Moneyfields Women overcame a young and organised Maidenhead United with a 2-1 victory at a sunny but blustery Oaklands Park thanks to a goal in either half from Megan Fox and Gemma Simmonds.
Kayleigh Tonks, a first half substitute in the midweek win against Southampton Women, returned to the starting line up at right-back. While Ruby Saunders and Emma Moody who missed that game return to the squad with a place on the bench.
Moneys began the match in a confident mood, moving the ball around well from kick off. There were early chances from Charley Wilson-Wilton and Beth Burgess but neither were able to find the back of the net.
Moneyfields had to wait until just after the half-hour mark before they could celebrate a lead. Bekah Tonks found Megan Fox on the edge of the Maidenhead box, Fox brought the ball down and played a short pass to Kau’inohea Taylor, Fox received the ball back, controlled the ball and hit a lofted effort into the roof of the net.
Six minutes before half time Maidenhead United were handed a chance to level from the spot when goalkeeper, Rose Kite, was judged to have fouled Freya Meadows-Tuson.
The club’s joint top scorer Simone O’Brien stepped up to take the kick. Her shot was hit hard and low, to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal but it clipped the outside of the post and went out for a corner – to the relief of the Moneys bench.
Maidenhead came back strongly and ten minutes into the second half created two chances in quick succession but Kite was equal to both.
As the half progressed Moneys began to exert their dominance and controlled possession but were unable to create any meaningful chances.
Despite that dominance, Maidenhead were rewarded for their hard work when, four minutes after coming on as a substitute, Izzy Stockton picked up the ball on the edge of the Moneys box and hit a looping effort into the back of the net to draw level.
The celebrations were short-lived as Karl Watson’s team responded a minute later to restore the lead.
Maidenhead sought to play out from the back but Kim Fuller stole the ball on the left-hand side and then found Wilson-Wilton in a central position, the Moneys captain played it forward to Taylor on the edge of the box but facing her own goal she gave the ball Gemma Simmonds who submitted her own contender for goal of the season.
Approximately twenty-five yards from goal on the right-hand side, Simmonds hits the ball first time and rifles the ball into the roof of the net. It would be eloquently known as a “thunderbastard” in some quarters.
A few minutes later, in the seventy-seventh minute, Freya Farrow entered the match in place of Megan Fox. Beth Burgess moved into the middle and Farrow took her place on the right wing.
Farrow’s pace caused problems for the visitors but Moneys were unable to find another goal but saw the game out to pick up an important three points to extend their lead over Swindon Town in fourth place to four points with a game in hand.
Moneyfields: Rose Kite, Kiera Heslam, Sophie Phelps, Bekah Tonks, Kayleigh Tonks, Kim Fuller, Megan Fox, Charley Wilson-Wilton (c), Gemma Simmonds, Beth Burgess (Freya Farrow), Kau’inohea Taylor
Substitutes Not Used: Georgia Jenkins, Ruby Saunders, Emma Moody, Kira Vallely, Chelsie Hay
Maidenhead United: Rosie Willmott-Joyce, Sarah Thompson (c), Freya Meadows-Tuson, Isacc Gregory (Amy Saunders), Trinity Espirt, Megan Halfacree, Jade Hockey (Nat Cowell), Natasha Rasmussen, Ruth Topping (Vicky Carvill), Simone O’Brien, Macey-Nikiah Walters (Izzy Stockton),
