I was over at Great Wakering's Burroughs Park for an Eastern Region Womens Football Division One South clash between newly crowned Champions Southendian Ladies and mid table side West Billericay in the hosts final game of the season.
The hosts had beaten the same opponents 5-0 a week before to clinch the league title and promotion to the Premier Division so would of been fairly confident of another positive outcome. They created the first chance on 8 minutes when a great ball from Clifford saw Holdaway into the box but the visiting keeper saved well with her foot.
Two minutes later and Clifford saw her effort deflected wide as the hosts were starting to get into their their stride. A minute later a short corner to Loraine saw her whip a cross towards the near post but the keeper managed to save this was her legs too. Soon after a free kick was headed over by Holdaway in what was another good chance for the hosts.
Then on 16 minutes came a moment of controversy when the referee pointed to the spot after an apparant foul by the visiting keeper. Opinions as to whether it was a penalty were different to say the least but this mattered not as it was given and Nikol Chapman stepped up to convert the spot kick and give the hosts a 1-0 lead. The visitors were very unhappy about the decision.
The visitors were competing well however and they so nearly grabbed a leveller just five minutes later when a superb long range effort saw hosts keeper Beaumont make a fantastic save to her left to keep her side in the lead. On 28 minutes a cross from the right was whipped in and almost crept into the far corner as the hosts continued to create openings.
A minute later Clifford forced another save from the visiting keeper and then Holdaway did the same but again found the keeper in good form. On the half hour a Southendian corner fell to the edge of the box and the ball was whipped just over the bar before a one on one situation moments later again saw the West Billericay stopper saving the effort.
With two minutes to the break a cross shot from the visitors almost crept into the far corner but home keeper Beaumont was alert to catch the effort. The hosts had created quite a few chances but the visitors had played well and were making the champions work hard.
Half Time: Southendian Ladies 1 West Billericay 0
Southendian started the second half on the front foot and had the visitors pinned back in their own half and nine minutes into the half the hosts nearly made it 2-0 when Holdaway had an effort cleared off the line. Three minutes later they came so close again when Holdaway was played into the box and her ball across the face of goal somehow invaded all and sundry and went out for a corner after taking a slight nick off a defender.
But then on 65 minutes they did get the second goal after a great strike from Norwegian full back Veronica Strand from way out seeing her left footed effort loop over keeper and defender into the far corner. Two minutes later they had a third goal after another attack saw them break into the box before the ball was squared to Helen Clifford who slotted into the empty net.
On 69 minutes Clifford latched onto a long ball and bared down on goal but saw her effort saved before poking the rebound wide under pressure. Five minutes later a good cross saw Holdaway's header well saved by the visiting keeper down low at her feet as the hosts were totally dominating this half. Moments later a good run by Holdaway saw her hit a rising effort over the bar.
Rhian Cunningham returned for a second go at the West Billericay backline after she was taken off earlier (roll on roll off subs in this league) and on 77 minutes she stole the ball from a defender inside the box but could only slice her effort well wide. Two minutes after this Southendian got their fourth with a very soft goal. Georgia Holdaway hit an average effort from distance which looked simple for the keeper but the bounce deceived her and let the ball slip through her hands and in. It was cruel on her as she had been brilliant in the game making many saves.
With four minutes to go West Billericay's keeper was again in action when she had to smartly tip over a header from her own defender after a cross from the right and then soon after got down well to gather another effort. So all in all a fairly routine win for the hosts after a difficult first half to get their fifteenth win out of eighteen games played.
Full Time: Southendian Ladies 4 West Billericay 0
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