Champions Woodley completed their league season with a comfortable win at lowly Kidlington and kept another clean sheet, the 10th of the league campaign.

This game would be the final curtain on a fantastic season for the SRWFL Division One North Champions Woodley and they had a few changes due to unavailability.

Katie Hudson and Sophie Meacham came in for Gemma Sims and Holly Wilkins, Lucy Routledge starting up front, and Maddie Sawyer taking the captain’s armband with Ellen Surtees starting on the bench.

Kidlington still have one further league game to play, at Exeter Park against Eversley & California, and this was only their second home league match since November. 

The game kicked off and Kidlington started well, pressing and making it difficult for the champions to play their usual passing game and they had a half chance early on when Courtney Sumner made a good run into the area but she just couldn’t get the ball down to get a shot away.

Woodley’s first attack of note came from a great run down the left by Sarah Lawrence and her first time cross was blocked away well for a corner. May Hamblin swung the corner in left footed which caused the hosts some problems but was eventually cleared. 

A great team move down the right led to the first goal on 19 minutes with Mollie Haines, Maddie Sawyer and May Hamblin all involved with the ball falling to Lucy Routledge in the area who turned and stroked the ball into the net. A classy finish. 0-1

This seemed to settle the visitors and just three minutes later a great passing move between Bonnie Messitt and Lucy Routledge opened space for May Hamblin who hit a lovely shot only to see it cannon back off the crossbar and away to safety.

Another good move down the right with Haines finding Routledge again but this was well defended by Chloe Antonen. The same defender covered well again moments later when Hamblin found herself in space. 

Woodley were now forcing the pace but the hosts were battling hard, really putting in a shift for the team.

The second goal did come on the half hour mark. A superb defence splitting ball from Katie Hudson found Haines in space, she took it to the byline and squared it back for Routledge to tuck her second of the game away nicely with her left foot. 0-2

Mollie Steadman, on as a substitute, made an instant impact. She hassled the hosts defence, winning the ball back and played a lovely pass to Routledge. Emily Murphy in the Kidlington goal made a fine save from Routledge’s shot but Steadman anticipated the rebound and was on hand to put it into the net for her first goal for Woodley. 0-3

Steadman was involved again just before the break after she was sent sprawling in the area with the referee giving a penalty. Mollie Haines stepped up to take it but pulled it wide of the left hand post. A good half from both sides with Woodley gradually taking control but Kidlington certainly giving it a good go. 

The visitors started the second half on the front foot. An early short corner routine from Sawyer and Hamblin led to a dangerous cross from the latter which eventually fell for Steph Slann on the edge of the area but her shot went just over the bar.

Next, Hamblin picked up the ball from a throw and played a lovely through ball to Sawyer who nicked it past Murphy but put just too much on it and she couldn’t turn it into the empty net. 

In the 64th minute Woodley did find the net, a corner from Sawyer caused problems in the home defence with the ball bouncing around; it first came off Routledge and was headed on by Hamblin and ended up in the net although the final touch appeared to come from a defender desperately trying to clear. 0-4

Abi Haynes was ploughing a lonely furrow up front for Kidlington but she was keeping the Woodley defence on their toes. She ran on to a long through ball but couldn’t get a shot away.

Hayley Clements also had a good game in midfield, she battled hard all game, was always involved and rightly was voted their player of the match. 

Maddie Sawyer played another lovely ball through catching the run of Mollie Haines who ran into the area and got a shot away which Murphy saved well at the near post.

Woodley did make it five with just over ten minutes to go. Great play down the left from Sarah Lawrence beating the defender and then played a nice ball through to Mollie Steadman who controlled well before volleying into the net with the outside of her right foot.

Another convincing win for Woodley to round off the league season and it was achieved like so many before, with a great team performance, nice passing football and good finishing. 

Woodley United: Cheadle, Haines, Evans (Surtees), Quinn, Hudson, Measham, Lawrence (Steadman), Sawyer, Routledge, Messitt (Slann), Hamblin

Goals: Routledge x2, Steadman x2, Hamblin

Report by Dave Read

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