Ladies 1's vs Witney 1's - WIN 2-1

Player of the match – Mary Gamble – composed in centre midfield and an excellent goal line clearance.
DOD: Cath Day

Still unbeaten this season and in winning form, PHC Chiswick Ladies 1s were keen to secure another 3 points against a well organised Witney side.
Chiswick enjoyed the benefits of a high tempo warm up and took that into the game from the start.  The aim was to score a goal within the first 10 minutes and sure enough, this happened when Mary Gamble found Becky Smith unmarked in the attacking 25.  Smith fired the ball into the D which saw Tee Barrack get the perfect touch to send the ball into the roof of the net and give Chiswick the early lead.

Possession was fairly even between the two sides as Witney pressed the ball very well and forced Chiswick to give the ball away under pressure. With Chiswick on the attack, Witney began to break down play which resulted in a short corner.  Chiswick came very close to extending their lead when three shots in succession were kept out by the Witney goalkeeper.  Just before half time, Mary Gamble made a crucial goal line clearance from a short corner rebound when the ball was surely goal-bound to keep the score at 1-0 Chiswick at half time.

Chiswick started the second half determined to extend their lead but found the well organised Witney unit difficult to break down.  However, Chiswick’s second goal came when Cath Day switched the ball to Becky Smith on the right who dribbled the ball through several Witney defenders before squaring the ball for an unmarked Ceilidh Walker to slot into the goal.

Whitney fought back and came close to scoring when their young forward broke through against the run of play and found herself faced with Chiswick Goalkeeper Jenny Capp who shadowed the ball off the back line.  Minutes later, a mistimed tackle from a Chiswick defender led to a short corner for Whitney. Capp made the first save but the rebound was put into the back of the net from close range.

With the score now 2-1 to Chiswick, it became crucial to keep possession and see the game out.  Chiswick did this incredibly well with excellent composure on the ball and sensible play down the wings to ensure that the 3 points were claimed.

---