Sunday 15^th September 2002

Pre-Season Friendly

Brentwood Town 4 – 5 Chelmsford City

 Chelmsford City Ladies stuttered to an eventual odd goal victory in their final pre-season warm up game on Sunday.

City were without five regular players due to illness and injury which included their regular strike force.

This gave the opportunity for other players to stake a claim and Lisa Foakes put City in front on 16 minutes when she slotted the ball past the Town goalkeeper after Claire Hunt had threaded an intelligent pass through a square defence.

The lead was held for eight minutes when Brentwood equalised through a speculative long shot which went over City goalkeeper Clare Pearson and under the crossbar.

City regained the lead two minutes later, with a well taken goal after good work by centre half Paula Thompson.

Brentwood then netted twice to enjoy a 3-2 lead at the break although City did have a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time for offside.

Brentwood enjoyed the better of the possession for the most of the second half and extended their lead after City failed to defend a corner with the ball eventually being bundled over the line.

The final 20 minutes saw a revitalised City play the ball forward well and pulled a goal back through a sweetly struck Hunt free kick, and moments later, City drew level set up an interesting final period.

Both sides were looking for a morale boosting win and Chelmsford netted the winner with 13 minutes left.

Sharon Brownlie, who had come up front after Foakes had been withdrawn as a precaution, beat the offside trap coolly lobbing the ball over Isaura Vian in the Town goal.

Clare Pearson pulled off two saves to prevent the home side netting which gave City’s coaching staff much to ponder over before the opening Essex County League match of the season this Sunday.