Team: White, Redhead-Ling (Cutler), Lewin, Grieve (Jordinson), Maloney, Searle, Blodgett, Kumaning, Hennessy (Pope), Hall (Edwards), Curr (Moore)
Following their magnificent Capital Cup victory in May, the QPR Women also achieved promotion to the FA Women’s National League and it was confirmed that home games for the 2021/22 season would be played at the Powerday Stadium, the home of Hanwell Town.
In his programme notes, Steve Quashie wrote: “The relationship will help both clubs to further grow and develop in both the local and wider community.” I hadn’t visited the stadium for quite a long time and I was most impressed with the quality of the playing surface.
The first goalscoring opportunity of the afternoon fell to Lily Bruno for the visitors. However, the R’s soon grew into the game and took the lead after 16 minutes.
Melanie Hall got to the bye-line and knocked the ball in to Alice Curr, who then proceeded to belt the ball into the back of the net.
At the other end, a header, which could have ended up anywhere, looped up in the air before narrowly evading the near post.
Rangers were soon back in the ascendancy, and Ellie Searle’s chip ended up just wide of the post. The R’s No.7 was also causing problems down the left-flank with her pace. Her ball into the box was just a bit too hard for her in-coming team-mate who couldn’t quite reach it. Half-time: 1-0.
Six minutes into the second-half, the R’s notched up a second goal after taking advantage of a loose ball, resulting in Sue Kumaning curling her shot superbly into the top corner.
Soon after replacing Melanie Hall on 54 minutes, Demi Edwards found the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
The visitors went close to pulling a goal back when their effort hit the crossbar, and the follow-up was put well over the target.
The R’s soon added a fourth and what an amazing goal it was! Danielle Maloney’s free kick from around 45 yards caught out everybody as it entered the net.
Brogan Moore scored Rangers’ fifth goal in the 79th minuteand close to the final whistle, Demi Edwards got her second goal of the afternoon through sheer perseverance.
Well done to Steve Quashie and his team.
Steve Russell