A terrific all-round team performance from the Clarets ensured they bagged three richly-deserved points to bring back up the A12 on Sunday.

  The visitors started brightly and made their intentions clear with some severe pressure on the home goal. However, it was Clacton who almost opened the scoring only for Christie Lucking to rescue her side with a smart block. Jennifer Baldock then tested the hosts’ goalkeeper with a 25-yard free-kick, and when the same scenario arose on 18 minutes, City’s top scorer fared much better as the ball flew into the top corner. Olivia Robinson nearly doubled the lead but shot just wide before Sophie Dorrington’s sheer pace and trickery took her into the Clacton penalty box in the 25^th minute, and she coolly tucked the ball just inside the far post to underline Chelmsford’s dominance.

  Clacton are never an easy side to beat though, and having overturned a 5-1 interval deficit to win last week, City had to maintain their standards in the second period. And this they certainly did, with Leanne Miles emphatically firing in from the penalty spot eight minutes after the restart following a handball offence. The deficit was reduced in the latter stages when a Clacton striker got through to finish well, but any hopes of a comeback were swiftly blown away in the last minute. Jade Harrington’s persistence forced the ball into the path of Laura Massey who duly thumped it into the back of the net from ten yards to complete a memorable display, in which Ailish Hunt also excelled in an unfamiliar left-back role to earn her the ‘Girl of the Match’ trophy.

  Chelmsford City: Christie Lucking, Leanne Miles, Hannah Tomsett, Olivia Robinson, Emily Kendle, Jade Harrington, Laura Massey, Jennifer Baldock, Sophie Dorrington, Ailish Hunt, Karina Fox, Hollie Austin.

Goalscorers: Jennifer Baldock, Sophie Dorrington, Leanne Miles, Laura Massey.
Referee: Gordon Dolphin (Clacton).