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Well, what a start to the Southern Region League season! 90 goals scored across 16 games, an average of over 5 goals per games. There was certainly entertainment aplenty across all three divisions, although I suspect some goalkeepers and defenders may want to disagree. Top scorers were Denham United with nine in a game that BotP was there to see (Goal Den Girls). Top aggregate was twelve in the 7-5 game between Guernsey and Wimborne Town. Top individual scorer was also in this game where Calleigh Hedley notched six of her side's seven goals. Next weekend many of the Step 6 sides enter the FA Cup. It's always interesting to see how SoReg teams fare against opponents from other leagues.  AFC Portchester 3-2 Winchester City Flyers A proper ding-dong battle to open the season. Portchy took a two goal lead by half-time thanks to Sarah Butterworth and Millie Bradbury. However, Flyers hit back with two quick-fire goals just past the hour, from Libby Wilkinson (watch here) and Laura da Silva (watch here). Only for Rebecca Barron-Clark to strike in the 89th minute, giving Portchester all three points. Beaconsfield Town 1-7 Wycombe Wanderers Welcome to the Premier League. Last season's runners-up and many people's title favourites for this season, Wycombe Wanderers, gave The Rams a harsh introduction to life at the top table. Chloe Melton, recently signed from Woodley United, hit a hat-trick on her competitive debut, backed by goals from Kayla Potter, Jessica Watkins, Jordanne Hoesli-Atkins and Anisha Hill. Katie Riddington had earlier scored a 60th minute penalty that had briefly brough the hosts back to a 2-1 deficit. Fleet Town 2-4 Southampton Women The Sirens got off to a great start in this game. Chloe Ball notched twice and Izzy Crooks added another to give them a 3-0 lead well before half-time. Eliska Lynn added the fourth in the 85th minute. Fleet in their first Premier League game, fought well and gave a good account of themselves, scoring two goal themselves through Dominique Lewis and Avery Tolley. Read the match report on Southampton Women's web site. Oxford City 3-2 Sholing Two goals on debut for Sholing's summer signing from Havant & Waterlooville, Sophie Lee, including the opening goal after 9 minutes and a second just after the break. However, Yasmin Edwards in the first half had levelled things up, and the two Ellie's Walecki and White, the latter coming in the 80th minute, gave the Hoops the points. Watch match highlights from Oxford City's YouTube channel. Reading FC Community Trust 4-1 Badshot Lea Gemma Luke gave the baggies the lead in this game, coring after a quarter of an hour. The lead last only 8 minutes until Tyra Wilson squared it up. By half-time, the Royals were ahead thanks to Poppy Whitburn. The same player than made it 3-1 just before the hour and Georgia Hayes, signed from Tilehurst Panthers, applied the icing in added time.  Ascot United Reserves 2-2 Slough Town Hannah Summers, with a header, had Slough a goal to the good at the break. However, it looked like Ascot had earned the points after striking twice in the second half. Samantha Sehejpal levelled the scores in the 55th minute before substitute Hollie Weston had them in front. Late drama ensued when debutant Alicia Grinhaff pounced to snatch a point at the death. Chesham United Development 1-4 Penn & Tylers Last season's Division One North runners-up, Penn, made a great start to the new season with all three points at Chiltern Hills. Ellie Lovelock scored twice with Ammara Qureshi and Sophie Troth each adding a goal. United did get a consolation, with five minutes to go, through Oana Filip Denham United 9-2 Oxford City Development BotP certainly made a good choice for the first live match coverage of the season. A game that saw 11 goals, including both sides scoring from within their own half. Brogan Moore scored one of those goals, and added two others to claim a hat-trick for United. Niamh Cashin and Liana Horwood grabbed two each with the other two goals coming from Amna Butt and Pia Davis. Amelia Davis, from over 50 yards, and Bailee Latimer were the City scorers. You can read the BotP match blog here (Goal Den Girls) Farnborough P-P Milton United Larkspur Rovers 4-1 Kidlington Youth Two goals in each half helped Rovers to a debut day victory at Priors Farm Lane. Savana Fearon helped herself to a goal in each half, Shenice Dyer and Ellie Wright score the other two for Larkspur. Stalwart striker Courtney Sumner was on the mark for The Greens. Tilehurst Panthers 0-7 Abingdon United Development Abingdon, who saw off Premier League Oxford City in the Chairman's Cup Final at the end of last season, took that form into the new season with a comprehensive defeat of Tilehurst at Scours Lane. No surprise that Charlotte Bigmore started the season with two more goals to add to her tally. Captain Beth Hawtin also chimed in, as did Isabel Hughes, Lorena Lopez-Catalan, Chloe Forester and Faith Kingdon.  AFC Stoneham 2-1 Bournemouth Sports Reserves Pyrena Heath, in only her second ever start for the club, scored twice to help The Purps to an opening day three points against Bournemouth Sports Reserves. Emma Whall did grab a consolation in added time, but Sports returned to Dorset empty-handed. AFC Varsity 3-0 Shaftesbury It took Varsity four games to register a league win last season. No such problem this term, as they welcomed newly promoted Shaftesbury to Hatches Farm. All three goals came in the first half. Armiee Akpobire opened the scoring after 15 minutes with last season's top scorer, Kayleigh Rogers, grabbing a quickfire brace on 36 and 40 minutes. Bemerton Heath Harlequins 2-0 Bursledon Harlequins began their SoReg adventure with three points at home to The Dons, who were playing a league game without former boss Pete Hamilton for the first time in three season. Nicola Frier put them ahead just before the half-hour, a lead they held onto into the break. With ten minutes remaining Amy Sanger wrapped up the points. Guernsey 7-5 Wimborne Town Well, that's how to introduce yourself to a new league. In front of close to 600 spectators, Guernsey started life in the Southern Region League with three points after a 12-goal thriller at Victoria Park. All of that after going a goal down to Grace Batsford's strike in the 10th minute. That's when Calleigh Hedley decided to take over. The striker hit a 9-minute hat-trick to give the hosts a 3-1 lead, before adding her fourth in the 41st minute. Sheree Bell-Jack reduced the deficit to 4-2 before the break. Freya Patton made it 4-3 in the 73rd minute before Hedley added her fifth of the day. Captain Candice Bougourd then scored from the spot, Guernsey's 100th goal in 20 matches and Hedley completed an incredible double hat-trick in the 85th minute, making it 7-3. The game was still not done as Wimborne struck two late goals through Jessica Selby and Brooke Suddaby. And breathe! You can read the match report on the Guernsey FC web site and watch a post-match interview with Calleigh Hedley. Havant & Waterlooville 0-4 Farnham Town Farnham announced themselves in Division One South with a resounding win at last season's high-flyers Havant & Waterlooville. Goals from Francesca Thornton, Iesha Swaby, Rachael Manley and a stunning Echo Barrett free-kick were enough to send Town back home with the points. You can watch match highlights courtesy of the Farnham Town YouTube channel. Nursling & Shirley 0-5 Andover New Street Another new team announcing their presence in the league were Andover New Street. Last season's top scorer, Freya Twigg, helped herself to two goals whilst Olivia Payne, Lauren Pearce and Rebecca Screech were also on target for New Street. Both teams now have a week of cup action before resuming their league campaigns on the 14th. Sunday 7th September |
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