The U's Women continued their unbeaten winning streak with a win on Sunday afternoon in front of a large home crowd at the Garrison Ground.
With Assistant Head Coach Milly Morgan taking the reins following Luke Worley’s departure over the Christmas break, the women restarted their campaign for the league’s top spot with energy and composure from the opening whistle. It took two minutes for the first corner to appear which, following a poor clearance, fell nicely to Cahill for a finish out of the keeper’s reach.
The following minutes showed much of the same, with plenty of through-ball supplies from the U's midfield to supply Ager and Jenkins on either wing. The script of this match was rather different to the 10-2 away victory back in October, demanding more from the U’s back four. 'Keeper Clark also had more work to do than seen in other league matches, with a point-blank rocket needing quick reflexes in the eleventh minute. It served as a helpful warning to the home team that the game would be harder than the early lead would suggest, with several clearances being demanded from within the U’s goal area over several minutes.
As composure was regained, the tide again turned in the U’s favour which eventually resulted in a penalty being awarded for a handball from an unfortunate deflection. Newstead doubled the U’s lead by sending the keeper the wrong way, the scoreline giving more breathing room than perhaps the game suggested.
More confident play appeared from the U’s, with exquisite one-twos being played down either wing and pinpoint crosses being delivered into the box. Barking’s keeper made some incredible saves to prevent the score rising higher, earning deserved applause from both sets of supporters. With the pressure mounting though, the expected third goal appeared in the twenty-seventh minute, courtesy of a quickly-taken throw from Ager finding Morgan, dribbling her way past a couple of defenders to send the ball into the roof of the net.
With pace on both sides seeming to reduce towards the end of the first half, play resting mostly around the centre circle, the closing minutes saw a resurgence from Barking pound the U’s defence. Barking’s number nine in particular demanded a lot from Howlett and Farrow on the left wing, but clear communication and strong challenges denied any delivery finding its target.
With Barking playing a higher line in the closing minutes, the U’s saw the opportunity to use the pace of midfield’s Gamble to run onto a well-timed aerial through-ball from Ager to confidently send a strong grass-cutter under the keeper and take the U’s into half-time with a three goal lead.
A change of keeper for Barking and fresh legs up front showed the visitors were keen to regain the balance and the opening minutes revealed its effectiveness. With the U’s barely getting the ball out of their half, Barking pounded the home team with strong breaks in quick succession, demanding well-timed sliding tackles from Pope and quick runs out from Clark. The constant hassle from number nine eventually paid off with a superb set-up for a Barking sub, sending the ball past Clark in the fifty-second minute.
The game’s temperature remained the same for quite a time, the U’s barely getting the ball out of their half, before Barking’s predictable second goal arrived, a carbon copy of the first.
As the match entered the final fifteen minutes, fresh legs for the U’s brought a renewed energy and composure, countering Barking’s pressure mostly on the wings, but the taste of potential points for the visitors meant there was no let-off in attacks. The barrage paid off for the third time in the eighty-fourth minute with a wet ball slipping past Clark and finished with a simple tap-in.
A Barking injury earlier in the half meant nail-biting for the home supporters extended far beyond ninety minutes, but eventually the referee called time on what was without the doubt the first closely-fought league match for the U’s so far this season. A deserved Player Of The Match award for Clark keeping the lead for the U’s and a brilliant example of how the U’s were able to dig deep and fend off a hard-battling team for much of the second half. The win takes the women two points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.
Colchester United Women starting XI: Ager, Cahill, Clark, Farrow, Gamble, Howlett, Jenkins, L Morgan, Newstead, Paton, Pope
Subs: Adams, Mowatt, White, J Morgan
Player of the Match: Clark