Cambridge United Women rally in the latter half to claim a dominant 4-1 win on the road at London Seaward…
Darren Marjoram’s side carried the momentum from last week’s 6-1 victory over Chesham United as the phrase “win the half” was certainly embodied, as United moved through the gears after a 1-1 draw at half-time to claim a 4-1 victory over the hosts.
The match began with bundles of energy from both sides which led to a number of fouls being called as players came together as a product of their intensity. The U’s certainly showed the stronger hand from the get-go, with the majority of possession being held in the hosts half.
The opener was claimed by Cambridge and came from a corner - Stojko-Down finding Edgar, who headed across goal for Emma Wallis to nod home and claim her debut goal for the U’s.
Although United continued to have the better of the general play - the hosts drew level in the 26th minute as Katherline Long pounced upon a loose ball following a fine initial save from Webb.
The half teetered out with much of the same back-and-forth play, with neither side showing a significant grasp on the game. A few chances looked to show promise but eventually none presented any significant threat to Alex Baker between the sticks.
Coming out of the changing rooms for the second half, Marjoram’s side showed more confidence and a clear intent to take control of the match. A flurry of runs into the Seaward area threatened to add to the Cambridge scoresheet, but only a number of the attempts were to test Baker’s abilities.
The stalemate was broken deeper into the second half, with a corner kick once again being the avenue that Cambridge used to recapture the advantage.Stojko-Down taking the corner from the left side and finding the centre of the area, before a scrappy battle for possession took place where Edgar knocked the ball onto Simmons, who fired in to make it 2-1.
With the lead in hand, the U’s gathered momentum and began to command the flow of the game. The strength of set-pieces for Cambridge was tested with an influx of corners, which were won thanks to heavy forward pressure forcing the hosts to clear the danger by any means necessary.
The U's wasted no time in increasing their buffer, this time Edgar claiming a goal of her own having set up the two prior goals. Another corner found itself being rattled around in the box before Sammy was able to pick up the ball up and let fly with a clinical finish off the post, well out of reach for Baker.
With a two-goal safety blanket, the U’s began to show off their talent as Marjoram’s side completely controlled the midfield, creating chances in every phase of their possession. Marden was running riot down the left wing, and while the Seaward defence could mitigate the initial pressure from Marden, they continued to concede more corners.
The final goal of the game came from Rosy Wodhams, the former Cambridge City midfielder claiming her first in United colours. A well-organised triad of passes following another corner created a pocket of space for Wodhams, who made it 4-1 with just minutes to play.
With all but the win secured, the U’s saw out the clock to claim their second straight win.
Looking ahead, the Women are once again be on the road next weekend as they face Ashford Town on Sunday 15 September, before they return to the Cledara Abbey the following Sunday.
View the best photos from the game via our below gallery.
