United started their campaign in the Combined Counties League Women’s Cup on Thursday night with a comfortable 4-2 success at Tier 5 opponents Ashford Town (Middlesex).
The short journey down the M4 and around one junction of the M25 to Stanwell was a fruitful one as two goals in either half ensured progress to the next round of a competition which we won in 2023/24. The home side - unbeaten in their last four games in league and cup - started the game brightly and were in behind the United defence early on, albeit covering Maidenhead players regained ground and were able to defend the empty net. It was therefore perhaps against the run of play that in-form Izzy Stockton opened the scoring after thirteen minutes. Tangerines ‘keeper Rose Mylum pulled off a fine save but a subsequent misplaced defensive clearance was punished clinically by Stockton.
Izzy had her second goal just four minutes later, heading home from a corner but she was temporarily denied a hat-trick goal later in the half when flagged offside converting a left-wing cross. In-form United repeated their quick-fire trick from the first half by scoring twice in two minutes before the hour. Sim O’Brien had already seen a goal chalked off for offside before Californian Lyndsey Preston celebrated US Thanksgiving Day in great style, cutting in from the right and firing a marvellous left-footed rocket into the far corner past Mylum. Moments later Stockton did have her hat-trick, clipping home a composed strikers finish.
The hosts were lively throughout the game and did not allow their heads to drop. They were rewarded twice inside the final ten minutes as first Mhairi Crooks scored from long range and then seep into added time Phoebe Head steered home a second goal at the far post.
United are now unbeaten inside ninety minutes in their last seven games and have racked up sixteen goals during that time.
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