Witham Town 2 Chelmsford City Reserves 3
Sunday 26^th April 2009 at Witham Town Fc, Spa Road, Witham. Kick Off 2.00pm, Essex County Women’s League Division Two.
  With league honours tantalizingly out of reach, City’s Reserve side completed their campaign with a fine victory against the league runners-up on Sunday. Following the two sides thrilling 6-6 draw earlier in the season, this end of season game was never going to live up to that level. Both sides did well to not only combat the heat but also the hard , bumpy pitch.

  It was the home side who drew first blood with a well taken goal but City drew level midway through the half when Ashleigh Harding, noticing the Town keeper off her line, executed a superb thirty yard shot over the keeper and into the top left corner. City were looking the more dangerous and took the lead ten minutes before the break with Harding claiming an almost carbon copy goal from closer range before Emma Ridings almost netted a third, beating the offside trap only to see her lob over the keeper from the edge of the box bounce wide of the post.

  The second half saw City start well and create a number of opportunities. Grainne McLaughlin was tenacious in the middle of the park with her tireless running and strong tackling, breaking down Town’s attacking play. In fact it was McLaughin who extended City’s lead after Rachel Brett had dispossessed an opponent in the middle of the park and played a superb, defence splitting pass forward. McLaughlin ran through on goal leaving the Town defenders in her wake before calmly rounding the keeper and tucking the ball home to give her side some breathing space.

  Town came back stronger in the closing quarter of an hour and forced a number of corners which were cleared by the City defence. With five minutes to go, Town pulled a goal back when a corner into a packed six yard box was not dealt with by City and following a scramble, the ball was poked home from close range.

  Both teams worked hard during the final minutes but City held on to claim the win which secured third place, only one point behind their opponents.

  Chelmsford City Reserves: Pearson, Cornell, Arkell, Threadgold, McInnes, Brett, Barnard, McLaughlin, Magner, Harding (Medici) and Ridings (Cleary).

City Player of the Match: Lisa Cornell