They might have suffered a setback or two in recent weeks, but when it counted Ascot United’s Ladies got the result they needed to effectively cut the promotion race in the Southern Region Women’s Football League Division 1 down to two.
The Yellawomen beat third placed Barton Rovers 2-1 at Ascot Racecourse courtesy of first half goals from Lauren Broadhurst and Lucy Holzman-Clarke and held on in the second half after the visitors pulled one back.
Manager Darrell Evans was understandably delighted with his side who have a four point lead over second placed New Milton Town – although the Hampshire side have two games in hand.
Evans tweeted: “And to think I was considering Ascot Ladies taking voluntary relegation last season. Thank goodness I trusted the squad wanting to stay.”
See the latest Southern Region Division 1 table here.
Across the county, Woodley United were busy taking advantage of the Barton defeat with a 3-1 win at Fleet Town propelling them in to third spot and making it six wins in a row.
The game shouldn’t have been in doubt after Fleet started with just nine players but United were only able to take a one goal advantage in to the second half through May Hamblin.
Four minutes in to the second half and the now ten-player Fleet were level on the counter attack with Jo Harfield running half the pitch to score for the home side.
The player advantage began to show with the clock ticking down and Woodley piling on the pressure, Ellen Surtees restoring the lead on 76 minutes with a deflected strike and Rosie Page-Smith wrapping things up in injury time.
Over in the Thames Valley Counties Women’s League Division 2 South there were no local games but Yateley United moved to within a point of the title that is all but mathematically their’s following a 7-0 win at Barton Rovers while their only challengers Taplow United beat Wargrave Ladies Reserves 4-0.
