Goal Den Girls

​This Sunday saw the start of the new Southern Region Women's League season. With so many new teams coming into the league, it only seemed right to open the season with a visit to one of them and what better place to start than The Den, home of Denham United Ladies, for the visit of Oxford City Development. Two teams making their Division One North bow. City gained promotion to the Southern Region League by means of a second place finish in Thames Valley League Division One last season. Denham had made a lateral move from the equivalent division in the London & South East setup, a league they had played in since 2019. Last season saw them finish in fifth place.
Denham had three players making their debuts. Pia Davis, who came in from Caversham AFC after scoring 28 goals in 17 games for them on the way to the Thames Valley Division Two title last season. Louise Nash played for Watford Ladies FC Development last season, scoring 14 in 16 games and Grace Barrell, who was banging in goals for Denham as far back as under 9 level.
City, meanwhile, included seven players from last season's promotion-winning squad, Amelia Davis, Paige Barrett, Anna Goddard, Tasmin Lyne, Bailee Latimer, Sophie Antonen and Libby Burgess.

---

Denham attacking the car park end

​Denham made a very quick start to the game and, within a minute, only a very brave piece of goalkeeping from Molly Scott prevented Pia Davis from the perfect debut. However, the visitors resistance was broken just a minute later when a corner from the left was met at the back post by a towering Niamh Cashin header. Despite the efforts of both goalkeeper and defender on the line, the ball ended in the back of the City net. 1-0.

United looked stronger and more experienced than their visitors across the whole pitch, who were struggling to keep hold of the ball. Sure enough, just before the quarter hour, Denham added to their tally with a quick break down their right. Brogan Moore slipped the ball square to Liana Horwood and she made no mistake from close range. 2-0
However, just when it looked as if the home side might run away with the game, Oxford hit back completely out of the blue. The goal came from a Denham attack that City centre-half Amelia Davis stepped in to break up. Her clearance from just inside her own half was, no doubt, only designed to relieve the pressure. However, on a blowy day, the ball caught a gust, bounced on the edge of the area and completely fooled Ruby McCulloch in the Denham goal as it sailed over her head into the net. 2-1. One attempt on target, one goal for the visitors.

The Blues soon regained their composure though and nine minutes later they restored their two goal cushion. This time a long ball found Liana Horwood on the left hand side of the box. The Denham player took the ball down with one touch before firing low past Scott to make it 3-1.
Pretty soon it was four but not without a certain amount of controversy. Another Denham raid up the right appeared to go over the goal-line with the last touch coming off a forward. The assistant on that side signalled goal kick but the referee over-ruled him, much to the dismay of the City players and bench. They were even more aggrieved when the ball came into the box and left-back Amna Butt rose above everyone to power a header into the net. 4-1
​
Controversial maybe but Denham's overall dominance was certainly worthy of a good lead in the game. Having said that, City were not going to let them have it all their own way and, with a minute to go, Bailee Latimer showed everyone exactly what she was capable of, stepping onto a loose ball some 20 yards out before sending it screaming past McCulloch into the top corner. Great strike! 4-2

HT Denham United 4 Oxford City Development 2. Denham's strength and experience was proving to be a little too much for a young City squad. However, there was no lack of fight in the visitors and they had managed to score twice despite spending the majority of the game on the back foot.

---

Denham corner

​Its rare to see a goal scored from inside a players own half and even rarer to see both teams achieve the feat. However, after Amelia Davis's first-half goal for City, Denham begin the second half by scoring from the kick-off, Brogan Moore seeing Scott off her line and sending the ball looping over her from 50 yards out. 5-2
If that goal showed Moore's strength to score from so far out, the next goal ten minutes into the second half displayed her deft touch. Amna Butt sent a ball up the left flank for Moore to chase and, as the ball bounced in front of her, she took a look before sending a lob over Scott with the outside of her right foot. Excellent vision and technique. 6-2

Denham were in full flow now and, before the hour, made it seven. Pia Davis, denied in the first minute, drove up the right before smashing a low drive across Scott into the far corner. 7-2
The game was now well and truly beyond City but that didn't stop them from having probably their best period of the game, where they could and probably should have got at least one more goal back. First of all Latimer send a left-foot striking smacking into McCulloch's right-hand post then substitute Precious Kujore was sent clear but could only pull her spot narrowly wide of the same post.
Approaching the last 15 minutes, Denham almost added to the score when Cashin saw her effort come back off the bar. Molly Scott once again throwing herself bravely at the feet of onrushing attackers to grab the loose ball. However the Oxford stopper was powerless to prevent Cashin from scoring the eighth on 85 minutes. When a ball was played into the box goalkeeper and striker both challenged for the ball which popped out leaving Cashin with the simple task of rolling it into an empty net. 8-2.

Down but not completely out, City then almost hit back again when Latimer put another effort just wide of the mark. The Hoops number two could easily have had a hat-trick in this game, but it was not to be. That couldn't be said for United number 10 Brogan Moore though. With a minute go, she broke through on the left, drove into the box and let fly from a narrow angle. Molly Scott once again made a good stop, taking the full force of the shot in her midriff. However, Moore was not to be denied her hat-trick, quickly latching onto the loose ball and guiding it into the net. 9-2.

FT Denham United 9 Oxford City Development 2. What a start to life in Division One North for Denham. A comprehensive win sees them sitting probably atop the table, albeit after one game. There'll be more difficult challenges to come, no doubt, but they do appear to be well-equipped to hold their own in the league. City lacked a little in strength and experience, but that will come as the season progresses. They continued to battle even after the game was lost and a special shout out must go to their goalkeeper Molly Scott, who was never afraid to throw herself in where the boots were flying.
Next up for Denham is a home Women's FA Cup tie with Barton Rovers, whilst Oxford make the trip South to face Slough Town in the league. Both games will, of course, be previewed in Edition 2 of SoReg Review, out later this week

Denham United: McCulloch, Cox(c), Butt, Barrell, Hewitt, Rragami, Baranowski, Cashin, Davis, Moore, Horwood. Subs: Keary, Greenwood, Torr, Polton, Nash
Oxford City Development: Scott, Wong, Jenkins, Davis, Barrett, Raymond-Barker, Anthony, Goddard, Lyne(c), Day, Latimer. Subs: Antonen, Kujore, Black, Burgess, Radford

---

The Den

The Ground
The Den is situated just off Oxford Road, between Uxbridge and the M40. There's a reasonably large car park alongside the pitch, between the branded entrance gates and the clubhouse. There's also parking available next to the Community Centre. However, there are private parking signs up around that side of the centre, so be careful just in case they do clamp, as stated on the signs. The clubhouse, which straddles the halfway line, has a covered patio area out front with a number of tables that give a view of the pitch. There's also a separate building that houses the players and officials changing rooms. There are also tables outside this building, also with views of the pitch. The dugouts are on the opposite side of the playing surface, bounded by white fencing and advertising hoardings. There is also lighting on both sides of the ground. Not floodlighting as such, but more likely used for training. The pitch itself, whilst not having a discernible slope, is undulating in places. There are several small-sided pitches marked out behind the goal at the far end of the ground.
Overall, this is a lovely ground with a lot of character.


Ground Number: 457
Att: 
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A