Yellows Give Greens The Blues

This Sunday was one of those days where I really needed to clone myself. There were too many games that I would have liked to have been at. In the end my mind was made up not by the football, but by my dog keeping me awake half the night. Instead of making the long drive south for either Bournemouth v Farnham or Portchester v Wycombe, I decided to make the much shorter trip to The Northcourt to see how Kidlington Youth fared in their battle to avoid relegation away at Abingdon  United Development.
The situation at the bottom of Division One North before the start of play was that Kidlington sat bottom, two points adrift of Ascot United Reserves, but with a game in hand. The teams are scheduled to meet in a couple of weeks. Kidlington, who were yet to register a point on their travels, lost the reverse fixture with Abingdon by two goals to one. At the time United were to of the league, but Kidlington made them work hard for the points. Courtney Sumner had The Greens in front before Beth Hawtin and Jessica Excell took the points.
To make matters worse for Kidlington, they came into the is game without the services of influential first-choice goalkeeper, Emily Murphy. Defender Cloe Woodward was donning the gloves for the day.
Many thanks to match official Scott Ellis for giving me access to the team sheets prior to kick-off.

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Chloe Forrester scores

​The visitors started the game brightly and had an early opportunity to open the scoring when Courtney Sumner's excellent 4th minute through all found Amy Busby in behind the Abingdon defence. However, the Greens striker couldn't keep her shot down and didn't trouble Maisie Moore.
Stand-in Kidlington goalkeeper, Cloe Woodward, was called into action in the 10th minute when the lively Chloe Forrester tested her out. A minute later, in an end-to-end start, Courtney Sumner let fly from outside the box, again not troubling Moore. That was countered by Beth Hawtin's low drive whistling inches past Woodward's right-hand upright.
Just past the quarter-hour, Forrester's pace took her in behind the defence again, latching onto an inch-perfect ball. She tried to take the ball around Woodward, but the keeper did enough, staying on her feet and forcing Forrester to screw the shot wide. Neither side had yet managed to establish dominance, but the clear-cut chances did dry up for a while, maybe as both sides took a little breather.
With almost half an hour on the clock, Sumner once more tested Moore, letting fly with a dipping 25-yard volley that bounced just in front of the keeper, who did well to adjust and smother the ball. A few minutes later, Charlotte Bigmore was allowed a clear sight of goal, but could only fire straight into the body of Woodward. That was followed, on 39 minutes, by Kidlington's best chance of the half. Julia Rushmere was sent clear on the right, driving towards goal she got off a low drive that was destined for the far corner before Maisie Moore pulled off an excellent save to keep the scores level.
Into added time and Kidlington, already without their first choice keeper, had a few worrying moments as Woodward went down and required treatment before being able to continue. Seven minutes into added time, with Kidlington int he Abingdon half, the home side sprung a rapid counter-attack. Once again, the pace up front caused problems for Kidlington and, when Forrester went to pull the ball back, she had her legs taken from under her. Penalty! No mistake from Chloe Forrester from the spot. 1-0

HT Abingdon United Development 1 Kidlington Youth 0. The late penalty was somewhat harsh on Kidlington, who had held their own up to that point. They always looked a little vulnerable to the pace that Abingdon have up front, but also posed a few threats of their own.

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Julia Rushmere wins a headed battle

​Conceding so late in the first half was a kick in the teeth for Kidlington, but worse was to come. Barely seconds after the restart, Chloe Forrester went on another run up the left, drifting pact a couple of challenges before striking a shot off the inside of Woodward's right-hand post. The ball flew back across the goal where Ellie Owen was lurking to smash it hole. 2-0. A double blow for Kidlington. Having stayed on level terms until added time in the first half,. they suddenly find themselves two down less than a minute into the second.
Having said that, Kidlington came out fighting, led by stalwart Courtney Sumner. Her superb effort, from way outside the area, came very close to finding the top corner. Kidlington were convinced that Moore had got a fingertip to it, but the referee was having none of it. If the keeper did touch it, it was a fabulous save. A minute later, Julia Rushmere also tried her luck, as the Greens desperately tried to respond.
Just before the hour, Kidlington were almost caught out when Beth Hawtin got her head to a right-wing corner, sending the ball just wide of the far post. Rushmere then saw her shot, through a sea of legs, well held by Moore before, in the 67th minute, the home side sealed the points. Charlotte Bigmore won the ball in midfield before driving into the right-hand side of the box and hammering a strike in at the near post. 3-0
The Greens continued to look for a reply. Busby sent an effort flashing across the face of goal and a corner from the left came back off the inside of the far post but somehow stayed out before being hacked off the line.
Abingdon almost had the last say when Hawtin played an exquisite ball through the Kidlington defence for Sasha Scott to run in on. However, substitute Elyse Thomas-Collaire did brilliantly to get back to thwart the winger.

FT Abingdon United Development 3 Kidlington Youth 0. A tough one for Kidlington, but the quickfire double either side of half-time was just too much for them to recover from. Abingdon's youthful pace caused Kidlington problems throughout, but they had chances themselves too. The defeat was made doubly troubling by the fact that relegation rivals Ascot United Reserves, beat Farnborough 1-0 to move five points clear. Abingdon, meanwhile, are still in with a shout of second spot and could yet do Kidlington a favour when they take on Ascot in the final game.
Next up for Abingdon is the visit of Tilehurst Panthers next Sunday. Kidlington take on Farnborough at Yarnton Road, in a must win game ahead of the six-pointer at The Racecourse Ground the following Sunday.
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Abingdon United Development: Moore, Marah, Hughes, Bostock, Ives, Godfrey, Excell, Owen, Hawtin(c), Forrester, Scott. Subs: Burke, Bigmore
Kidlington Youth: Woodward, Cotton, Owen, Rodway, Dunbabin(c), Keal, Clements, Busby, J.Rushmere, Sumner, Chewings. Subs: I.Rushmere, Haynes, Thomas-Collaire, Antonen

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