieth minute, a diagonal ball from Pope found Vinton on the edge of the box for a right-foot strike, only to be denied by a superb, reactive outstretched foot from the ‘keeper. The attempt underpinned a growing number of attacks from the U’s number seven in partnership with Greenleaf, hinting at a possible third goal for the visitors.
With the referee choosing to add on eight minutes of injury time, the U’s played a mixture of safe, close passes whilst taking advantage of a high City line to send Greenleaf and Vinton for sprints through the middle until the final whistle.
With the division’s top spot looking certain for the U’s, they now also look to the Double when they face Southminster United Ladies First on 19th May in the Cup Final.
Colchester United Women starting XI: Adams, Ager, Cahill, C Craddock-Ball, Farrow, Gamble, Howlett, Morgan, Newstead, Paton, Vinton.
Subs: Devall, Greenleaf, Jenkins, Morgan, Pope.
Player of the match: Cahill
Words: Matt Ager
