Development team battles back from the brink to progress on penalties

By Neil Maskell

There was shoot-out joy once again for United Women’s Development team on Sunday afternoon as Maidenhead fought back from the brink and progressed through to the last sixteen of the FA Women’s National League Reserve Cup.

The team were formed in the summer with the intention of bridging the gap between local football for teenage players and the rigours of the Tier 4 FA Women’s National League. Following a successful set of trials in the summer an impressive-looking squad has been assembled.

As the First Team put nine past Selsey at York Road, there was no end of drama a couple of miles north at Holyport FC as visitors London Seaward opened up a two-goal lead with two quick-fire goals inside the opening half hour. If climbing such a mountain thereafter might be beyond many much more experienced teams, the side managed by Niall Irwin showed no fear in only their fourth ever competitive match.

Maidenhead were back in it before the break. 18 year-old Freya Harris scored her first goal for the club and described her goal after the match: “Anja (Harper) gave me an assist. I made a diagonal run, played it through the middle and slotted it through. I could feel the defenders around me so I pushed it passed the goalkeeper into the right hand corner.”

United battled throughout the second half to take the game to penalty kicks and got their just rewards in a memorable moment in the sixth minute of time added on at the end of the game. Captain Vicky Collett’s cross caused panic in the Seaward box and a misplaced defensive header crept into the corner of the net for an own goal before Lydia Vettese was able to get a touch on the goal-line. Against Cheltenham Town Reserves in the previous round last month it was Maidenhead who were pegged back at the death to force penalty kicks and with that shoot-out experience fresh in their minds the young Magpies set to their task again. Going second in the shoot out, Katie Thorne, Chloe Matjuma and Vettese held their nerve to level things up after London Seaward scored their first three kicks. The visitors sent their fourth kick over the bar and defender Ashlee Withers stepped up to give Maidenhead the lead in the tie for the first time. Seaward scored their fifth and the pressure was on Harris to send the Magpies through. She duly kept her composure to spark jubilant scenes at Summerleaze.

United’s reward for another epic cup win will be a trip to Watford Development in the next round on 29th October. Before then, the Magpies will return to league action at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.