U’s continue League re-surgence
Cambridge United Women continued their League re-surgence with their third straight win after a professional display away to Denham United Ladies saw them come away from Middlesex with a 3-1 victory.
The U’s found Denham a tough opponent to break down in the home game earlier in the season after that match finished goalless, but they were on the front foot very early on in the game as Sarah Wiltshire tested the Denham goalkeeper with two efforts on goal within the first five minutes.
The opening goal followed soon after, as Wiltshire’s cross into the box from the right hand side was headed home by Becky Taylor, who notched her first League goal for the club.
United continued to pile pressure on their opposition and Paige Logie, who had three goals from three games going into the game, was the next to go close after some great skill from Wiltshire saw her turn her marker and drive in a low cross across the box, which Logie was unfortunate to divert over the bar.
It looked as though Cambridge had registered the second goal with 20 minutes gone, when Wiltshire reacted first to the goalkeeper’s parry from Tahnee Perfect’s stinging volley but the assistant referee’s offside flag came to the host’s rescue.
Denham started to work their way into the game more as the half progressed and on two occasions Verity Crook had to be alert to keep the lead intact.
Chances were falling United’s way at the other end of the field though, with Faith Hewitt only inches away from getting the vital touch at the far post. It was to be Hewitt’s last action of the afternoon as an injury forced her off and Isabella Simmons took her place.
Within minutes, Simmons had produced the bit of magic to open up the home defence for the second goal. She held off her defender brilliantly before slipping a through ball into Emma Jenkins, making a deep run from right back, and her finish was low past the keeper.
The second half was a more open affair as Denham tried to find a way back into the game. Crook was on hand to make a fine stop from a one on one situation early, whilst Wiltshire was still causing the defence all kinds of problems and giving their goalkeeper a busy afternoon, forcing numerous good saves.
The killer goal came with 15 minutes of the game remaining when another lightning burst of pace from Wiltshire took her past two challenges and into the box on the outside of her tracking defender and she made no mistake with the finish, placing the ball low past the advancing keeper.
With five minutes left, Denham scored a consolation after Helen Capewell finished off when through on goal, but the U’s saw the game out with no more alarms however to seal a dominant victory and make it 10 points from the last 12 available.
Manager Steve Edwards was full of praise for his side afterwards: he said: “I am delighted that we’ve been able to continue our good run and it’s full credit to how much this team wants to win and how hard they are prepared to work for every three points.
“We have a desire to keep clean sheets every time we play but at the same time we are creating chances and being ruthless in taking them, so long may that continue. There’s a real belief amongst the group at the moment and complete togetherness as a team and I think we are playing a very positive brand of football at the moment.
“We are aware of what it takes to get something out of games in this division and we will continue to work hard going forwards.”
LINE UP:- Verity Crook, Emma Jenkins, Kayleigh Anne Burt, Laura Bright, Lucy Du Plooy, Tahnee Perfect, Hannah Goodchild (sub 90 mins Liz Pamplin), Faith Hewitt (sub 28 mins Isabella Simmons), Sarah Wiltshire, Becky Taylor (sub 81 mins Gemma Clark), Paige Logie