Moneyfields recover from an early setback to record a victory which guarantees them a third-place finish in the FA Women’s National League Division One South-West in their debut season.
With club captain Ellie Kirby still out due to injury, Sharna Capel-Watson made her league debut for Moneyfields at right back.
It was the visitors who struck early on through Brook Strirup in the seventeenth minute. That lead didn’t last long, within five minutes Kau’Inohea Taylor scored her tenth goal of the season.
With five minutes left of the half Kim Whitcombe was set free on the Moneys right flank, her low cross found Gemma Simmonds but Charlie Haynes pulled off a wonderful save. Impressively Haynes picked herself to block Taylor’s follow up.
Moments later it was the post to the rescue for Keynsham Town when Simmonds’ shot clipped the frame of the post before going out for a goal kick.
While many on the Moneys bench had resigned themselves to going into half time all square Taylor was able to grab her second from close range after good work from Whitcombe, giving the home side some breathing room.
Moneyfields boss, Karl Watson, made one change at half time, bringing on Beth Burgess in place of Rozalia Sitarz.
As the half progressed, Moneyfields were unable to push on and get the all-important third goal and Keynsham grew in strength and were finding gaps. However, Capel-Watson, Bekah Tonks, Payton Howard and Emma Moody were supporting each other and were able to sweep up at the back and extinguish the hints of danger.
The introduction of Freya Farrow for Taylor in the seventy-sixth minute forced a reshuffle, with Burgess moving to the left and Whitcombe moving into the central striker role. Farrow’s introduction breathed new life into the Moneyfields attack, her pace and work rate causing problems from the first minute.
Beth Burgess, fresh from completing the London Marathon, sealed the victory in the eighty-fourth minute with her fourth goal of the season.
Moneyfields: Grace Jenkins, Sharna Capel-Watson (Nicole Filipe), Payton Howard, Bekah Tonks, Emma Moody, Kim Whitcombe, Gemma Simmonds, Charley Wilson-Wilton, Katie Shorter, Rozalia Sitarz (Beth Burgess), Kau’Inohea Taylor (Freya Farrow)
