The Ladies finally got their first win of the season at the fourth attempt on Sunday securing a 4-1 away victory at Norwich City.
After a long week of 3 games in 8 days, the ladies had suffered last minute heartache away at Cambridge United, and then a midweek draw at home to Harlow Town playing 46 minutes with 10 playing after a first half red card, it was case of 3rd time lucky on a long away trip to ‘The Nest’ in Norwich.
The ladies started very brightly with some early attacking combination play straight from Kick Off. A quick first time ball played out to the left to Alana Munro who cut inside to play a square ball into Katie O’Leary. She played a first time balll in to the path of Mollie Kmita who unleashed a shot from 30 yards straight into the bottom corner of the net to give the Town a First Minute lead, 1-0.
Town continued to attack whenever they had the ball, but gaps started to appear down the defensive channels which Norwich tried to exploit at every opportunity they had and for 10-15 minutes it was end to end.
On 25 minutes, Sheryce Slater took a free kick from around 25 yards which hit the underside of the crossbar, and fell to Rachel Kosky who smashed the ball over the line, only to be unfortunately flagged for offside.
3 minutes later Norwich equalised with a classic counter attack. Town lost the ball on the edge of the Norwich box, which was quickly played forward into the defensive exposed channel. Play was quickly switched to their forward who shot at an angle which was well saved by Grace Taylor only for the ball to fall into an oncoming player who shot from 10 yards to bring it level 1-1.
The remaining half was finely balanced and with the half time whistle looming, a superb reverse through ball from Rebecca Evans was played into Katie O’Leary who calmly clipped the ball over the keeper for her first goal for the club since joining from Watford, to make it 2-1 on 44 minutes and a deserved half time lead for the Town.
The second half was pretty much the same as the first with opportunities at both ends, but the best chances falling to the Town strikers who failed to add to the scoreline until the 78 minute. Katie O’leary once again causing havoc finding space in the Norwich box, when she was brought down when just about to shoot. Penalty Town. O’Leary picked herself up and put away the penalty to make it 3-1.
4 minutes later, Alana Munro found space down the right hand side, beat her defender and crossed to the left hand side of the penalty area to Katie O’leary who smashed the ball past the keeper for her hat-trick to make it 4-1 and game over (see photo).
Town saw out the remaining 10 minutes including injury time for a well deserved victory and finally off the mark for their first win of the season.
Manager Billy Highton said “A great result and performance which the ladies fully deserved and hopefully we can now build on that for next week”
Next up for the ladies is Hashtag United (away) on Sunday 5th September, followed by a home tie in the League Cup against QPR on Sunday 12th September
Our Development Team will also be playing their home games at the QE this season. They start their campaign at home on 5th September against Actonians.
