A Double At The Rovers

Thankfully the weather held out enough for this Sunday's chosen Southern Region game to be one. However, as I headed down the M40, the skies were getting darker and the rain a little heavier, so I was also prepared to divert over to a 3G game if necessary. Luckily, upon arriving at the Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Field, I could see both teams warming up. Game on! I was looking forward to not only visiting a new ground, but also getting to see two teams I had not yet had the pleasure of watching. The game in question, a Division One North clash between Larkspur Rovers and Slough Town. Both teams had been in pretty good form of late, so it promised to be a good game. Rovers, despite league defeat at home to leaders Denham (their only league defeat at home), had recently had a couple of good League Cup results, putting out Shaftesbury and Andover New Street. They started the day in third spot, just six points behind the leaders. Slough had recently taken Premier League Beaconsfield to penalties in the League Cup, and won their last league outing, 2-1 at Tilehurst. They began the day in fifth spot, three points behind Larkspur, but having played three more games.
The reverse fixture, in October, ended 2-0 to Rovers, with both goals scored by top scorer Savana Fearon

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Early Slough attack

After a few minutes of initial jousting between the teams, it was the home side who got off the first real strike in anger when Polina Avramova was played in. However, Maisie Buckley, in the Slough goal, made a good stop, which was to become the first of many later in the game.
Neither team was managing to get any fluid play together, not helped by the conditions and a gusty wind blowing across the pitch. Heading towards the midway point, both teams traded freekicks on target. Former Beaconsfield Town player, Sarah Davern, tested out Violet Wilmott and Shani Minors kept Buckley on her toes at the other end. However, a goal was not looking likely at either end until the half-hour mark, when Rovers took the lead. Buckley pushed away an initial effort, but when the ball dropped to Shavani Bedi inside the box, the Larkspur number 10 made no mistake with a low drive that Buckley couldn't keep out. 1-0
The goal gave Rovers that extra yard and they came close to doubling their lead nine minutes later when Savana Fearon was set loose on the right side of the box, before striking a first-time effort that was only narrowly over the bar. As we approached the half-time break, Minors found Fearon with a tremendous through, curled inside the defender with the outside of her foot. Fearon sent over a low cross for Bedi, running in at the far post, but her shot screwed wide of the target. Then, right on the whistle, Buckley produced a superb one-handed reaction save, down low to her right, to keep the score at 1-0.

HT Larkspur Rovers 1 Slough Town 0. A tight game between two fairly evenly matched sides. Rovers created more chances then their visitors, but Slough did enough to suggest that the game was still in the balance.

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Shani Minors tries her luck

​The second half began in the same manner as the first ended, with Buckley pulling off another excellent save, this time keeping out Fearon and then getting up quickly to cling onto Bedi's follow-up effort.
The home side had come out of the blocks fast after the break and, nine minutes in, they extended their lead. Calleigh Wright shaped a delightful freekick across the face of the Slough goal, perfect for Savana Fearon to volley in on the stretch, at the far post. 2-0.
A minute later, Fearon turned provider, but Kalina Georgieva's show flew just wide. However, a minute before the hour, Rovers went three up. Fearon played a ball in behind the Slough defence, for Ashleigh Kinsey to run onto. The Rovers substitute was second favourite to get to the ball, but brilliantly managed to get a toe in front of the defender, to poke the ball past the advancing Buckley and into the far corner. 3-0
With the game effectively in the bag, Larkspur took their foot off the pedal a little at this point. Slough substitute Taylor Spence had a glimpse of goal and let fly, but dragged her effort wide of the mark. Then former Woodley strike Sajunae Turner, also on as substitute, hit the target from distance only for Wilmott to make a comfortable stop.
With 12 minutes of normal time remaining, Larkspur contrived to make the game slightly more difficult, when they were reduced to ten. Charlotte Workman, only just reintroduced to replace Fearon, was pulled up for an offence in the centre of the park. Initially the referee appeared to issue a yellow and a sin-bin. However, as Workman left the pitch she had more comments to make to the referee, who promptly produced the red card.
If the incident had happened earlier int he game, Rovers could have had a problem but, as it was, they managed to see out the remainder of the game without too many issues. Spence went close again with a few minutes remaining, but all in all, they managed the game well, even a player light. Fittingly, the last piece of real action saw Buckley make yet another save, this time from Kinsey. The Slough stopper may have conceded three goals, but had also produced a number of very good saves along the way.

FT Larkspur Rovers 3 Slough Town 0. Even with a player light for the final 15 minutes, Larkspur had already done enough to ensure all three points. The damage was really done in the opening minutes of the second period, where the home side were absolutely dominant, scoring twice and effectively killing off the game and completeing the double over their visitors.
The result keeps Larkspur in third spot, a point behind Abingdon United Development with a game in hand. Slough slip a place after Chesham won 3-2 at Oxford. Next weekend, Slough travel to Abingdon who won 2-1 at Arbour Park back in November. Larkspur are back at home as Oxford City Development make the visit. Rovers lost 4-1 in the reverse fixture. Both teams will be looking to redress the balance.

Larkspur Rovers: 1.Wilmott, 4.E.Wright(c), 3.C.Wright, 19.Minors, 8.Georgieva, 2.J.Workman, 17.C.Workman, 5.Koleva, 14.Avramova, 7.Fearon, 10.Bedi. Subs: 9.Summers, 6.Fleary, 18.Kinsey
Slough Town: 1.Buckley, 5.Grinhaff, 2.Lunn, 9.Bopari, 12.Green, 6.Sangha(c), 8.Skinner, 10.Armstrong, 4.Davern, 11.Duffy, 3.Hart. Subs: 15.Haynes, 17.Turner, 14.Spence

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Lord Halsbury Playing Fields

​The Ground
Larkspur Rovers are based at The Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Field in Northolt, West London. The ground is accessed via Priors Farm lane and is situated to the rear of the local primary school. There's a good-sized car park at the end of the lane, with the football pitches directly in front. To the right is the clubhouse and changing facilities. Aside from the main pitch, the site also has a small all-weather pitch and several small-side grass pitches. The main pitch, is directly in front of the clubhouse, accessed through a small gate. The playing surface slopes a little from the clubhouse end back toward the A40 in the distance. There's no spectator cover available, but the clubhouse does offer a very cosy spot to warm up before and during half-time. A decent cup of tea too.


Ground Number: 475
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A