Carterton Ladies – 1

Buckingham Athletic Ladies – 2

Buckingham Athletic Ladies made it two wins from two on Sunday with a last gasp winner to beat Carterton Ladies in what was a battling encounter, Evie Hawkins scoring another brace to bring her tally to four goals in two games which included a last minute winner to leave the hosts shattered at the end of fiercely competitive game. Leading at the break, Buckingham were pegged back within three minutes of the restart by an own goal and were lucky not to go behind when the home side hit the crossbar, but Hawkins popped up at the end to smash home to send the visitor’s home with all three points.

Early chances were few and far between, it took six minutes for the first shot at goal when Kerry O’Connor fired straight at Ellen Fenables in the visitor’s goal from twenty-five yards out, and a poor goal kick was almost punished by the home side but Talane Smith on the edge of the box again fired straight at the Buckingham keeper.

The away side took the lead on thirteen minutes when an attempted clearance from the Carterton defence hit the referee and fell nicely for Gemma Ball to slot through the home back line, Hawkins was free of her marker and fired between the advancing keeper Amy Bourton’s legs and in.

Jade Copas then tried to pressure the hosts back line but as she was dispossessed the ball fell invitingly for skipper Kerry Stapleton to hit first time but the ball was always spinning away from the target, before a ball over the blue defensive line saw O’Connor free on goal but Fenables was quick off her line to challenge on the edge of her box and gather.

Ellen Fenables in the thick of the action

A free kick to Carterton out on their right saw Georgina Tayman curl straight into the keeper’s waiting gloves, & just before the break Charmaine White threatened when she found space on the right of goal but again Fenables got down well to save at her near post. H/T: 0-1

An early corner after the interval saw a corner swung into the box where Stapleton going to clear only managed to slot past her own keeper to restore parity, but within a minute a ball over the home backline gave the skipper space to explore and rifle into the back of the net only for a raised flag to deny the celebration.

O’Connor tried her luck from eighteen yards which Fenables had to turn away for a corner, before a glorious chance went begging when a lay off inside the six-yard box saw Smith with the whole goal to aim drag her effort wide of the right hand post, closely followed by a throw on their right that found Smith who went for goal but the wind took over lifting the ball high over the top.

Evie Hawkins fires winner

On seventy-two minutes the home side went even closer to taking the lead when a driving run from midfield by Gina Napier saw her shoot from distance, the ball flying past Fenables but crashing back down off the crossbar and was eventually cleared away. At the opposite end a ball for Hawkins to chase after saw Bourton go to clear only to thump against the striker and as the ball rolled towards the unguarded net a defender got back to clear.

Another throw on the Carterton right saw Smith launch into the box and from a mass of bodies Napier somehow managed to get her head to the ball first but she could only flick wide from close range. From the goal kick O’Connor received the ball to advance, as Fenables came out the home striker shot which deflected off the keepers boot and towards the empty goal, but centre-half Courtney Davey-Ward was alert enough to cover and clear the danger.

With two minutes left a long clearance from Bourton cleared the Buckingham defence and saw O’Connor in the clear, allowing the ball to come under control she forced Fenables to dive away to her right and save with both hands.

As the game went into added time along came the winner, Hawkins collecting the ball out on the left she had colleagues in the middle waiting but she skipped one challenge before shrugging off a second, as she got into the box she flashed the ball over Bourton and inside the back post to win the game for her side. F/T: 1-2

Please Note: If you use any of our material or images, please ensure you credit sportsshots.org.uk

After the game Sports Shots caught up with Athletic skipper Kerry Stapleton & double goal scorer Evie Hawkins: 

For match photography click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskJ6h7NU

Headington Ladies – 1

Buckingham Athletic Ladies – 6

Buckingham Athletic Ladies got their new season off to a flier with a healthy win at Headington on Sunday afternoon, and settled any early nerves to ease into their new surroundings in the Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football League Division One after promotion last season. Athletic gave seven new summer signings their debuts during a game played in warm sunshine, and despite some early resistance from their hosts two late first half goals put the visitors into a commanding position at the break before adding a further couple in the second period to confirm their dominance.

Headington went close early on finding the side netting from out wide, and from the goal kick Jordan Heron was sent sprinting away down the right flank where she drove at goal, with Evie Hawkins in the middle Heron opted to shoot low for the near post where home keeper Sarah Hillier gathered comfortably. The winger then saw another shot straight at Hillier spilled, but before anyone could react the shot stopper thumped to safety.

Captain Kerry Stapleton then burst forward from midfield and from distance went for goal only for her shot to bounce back off the post, for a split second the home custodian lost track of the ball but as Hawkins raced in she managed to smoother. A Buckingham attack broke down on the half way line and a simple ball over the backline saw Andreea Dumitru break free, she fed Caroline Plitt to the right of goal but she blazed high over the bar.

The visitors took the lead on thirteen minutes when an attempted pass from Stapleton hit her own player but fell nicely for Heron to collect and bear down on goal before firing into the bottom corner. As Headington tried to get back in the game they won a free kick some thirty yards from goal, Cecile Deer took responsibility but could only steer wide of Ellen Fenables’ right hand post.

Jordan Heron opens the scoring

A brief drinks break was allowed by the official, from the off a poor goal kick found Gemma Ball some twenty-five yards out who went to shoot but a defender blocked, the loose ball falling to Heron whose attempt had to be turned round the post for a corner. Then on twenty-six minutes Athletic doubled their lead when a free kick from Emma Marshall sailed over everyone in the box only to crash back down off the bar, first to react was Ball who slotted home.

Before Athletic could relax on their lead, their hosts pulled a goal back within three minutes when a ball through the middle saw Dumitru accelerate away from her marker, Fenables made a challenge but the ball rolled wide where the striker flashed across goal and into the unguarded net. Heron was causing havoc every time she attacked the right wing, another burst of pace saw her in on goal and her fierce drive smashed away off the goal stantion.

Hawkins continued to cause the home defence headaches in the middle, one pass saw her inside their box and evading two challenges her effort was somehow sliced away for a corner, from the cleared set piece Ball fired through a crowded box but Hillier was behind it all the way. Despite some brave defending Headington were undone by two goals in the final eight minutes of the half, which seemed to kill off their resistance.

The first started by Hawkins collecting a loose ball in midfield found Ball in space, she looked up and just as it seemed she was going to pass elsewhere she slipped a delightful pass through the defence for Hawkins to run on and score. There were further chances for Alex Miller who wanted too much time when set up in front of goal, and Hawkins again who didn’t connect well, but finally a ball over the top saw Hawkins connect and fire into the top corner as the half-time whistle sounded. H/T: 1-4

Gemma Ball had impressive debut

Deer saw an early effort loop up off a Buckingham defender and hang nicely in the air for Fenables to collect, but any thoughts of a comeback was killed off on fifty-two minutes when Heron was sent down the right channel shoulder to shoulder with her marker, she simply over powered the defender and from a tight angle fizzed the ball low inside the near post.

Dumitru screwed wide from the edge of the box, ahead of a two minute delay that halted the game when Dani Roberts had to be helped off the field through injury. Athletic continued to look for more goals, Stapleton had a run from defence before firing straight at Hillier, as did Nicole Britten from the corner of the eighteen yard box. There were a couple of chances for the home side but they struggled to break through the stubborn blue line and were restricted to long range efforts.

The sixth goal came on seventy minutes when Stapleton fed the ball through for Courtney Crawley to latch onto and chip over the advanced goalkeeper and in. Hawkins then forced the keeper into a two-handed save which the striker retrieved and squared to Miller who fired over when in front of goal.

The hosts had a late chance when Plitt set up Dumitru who drove over the bar, which was followed by the pass of the game from the very impressive Gemma Ball that split the Headington central defence and set Hawkins away on goal, her shot taking a slight deflection before rolling through to safety. F/T: 1-6

Please Note: If you use any of our material or images, please ensure you credit sportsshots.org.uk

After the game Sports Shots spoke with Athletic captain Kerry Stapleton and double goal scorer Jordan Heron: 

For match photography click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmrNtp63