Report | Clinical Moneys Make The Difference

 

United Women were punished by the finishing prowess of title-favourites Moneyfields on opening day in the FAWNL as the Hampshire side struck four without reply at York Road. 

 

Moneys were top-scorers in the division last season, banging in 86 goals as they finished runners-up for a second consecutive campaign. Yet Maidenhead probably created as many opportunities as the talented visiting outfit. 

 

With four debutants impressing overall on their first starts for the club, United were perhaps nervy in the opening stages and were nearly behind inside four minutes when Kiera Heslam headed over from a delicious cross from Rebekah Tonks. United however forced the first goalkeeping save of the match when Katie Akerman let fly right footed after her initial free-kick was blocked, goalkeeper Mia King having to leap both feet in the air to tip over a sensational effort. A more routine save came when debutant Poppy Dearlove slotted a neat through ball for 2025/26 MUWFC top-scorer Izzy Stockton, who rather struggled to get the ball out from under her feet and her eventual low shot lacked power. 

 

King was troubled again midway through the half when under pressure from another debutant Dani Dias, Moneys conceded possession cheaply and when the ball was chipped into the box King spilled under pressure from Dias and the loose ball was fired wide by captain Simone O’Brien with King backpedalling and the goal gaping. A hydration break then followed on a sultry afternoon and the momentum changed after the short break as a loose pass in the United defensive third gave visiting captain Megan Fox the opportunity to switch play out to Heslam whose cross was expertly met by the head of Tierney Scott at the far post. 

 

Dias put an effort wide before the break after Moneys made rather a hash of playing out from the back and early in the second half United had two presentable opportunities to get on the scoresheet. Firstly, a ball down the line from Dias set O’Brien away, her cross into the near post met the run of Stockton but the ball bounced off Izzy’s shin at the near post and behind for a goal kick. Moments later, O’Brien was played in by a delightful turn and reverse pass by Stockton but United’s skipper put her shot over the top when well placed. 

 

With their very next attack Moneys demonstrated how to be clinical in attack as Heslam’s cross was glanced towards goal by summer signing Kaylee Buckingham. Magpies debutant goalkeeper Cherry Preisner pulled off a brilliant left handed save to parry the ball away from goal but the alert Scott was first to the loose ball and she pulled it back for Buckingham to score into the roof of the net from six yards. 

 

Buckingham nearly added a third when receiving a through pass and firing wide of Preisner’s far post with a right footed shot and the former Southampton and AFC Wimbledon forward hit a tame effort at the Maidenhead goalkeeper when well-placed. Inside the final twenty minutes the usually reliable Charley Evans was caught in possession and Buckingham was set up to score on the counter-attack with only Preisner to beat to put the result beyond doubt. 

 

United had another gilt-edged opportunity when the impressive Dias showed awareness to latch onto a loose out from the back by King, and with only the goalkeeper to beat she was denied by the right palm of the retreating ‘keeper. Some rather harsh gloss was added to the scoreline when Fox headed home an injury time corner at the far post. 

 

Preisner, Webb (sub Wilson ’57), Akerman (sub Dover ’75), Dearlove, Charles, Stockton (sub Harper 57’), O’Brien (sub Robertson ’70), Dias, McKeever, Evans (sub Vince ’73), Huntley. Subs not used: Cechova, Mitchell. 

 

Captain Simone O’Brien: “We played the first forty-five to a great standard. That game won’t define anything for the season.” 

 

Manager Dave Kitson: “I thought the first half we were the better team…..some of our football at times was fantastic.” Watch: Dave's interview with Maddie Blunden 

 

Debutant Poppy Dearlove: “It was a great experience to start on my debut as a home player at York Road.” Watch: Poppy and Dani Dias discuss their MUWFC debuts with FC Video 

 

FC Video's match highlights.