Essex County Women’s League

Sunday 22^nd September 2002

 CHELMSFORD CITY 4 – 1 BILLERICAY TOWN

 Chelmsford City kicked off their season in style on Sunday with a fine victory against last season’s league champions.

City were going too overawed and took the game to their opponents from the start with Lisa Foakes having an early effort blocked by the keeper, City’s lively strike force of Emma Ridings and Foakes were to cause problems all afternoon for a slow Town defence with their pace and movement.

It was only a matter of time before City would break the deadlock which they duly did on 25 minutes. Foakes easily outpaced her marker down the right before calmly driving the ball into the net from a tight angle. This spurred Billericay into their best spell of the game as they began to enjoy the majority of the territorial advantage.

City were defending well but were undone on the half hour following a deep free kick into the box. The ball rebounded from the keeper into the path of a forward who gleefully stabbed the ball home for the equaliser, City’s keeper Clare Pearson, had to be off her line sharply to brilliantly block a close range shot as the half drew to a close to keep the scores level at the break.

The second half saw City back to looking a good solid unit as they  worked the ball forward intelligently, using the breeze at their backs to good effect. After 50 minutes, Foakes unselfishly squared the ball after drawing the defenders and ‘keeper, leaving Ridings with the simple task of rolling the ball into the unguarded net.

Minutes later, City extended their lead when Lucy Terrell’s cross-cum-shot from wide on the right wing caught the ‘keeper off her line, the ball going over her head and into the net to extend City’s lead.

An action-packed final stages saw City have a number of close chances while Town struck the foot of the post and also had a penalty well saved by Pearson after a forward was fouled in the box. Moments before the final whistle, Garrett finished off a flowing City move to follow up and blast the ball home via the underside of the bar to put the result beyond doubt.