Chenise Austin netted
a brace of penalties as Coventry United extended their lead at the top of the
FA Womens National Southern Premier to four points after they comfortably saw
off bottom side C & K Basildon at Park Lane.
The two sides couldn’t have had more differing seasons to
date, the hosts were bottom having not won all season and had lost fourteen of
their sixteen league matches, whilst the visitors sat top of the pile, unbeaten
all season with eleven wins from their twelve matches so far. So, you could say United were favourites for
this one.
And the first chance went to the visiting side but their close-range
effort was blocked, and then the visitors got in again and after a cut-back
into the dangerzone was dummied, an effort at goal was well saved.
But in the 17th minute the away side did manage
to break through after some calamitous defending from the hosts, as keeper and
defender both left the ball for each other to deal with, and the visitors saw
Shannon O’Brien nip in to square the ball across goal for Amy Wathan to tap
home at the far post.
The visitors then saw a decent curling effort plucked out of
the air by the home keeper, but just before the half-hour mark the visitors
were awarded a penalty after Amy Wathan had been shoved over inside the box,
and Austin stepped up to strike home the spot-kick and double her sides
advantage.
A good move from the visitors resulted in another effort at
goal although it was straight down the keeper’s throat, but four minutes before
the break United made it three and again it was from a host’s mistake, as a poor
ball across the field was intercepted by Amber Hughes, and she laid in O’Brien
who slotted home via a defender into the bottom corner.
It meant the league leaders went into the break three goals
to the good and in total control of this one, and the hosts knew they needed to
cut out these errors if they were to have any chance of getting back into the
contest, which to be honest did not look likely.
Half Time C & K
Basildon 0 Coventry United 3
The second half started with the visitors firing into the side
netting before down the other end the hosts were presented with the ball after
a sloppy clearance from United, but the effort was deflected wide, before the
resulting corner caused some alarm inside the away penalty area, but it came to
nothing in the end.
United then got clear on goal and with a two on one situation
for some reason played the square ball straight into the keeper’s arms, before
another attack saw an effort thumped wide of the hosts goal.
United were threatening a fourth and after more good play
the ball was laid back but they saw the eventual effort sliced way off target,
and yet another United attack saw an effort saved at the near post, but on the
hour mark they did make it four after a great run down the left by Hughes saw
her cross find Beth Merrick who fired home a first-time effort.
A great deep cross from the visitor’s saw a header nodded
wide, whilst down the other end the hosts managed to test the visiting keeper
with a glancing header at goal, but the keeper was more than a match and made
the save.
With twenty minutes remaining United made it five, although
it was an unfortunate way for C & K to concede, as after a wonderful pass from
Helen Dermody had released Merrick down the left, her ball in was diverted into
the net by an unfortunate defender who was trying to cut-out the cross, and it
meant the visitors had a fifth.
The visitors then came close to a sixth but saw their effort
saved well by the keeper, and despite the scoreline the hosts had battled gamely
in this one and hadn’t given up, which was a testament to them indeed.
With three minutes left though, Coventry did make it six,
when after the referee had deemed that a host’s player had handled inside the
area, Austin stepped up to net her second penalty of the contest, via the keeper’s
hand, to add yet another goal to the league leaders tally.
The home side deserved a goal for all their efforts though,
and they nearly found one late on when firing over a free-kick, but they almost
conceded after that when the visitors sent a free-kick at goal but the keeper
managed to save that effort too.
However, the league leaders cruised to victory against the
bottom side who as I said battled well throughout, but they came up against a
much stronger opponent today and the win sees Coventry go four clear of Chichester
City at the top after they were surprisingly beaten at home by Loughborough
Foxes.
For C & K Basildon it’s another defeat, their 15th
of the campaign, and their relegation to Southern Division One is only a matter
of time away it seems. Still if they
continue to battle like they did today they will certainly fight back next
season that’s for sure.
Full Time C & K
Basildon 0 Coventry United 6
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