Thank you to non-league blogger and ground hopper Base of the Pyramid for visiting us on Sunday and posting a report on our Ladies First team v Fleet Town.
This Sunday BotP took the opportunity to visit a new ground and watch two new teams. A 3 hour round trip of 156 miles to the Stoneham Lane Football Complex, but well worth it. The game in question was the Southern Region Women's League Division One South clash between AFC Stoneham and Fleet Town.
This would be their first meeting of a season that has, so far, been a great contrast for the teams. Following the withdrawal of Eastleigh Reserves, who Fleet drew with on the opening day, Town are still looking for their first point of the season, albeit having only played seven. However, they have been a different team in cup competitions, last week's 5-2 defeat of Abbey Rangers a prime example of this change in form. Stoneham are still in with a genuine chance of winning the league but, after losing their last home league game against Havant & Waterlooville, need to ensure they don't drop any more points before they face title-rivals Portchester in 2 weeks time.
The game ran to form almost from the very first minute. Stoneham quickly established themselves as the dominant force but a combination of solid Fleet defensive work and sloppy final balls kept the scores level for much of the first-half. Top scorer Chloe Melton was the first home player to get a strike off but her third-minute effort went well wide of the target. Jodie Freeman-Woods was the first to make Jenna Temple work but even then her 12th minute effort was comfortable for the goalkeeper. Just past the quarter-hour mark the Fleet defence, which up until then had looked quite solid, showed a little hesitancy which allowed Chloe Melton to latch onto a loose ball. However, her shot again went wide.
The pressure on the visitors was relentless with the ball rarely making it into the home half of the pitch, and Stoneham came very close to opening the scoring on 20 minutes. Following a corner which was cleared to the edge of the box, full-back Kayden Wood struck a glorious effort that beat Temple but not the woodwork, crashing back off the crossbar. Laura Ingram reacted quickly to get onto the rebound but Temple got across swiftly to block the follow-up and keep it at 0-0.
Temple saves the spot-kick....
but not the rebound
Temple was called into action again six minutes later. Melton swung in a peach of a ball behind the last line of defence but curling away from the goalkeeper. Larnie Bisson came in from the left flank and looked odds on to finish before Temple threw herself bravely at her feet forcing the Stoneham player to put her shot narrowly wide of the post. A great piece of goalkeeping, closely followed by another decent save after a cross from the left went through to Meadow Barton coming in from the right. Temple again was there to keep out the strike.
With ten minutes to go before the break and Fleet still hanging on to a goalless score line, Stoneham got a glorious opportunity to go in front when Heather McCabe brought down Chloe Melton just inside the box. A clear penalty. No complaints from Fleet.
Melton stepped up to take the spot-kick but was once again thwarted by Jenna Temple. However, the keeper was unfortunate to see her parry fall back into the path of the Stoneham striker, who gobbled up the rebound. 1-0
The goal sparked a good response from Fleet who, almost immediately, registered their first real effort at goal when Ruby Harwood struck a shot on the turn from the edge of the box. Lucy Venables looked unworried but it was not too far wide of her right-hand post.
With the clock ticking down, it looked very much like Stoneham were only going to take a single goal lead into the half-time interval. However, in the last minute captain Laura Ingram tried her luck from way out, forcing Temple into a full-length save to turn the ball around the post. From the resulting corner, delivered right under the bar towards the back post, Abbie Awdas was on hand to prod the ball over the line and double the lead. 2-0
HT AFC Stoneham 2 Fleet Town 0. Fleet up against it and defending well with Jenna Temple producing a string a very good stops. Stoneham dominated the ball but didn't appear to be firing on all cylinders.
Fleet clear their lines
If Fleet had any thoughts of getting back into the game they were extinguished two minutes into the second period. Larnie Bisson, who had switched to the right flank, burst past her defender before cutting the ball back across the penalty area for Chloe Melton to slide in and guide the ball home, despite the best efforts of Temple, who got a fingertip on the strike. 3-0.
As with the first goal, the third generated a response from Fleet. Their top-scorer Dot Usher flashed a snapshot just wide of the post. However, chances for the visitors were few and far between.
The reason that Bisson had switched to the right was to make room for Chloe Marshall to come in on the left hand side. Just past the hour mark the substitute made the first of what was to be three very telling contributions. Collecting the ball out on the left flank, Marshall stepped inside before curling a superb shot into the 'postage stamp' of the opposite corner. Nothing that Temple could do with a strike of that quality.
4-0.
It really was game over now and, consequently, there was something of a lull in the game. Fleet made more changes and huffed and puffed, but Stoneham were completely in command of the game. One of the reasons for this was the total dominance of the Stoneham midfield. As the father of a young central midfielder, I was really wishing my daughter had been at the game so that she could have had a free lesson on how to play her position. The pairing of Abbie Awdas and Mia Flood were, at times, perfectly demonstrating some of the skills I have been trying to get her to hone. Awdas makes the position look simple. Always available to receive the ball. Calm and comfortable. One touch, and a well-weighted pass to a player in space. Football really is simple when you break it down to its basics. Flood is a totally different player, buzzing around, snapping into tackles all over the pitch, she really gets in the face of her opponents. A very difficult combination to play against.
On 85 minutes Chloe Marshall was at it again. Chloe Melton played an intelligent reverse pass which allowed Marshall to smash in an almost identical finish, once again giving the keeper no chance whatsoever. 5-0
That could well have been that. However, there was still just about enough time for Marshall to grab her hat-trick when she latched onto a ball across the edge of the box, controlled well and unleashed a low drive just out of Temple's reach. 6-0. Three excellent strikes from Marshall.
FT AFC Stoneham 6 Fleet Town 0. A comfortable victory for Stoneham, who keep up the pressure at the top end of the table. Fleet defended stoutly for much of the game and never threw in the towel. Goalkeeper Jenna Temple made a number of good saves but the team could never get a grip on the game at all. Stoneham were just that bit too good all across the pitch. The result lifts Stoneham into third spot, level on points with AFC Portchester, having played two more games. Both Stoneham and Portchester are five adrift of Havant & Waterlooville but have two and four games in hand respectively. The March 10th clash between The Purps and Portchy is now looking like a massive potential title decider. Fleet's search for a point goes on but they don't have the best run-in to the season. Not only do they have to face Stoneham again, they also are yet to play Portchester home and away plus, next up, the visit of leaders Havant next Sunday. Stoneham make the short journey to Bournemouth Sports Reserves on Sunday. They won the reverse fixture 5-0 back in October through two each from Mia Delaney and Mia Flood and one from Chloe Melton.
Another great afternoon of football. The only downside was having to shoot off immediately after the final whistle. I didn't get time to chat with Abbie Awdas as originally planned. Next time. Maybe even at the Portchester game in 2 weeks, if I can make it.
AFC Stoneham: 13.Venables, 2.Wood, 3.Curtis, 4.Feeman-Woods, 5.Ingram(c), 6.Stevens, 8.Awdas, 9.Melton, 10.Flood, 11.Bisson, 17.Barton. Subs: 7.Marshall, 12.Tuck, 14.Lewis, 15.Dancer, 16.Delaney
Fleet Town: 1.Temple, 15.Benton, 6.Burrows(c), 10.Graves, 4.McCabe, 3.Wise, 12.Usher, 11.Harwood, 8.Greenaway, 13.Paterson, 18.James. Subs: 7.Dias, 14.Barker, 5.Tafrey
The Ground
Stoneham Lane Football Complex is a large facility situated between Eastleigh and Southampton. Eastleigh FC's Silverlake Stadium is a just a few hundred yards North, separated by the M27. Less than half a mile to the East is Southampton Airport. The complex, accessed off Stoneham Lane, has two large car parks, one adjacent to the facility and an overflow on the opposite side of Stoneham Lane. It needs them. This is an extremely busy and well-used community facility and, like Rushmoor a couple of weeks back, it's great to see so many players, of all ages, male and female, taking part in the game. There are three full-size 3G pitches. The two community pitches are marked up to provide small-sided football at all ages (the club proudly has 113 teams this season, with over 1,000 players). Access to all pitches is through the reception building. Please note that you need to register and obtain a QR code to gain access through the turnstile system. You can do this on the day by scanning a code on your mobile. Once inside you will find all of the usual facilities, including the Pitchside Café, which provides refreshments and looks out over the main pitch. There's another turnstile between the café and the stadium which is used for access on matchdays. However, as the women's games are free entry, the turnstile was not in use and the gate next to it was open. There is a covered seating stand to the right hand side as you enter, straddling the halfway line. The dugouts are on the opposite side, the motorway side. Currently, there is no other spectator cover, just hard-standing and fencing surrounding the entire playing surface.
Ground Number: 397
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
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