Woodley United Ladies are all but assured of a place in the knockout stages of the Southern Region Women’s Football League Jubilee Cup with a perfect record so far from three of their scheduled five games.
The competition is running for the first time since the 2011/12 season to ensure the leagues division 1 sides have enough fixtures – even more pertinent following the withdrawal of Benson Lionesses in December. It is split in to two groups of seven with three teams from the Northern Division and three from the Southern with the remaining side assigned from either division.
The Kestrels (pictured above) have nine points with two to play in Group B including a decent win at home to Oxford City Nomads on Sunday, one against bottom side Winchester City Flyers and the other against Warsash Wasps who have only played once so far and while Woodley aren’t mathematically through they have almost certainly done enough.
Wargrave should join Woodley in the quarters having won two of their four games but it’ll all be a lot less stressful for the village side if they can take all three points in their final fixture at Oxford City Nomads on Sunday.
It’s all a little less certain in Group A for Wokingham & Emmbrook who are fourth with one win and two defeats in their three fixtures so far. Group A is one team larger due to the Benson withdrawal meaning the Sumas still have three games to go and will arguably need at least two wins to progress. So far Fleet Town and Southampton Womens Reserves prop up the group having managed to play just one game between them.
Verdict: Early running in the competition suggests Group A leaders AFC Bournemouth CST and Group B Woodley are the competitions favourites. The draw for the quarter finals will see the top four qualify from each group into with the group winners at home to opposition groups fourth place side and group runners up at home to opposition group third place.
