BOOM! 3 points we'll take that!

Marlborough ladies were looking forward to this mid table clash with mendip especially as when the sides had met in November mendip had come away 3/0 winners so the home side were keen to even the score. Marlborough were still hurting from their shock defeat at the hands of Salisbury the previous weekend and were on the front foot from the off.

From the whistle Marlborough moved the ball with confidence with Rachel Cox dictating the distribution of the ball from the middle of the pitch. This week the side had a plethora of forwards with Jess Pugh, Catherine Manley, Alice Thompson, Milly Dawson Anna Strover and the returning Sophie Fynn pressurising the mendip defence on a quick rotation. Marlborough moved the ball well spreading the play from one side of the pitch to the other and soon the majority of the play was in the mendip half. Mendip were dangerous on the break but the Marlborough defence held firm. The stalemate was broken half way through the first half when Jess Pugh, adding to her already impressive season's goal tally, slotted one home from close in. Marlborough knew they had to keep up the pressure as Mendip would not go down without a fight. Once more Marlborough were in the oppositions' half when the away side broke through managing to get a pass across the goal mouth which was converted by a diving Mendip forward at the back post. Marlborough kept their heads up and mounted attack after attack with some near misses on goal. The break through came just before half time with a clean hard strike from the top of the D by Rachel Cox - boom the goalkeeper was no where to be seen. 2/1 up at half time.

The half time talk was all about keeping doing what we'd been doing in the first half and that's just what Marlborough did. The defence of Annabel Ashley, Torie Williams, Amy Davidson, Beth Palfrey and with Anna Scott calling the shots held firm and advanced up the pitch. Mendip did get into the Marlborough D on a handful of occasions but between the defence and goalkeeper VIcky Moxham these attacks were dealt with effectively. The midfield of Rachel Cox, Ness Pickford-Smith and Penny Bowen moved the ball well laying on balls to the forwards who were hungry for more goals. No more goals from either side were scored in the second half so the full time score was a good 2/1 win for Marlborough. The 3 points from this take the ladies up to 4th place in the East league table.

Marlborough News Online man of the match was shared deservingly by Anna Scott for commanding the field of play and Amy Davidson for some stealth defending and attacking play.