LTHC Ladies 1st XI 7 at Newark Ladies 1st XI 0
MRHAWL – Midlands Feeder East
Saturday 10th November 2018
On Saturday, Loughborough Town Ladies 1st XI made the trip to Newark in the hope of extending their unbeaten run to six games. Playing in Midlands Feeder East for their first season, Newark presented an unknown challenge. Town started the game with intensity and despite a slow pitch picked the home aside apart with smart passing moves. Just five minutes in, Town’s efforts were rewarded as Emily Burgwin weaved her way around several stranded defenders to score from the top of the circle with a strong strike. Growing in confidence as their opposition struggled to link moves together, Town continued to press and were rewarded with a short corner. For yet another week, the opposition were wrong-footed by a disguised slip to Ashleigh Godfrey who fired home for her sixth of the season. Town’s third was an excellent team goal showcasing just how well the side have settled together. Emily Burgwin, Annie Piper and Georgina Godfrey played a number of passes down the pitch before Burgwin unselfishly slipped the ball across the front of goal for Hannah McCleery to turn over the line. Just minutes later, Alex Hardy’s reverse strike bounced over Newark’s floundering keeper and found the back of the goal to take the score to 4-0. An increasingly frustrated Newark struggled to get the ball over the half way line, with centre-backs Izzie Limb and Claire Howard working well to halt any advances towards Harriet Galpin’s goal. Player of the match Emma Weir and fellow midfielder Lucy Walden put in a relentless shift in the middle of the field to pick the pocket of Newark’s players whenever they had possession. Emily Hill impressed, producing sublime passes across the circle that were just inches away from being turned into the goal by her fellow forwards. As half-time approached, Newark’s misery was confirmed as Ashleigh Godfrey’s free hit was perfectly deflected high into the net of the goal by Hannah McCleery for her second of the game and Town’s fifth.
After the break, Town resumed their onslaught as Newark, with just 11 players in their squad, looked increasingly tired. Looking to save energy, Newark sat back in defence from the start of the half, somewhat congesting Town’s route to goal. Newark’s efforts of damage limitation were thwarted when another penalty corner was converted to give Town the 6-0 lead. The in-form Ashleigh Godfrey saw her first strike saved by the keeper, only to smash home the rebounded ball. The next goal of the afternoon saw Alex Hardy become the third player to complete her brace – this time connecting with a perfect pass from Emily Burgwin to tuck the ball across the line for the 7-0 lead. Newark tried in vain to advance on the Town goal, but managed no circle entries in the whole game, leaving Harriet Galpin little more than a spectator to the afternoon’s triumph. Emma Calvert impressed in the half back role and started a move that saw Emma Weir hit home for what should have been Town’s eighth. However, she was denied as the opposition’s umpire spotted a Town foot in the lead up to the goal. Town would have to settle for the 7-0 win; a fantastic result that sees them level on points with both second and first in the league going into the final two games before the winter break.

Ashleigh Godfrey (left) and Hannah McCleery (right) both achieved braces in the match against Newark. © Andy Smith