The Recreation Ground Carterton played host to Ducklington this week.

A 30 strong crowd watched on as both teams coped well with the hard pitch, still glistening with the early morning frost.

The match started with a balanced performance from both sides. Six minutes in and Ducklingtons Sophie Pymm nearly broke the stalemate following a long range throw from Ella Butler to the feet of Laura Jones. Laura treaded through to Sophie only for the Carterton keeper to stop the party!

Six minutes later and Katy Hoare picked up the ball from deep inside her own half, took it the length of the pitch and fed it to Ella Butler whose strike was again collected by the Carterton Keeper. Ella butler, Sophie Pymm, Laura Jones and Francis Hook repeatedly took the attack to Carterton but were matched by an impressive Carterton defence.

At the other end of the pitch ‘stand in’ keeper and skipper Katie Weaving was commanding her defensive ‘wall’ well with Katy Hoare and Emily Gee dispossessing the Carterton attacks. Then with sixteen minutes gone the Carterton strike force broke through and a cracking net busting shot from the right beat the keeper to take the home side to a goal lead.1-0

In the twentieth minute a well delivered corner from Sophie Pymm picked out Holly Keylock whose shot on the Carterton goal was saved. Abbey Lloyd ,now in defence, battled well alongside Katy Hoare to prevent the Carterton attack and a show stopping save from Katie Weaving in the twenty second minute ensured that that Ducklington did not lose any further ground before half time.

The whistle signalled the end of the half with the home team taking the goal advantage. The Ducklington half time team talk overran slightly with the home side waiting in position for the visitors to return to the pitch.

The talk seemed to have done the trick with a shot from Lauren Major in the opening minute testing the Carterton keeper. Emily Gee, Katy Hoare and Abbey Lloyd kept a tight reign in defence denying the Carterton attack any goal scoring opportunity.

With six minutes of the half gone Lauren Major was there again, this time on the end of a free kick but she could not beat the Carterton keeper, nor five minutes later when she took delivery of a monumental Katy Weaving goal kick freeing up a run down the wing.

The second half continued at pace in true ‘end to end’ fashion. Emily Gee, Katy Hoare and Abbey Lloyd looking as tight as they had done at the end of the first half and continued to maintain delivery to the forwards.

Sixteen minutes into the half and Ducklingtons Lauren Major set up Ella Butler who laid off to Laura Jones only for the Carterton keeper to save again.

Two minutes later they were at it again but this time it was Ella Butlers shot that found the Carterton keeper.

In the twenty-first minute Ducklington had a close escape as the ball rolled along their goal line but Carterton failed to capitalise on this as it rolled out for a goal kick.

In the twenty third minute Holly Keylock and Emily Gee saw off another Carterton Attack.

Then in the dying seconds of the game Carterton struck from long range but this sailed over the goal and into the ‘stands’.

The game finished at 1-0.

Both sides had played well in an evenly matched and good spirited game.

Emily Gee picked up the player of the match award for a consistent defensive performance throughout.