FA Women’s National League Division One (South East)
Team: Burgess, Leys, Searle (Curr), Jordinson, Grieve (Carolan), Lewin, Blodgett, Hennessy, Hall (Nygaard-Parsons), Moore (Wardlaw), Petit (Pope)
This was the inaugural meeting between the two sides and my first visit to Rectory Meadow.
The small stand opposite to where I was sitting looked a bit unusual in that it consisted of just 20 seats along two rows. I also noticed that the area behind one of the goals had been closed off.
Making her debut in the Rangers goal was Shayla Burgess.
Jo Blodgett took the R’s into an early lead with her close-range finish from Laura Hennessy’s corner.
Goal number two followed after six minutes when Laura Hennessy belted the ball into the back of the net from around 25-tyards.
At the other end, a defensive error let in the home side, but the resulting shot went wide of the post.
As the R’s went in search of another goal, Kasha Petit was put through and the Hounslow keeper did well to get down to clear the ball.
Then, after receiving a great ball, Kasha Petit set-up Brogan Moore in the box, who proceeded to fire just wide of the upright.
After a swift counter-attack, the Rangers keeper was forced into a brave save. Not only that, she swiftly followed the ball towards the corner flag and it ended up going behind for a corner.
In blazing sunshine, Mel Hall was the next to get her name on the score sheet. After being put though by Laura Hennessy, she slotted the ball beyond the keeper.
And, then even closer to the interval, Kasha Petit added goal number four. Half-time: 4-0.
Steve Quashie made two changes for the start of the second-half when he brought on Erin Pope and Alice Curr at the expense of Kasha Petit and Ellie Searle respectively.
Erin Pope soon had a 25-yard effort pushed behind and the Hounslow keeper then made another excellent save from Georgie Lewin’s header.
On 57 minutes, Emilia Nygaard-Parsons replaced Mel Hall.
Minutes later, Nicole Leys latched on to a loose ball and fired her shot into the roof of the net.
Emilia Nygaard-Parsons’ run took her to the bye-line where she saw her goal attempt come off the near-post
On the hour-mark, Brogan Moore made way for Ellen Wardlaw.
Emilia Nygaard-Parsons was booked after kicking the ball away when adjudged to be in an offside position.
The Hounslow keeper just managed to grab the ball on the goal-line following Laura Hennessy’s audacious 30-yard lofted attempt.
Emilia Nygaard-Parsons had the ball in the net, but we had no idea at the time why Mr Briggs had disallowed it? What made it even more mysterious was that the referee ordered a dropped ball!
I later found out that it was because the referee had wrongly made a late call to Hounslow’s attempt to make a substitution(s)!!!
Good skill from Laura Jordinson when she superbly brought the ball forward to just outside the penalty area where she passed two defenders and laid it off to a team-mate.
Jo Blodgett’s low shot from outside the box was fired directly into the keeper’s gloves.
Nygaard-Parsons had the ball in the net again, but this time it was ruled offside even though she had been played on by a defender!
Erin Pope lashed her free kick, low, into the back of the net from fully 25-yards with the keeper rooted to the spot.
It was left to the previously unlucky Emilia Nygaard-Parsons to amazingly complete her hat-trick in a matter of just a few minutes!
An emphatic away win for the R’s who will next face Ashford Town at the Powerday Stadium.
Steve Russell