Masterful McMaster helps Magpies towards Rovers scalp

Maidenhead United Women warmed up for the Berks & Bucks Senior Women’s Cup final with an exciting 2-1 win against Bristol Rovers in the York Road Sunday sunshine. Focus now will turn to the final, to be held at Beaconsfield Town FC in a 2pm kick off against Newport Pagnell Town. 

 

The visitors have enjoyed an excellent first ever campaign in FAWNL Division 1 South West, reaching the 4th Round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup and taking on WSL side Aston Villa having defeated Tier 3 side Oxford United in Round 3. In the reverse fixture at the Memorial Stadium it was the home side who took the points after Maidenhead struck first, on this occasion the tables were turned. 

 

A Rovers side packed with experience and quality opened the scoring inside the opening ten minutes when former Arsenal winger Daisy Ackerman drove home a fierce low drive past Kenny Clarke from the edge of the box as United failed to clear having been slow to settle. Maidenhead grew into the game however and from set pieces they looked a particular threat; Sarah Thompson glanced a header wide from a Natasha Rasmussen corner before Emily McMaster did the same from a Libby Doyle free-kick. It was from a set piece that the equaliser came; another Rasmussen corner caused chaos in the box and McMaster showed composure to drill a half-volley through a crowd of players to level the scores before the half hour. 

 

Maidenhead made a habit of being ‘Comeback Queens’ last season, but for the first time this season they came from behind to win and the game-breaking moment came just three minutes into the second half. Natalie Cowell was fouled in the box by TJ Gauvain and Macey-Nikiah Walters put away the spot-kick with typical authority. The visitors roared back and came close to levelling when substitute Laura Barrett’s header was tipped over by Clarke before fellow half time change Nia Rees hit the crossbar from range with the goal gaping after the Magpies ‘keeper hd been forced to break up a threatening attack on the edge of hr own box, the rebound falling kindly for Rees who could not make the most of the fortunate ricochet. 

 

The visitors also saw Emily Bayliss head a cross from the right over the top of Clarke’s goal before substitute Kelly Jones rushed her shot when well placed and fired over the top. United were a danger on the counter and continued to stretch the Rovers defence, the best opening came when substitute Izzy Stockton skilfully found her way to the by-line but with Cowell waiting in front of goal the cutback could not beat the only covering defending. Rovers will have began to suspect that it wasn’t going to be their day when 22-goal top-scorer Megan Jarvis was denied by the fingertips of Clarke following a rare defensive slip and then in the final moments Jarvis found herself in front of goal with only Clarke to beat before masterful McMaster launched into a heroic block to snuff out the opportunity and secure the win.