A weekend of two halves with trips to the Select Car Leasing Stadium and York Road producing vastly different outcomes in Berkshire’s first full weekend of women’s football.
Reading FC Women 0-0 Charlton Athletic
The first home game of the season and a debut on the sidelines for new management duo Liam Gilbert and Dan Logue.
A lacklustre first half from both sides saw the score line rightly square at the whistle. Reading’s main challenge was their inability to thread a ball through the final line to a poised Sanne Troelsgaard, with her growing frustration evident.
Deanna Cooper did take aim from distance early on but it did little to test Sian Rogers between the sticks. Newly captained, Lily Woodham, did however play some slick transitions down the left wing but Charlton were brute enough to dispossess.
One to forget for Troelsgaard, who lashed out at former Royal, Kiera Skeels, in an off the ball incident in the 49th minute that saw the Dane pick up a straight red from Melissa Burgin.
Reading were however steadfast in their defending and kept a burgeoning Charlton out on several occasions. Neither side broke the deadlock and the duo came away sharing the points.
Reading currently sit eighth in the table, picking up two draws in their opening two games.
Star player: Brooke Hendrix
Maidenhead United 5-0 Selsey
The Magpies certainly made up for a goalless Saturday as they sunk five past Selsey to continue their winning streak against the Seals with three victories in two seasons.
With the sun blazing down on York Road you’ve have forgiven the National League sides for pacing play slower on a Sunday afternoon but not to be for Ed Jackson-Norris’ squad as they were unrelenting from start to finish.
With less than 20 on the clock, Simon O’Brien pinged a shot a goal and the deflection saw it skim its way in and Maidenhead held strong as they went into the break with a narrow lead.
They quickly settled into the same impressive rhythm with shouts of ‘pass it quicker ’ from the Magpies staff and that they did with two fast goals. Not to be outdone by the forwards Gemma Bloor got in on the act scoring from distance and the team could have coasted from there on out.
Steam still somehow left in the tank and O’Brien hungry for a hattrick, she blasted the ball at goal and it ricocheted in off the crossbar to make it a fantastic five.
Credit also due for Isaac Gregory and Sarah Thompson, both looking incredibly calm on the ball in the backline with the freedom to drive forward on occasion.
A considerable turnover in players over the summer for the squad but each make a genuine impact off the bench and injecting the right amount of pace and energy with some more goal chances sprinkled in with efforts from trio Izzy Davis, Gemma Luke and Aleasha Lunn all worthy of praise.
Maidenhead currently sit second in the table, picking up two wins from in their opening two games.
Star player: Isaac Gregory
SRWFL & TVCWFL
Elsewhere, the Southern Region Women’s Football League was back for the 2023/24 season. Ascot United registering an emphatic 4-1 win against Wycombe Wanderers as they are no doubt poised to push for the Premier title. Former captain, Sarah Davern, made the switch from the Yellas to the Chairgirls in the week prior to the season opener but was unable due to an injury sustained in last year’s league cup final.
Caversham United played host to Milton United in the opening game of Division One North of the season, goals galore for the pairing but no to be for the Goats as they went down 3-7 to the Hampshire visitors, with a brace from Rosie Page-Smith. Incidentally, the team remain on the hunt for a goalkeeper so get in touch with the club if you’d be interested in joining.
Fellow Berkshire side Eversley & California also fell to defeat as they headed to Kidlington Youth, with it ending 3-1 in favour of the hosts.
In Division One, an opening day romping for Wargrave Women who were on the wrong end of a 9-2 score line against Goring United. Whilst Daisy Skinner scored the only goal of the game for Slough Town to secure all three points against Procision Oxford.
Newbury and Finchampstead were both in seventh heaven away to East Oxford Development and Barton Rovers in their respective regional Three divisions. But Burghfield Development stole the show with double figures against Longford Park Vixens.
