Real Bedford Ladies Continue Perfect Form At Home
Real Bedford Ladies put away Needham Market in a strong 3-1 win at McMullen Park.
On a wet Sunday afternoon at McMullen Park, Real Bedford Ladies looked to continue their perfect start to the season, hosting Needham Market in the league.
From the first whistle, the Pirates dominated proceedings, with Erin Price, Zara Carroll, and Gemma Croucher controlling the midfield and stifling any attempts from Needham to establish a foothold in the game.
The first real opportunity of the match came within the opening 10 minutes, courtesy of CJ's pace down the left flank. She put in a dangerous low cross, but Cesca Partridge was just out of reach. Amber Smith raced onto the loose ball, only to send her shot agonisingly wide of the target. Smith continued to threaten the Needham defence, nearly setting up Tasha Fensome in a move similar to the opening goal of last week's win against Stevenage, but this time, the ball was just too high for the head of the Bedford striker.
Bedford's persistence paid off in the 18th minute when Erin Price delivered a perfect through ball to Cesca Partridge. Partridge took a deft touch to evade the Needham defenders and unleashed a powerful strike from the edge of the box, finding the bottom left corner of the net.
The Pirates doubled their advantage just three minutes later. Gemma Croucher, deep in her own half, launched a pinpoint through ball to Tasha Fensome, who outpaced the Needham defence and coolly slotted the ball home, marking her 15th goal of the season.
Fensome netted her second of the day in the 27th minute following a long free kick from the Bedford captain, Zara Carroll, into the Needham Box. Her slight header confused the away side's defence, and the ball rolled into the net.
Needham's Page Wakefield narrowly missed a chance to get her side back in the game just before halftime. A low cross from the right found her free in the box, but as she slid in, she could only guide the ball wide of the sticks.
Second Half
The second half saw a shift in momentum, with the Pirates unable to capitalise on their chances and Needham gradually growing into the game. Fensome, Smith, and Partridge missed opportunities to extend the lead with good opportunities.
Needham's persistence finally paid off in injury time, capitalising on a rare mistake from the Pirates' defence to snatch a late consolation goal, courtesy of Lucy Loomes.
Despite a less convincing second half, Real Bedford Ladies walked away with all three points, maintaining their 100% start to the season and extending their lead at the top of the table to 8 points.
Real Bedford Ladies 3 - 1 Needham Market
29th October, 2023
Kick-off: 2pm
Location: McMullen Park
