Late goals put shine on Foxes win

SPORTING KHALSA WOMEN 1 LOUGHBOROUGH FOXES 4

LOUGHBOROUGH Foxes continued their unbeaten run in the Women’s Premier League Midlands Division One with a hard fought 4-1 victory over a very well organised Sporting Khalsa side.

The match lacked much quality during the first half, but the Foxes went in a goal to the good at half time. Returning captain, Shauna Chambers, dispossessed a Khalsa defender high up the pitch and laid it on a plate for Charlotte Cooper who rolled the ball home to break the deadlock for the visitors.

Foxes hit the woodwork on two separate occasions within the first 45, once as Cooper clipped the top of the crossbar and then later when Frankie Wilson did everything but score, as the ball beat the goalkeeper but rebounded back off of the foot of the post.

Khalsa were comfortable on the ball but rarely threatened heading into half time, albeit from one effort from the edge of the box that had Foxes number one, Amy Burle, earning her bacon with a full stretch fingertip save to divert the goal bound effort over the crossbar.

After the interval, Khalsa returned to the field with determination to make their possession count in the second period but saw a few efforts from the edge of the box saved comfortably by Burle. However, Khalsa equalised with under a quarter of an hour to go. A long pass found its way over Foxes’ defence, and Khalsa’s number 7 took the ball well in her stride and slotted the ball into the corner of the net with such composure - game on.

Khalsa were in the ascendency to grab all three points. Unfortunately for Khalsa, Foxes’ centre half Jodie Bartle had other plans and volleyed the ball home from a Laura Steele corner with eight minutes remaining.

Khalsa pushed for a second equaliser of the match, but that only left the door open for Foxes to punish them, which they did. Substitute Eva Rogers notched her first of her afternoon from 25 yards and put the icing on the cake after tucking home a lovely flowing counter attack led by Chambers.

Loughborough Foxes lead the way in the Women’s Premier League Midlands Division One and are currently four points ahead of their rivals The New Saints, who brushed aside fellow title contenders Solihull Moors Ladies with a 4-0 win.

Foxes host Rotherham United Ladies next Sunday where they will look to add to their points tally of 25 in nine outings.