Women Gain Local Bragging Rights

The home side were forced to make five changes to the squad that beat Bedford the previous week with Mungham-Gray and Parker in the starting line-up and new signings Tink, Leyer and Symonds on the bench.

Despite the conditions, the game started at a quick tempo with Birchall carving out a run on the left flank, cutting inside only to see her shot saved by the Wymondham keeper at the near post. It was then Wymondham’s turn to attack and keeper Bell parried the ball, with the return ball headed off the line by Wroxham’s captain Larkins.

The hosts were looking to attack down either flank and former Wymondham player Holloway forced a corner on the right and from her set-piece Leach’s header was held by the away keeper. Leach was then penalised for a foul at the other end, but the Wymondham free-kick sailed over the bar.

Wymondham were struggling with the pace of Holloway and Birchall and the two combined with the later shooting just wide of the target after which the game was halted for a short water-break.

When play resumed, Larkins did well to cut out a dangerous Wymondham counter-attack, before a long ball was launched forward and headed on by Kindred to put Birchall away, who fired past the away keeper to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Birchall almost double the lead minutes later when firing into the side-netting after receiving a through ball from Bygrave. Wymondham missed a good chance to equalise moments later from a through ball which split the home defence, however, in a one-on-one with Bell the striker shot straight at the keeper.

Both Symonds and Leyer were introduced as manager Burton looked to keep players fresh in the hot conditions and the former did well to cut out a long ball on the left flank. Another away attack saw the ball crossed from the left which was deflected past the defence and Bell pushed past the post for a corner, that was headed clear by Shields.

The final meaningful attack of the half was halted when Birchall was brought down and the 30 yard free-kick by Bygrave was just wide of the post, as the hosts went into the break with a deserved but slender 1-0 lead.

After an early free-kick from Leach was saved by the keeper, Wymondham had their best spell of the game so far, pushing Wroxham to defend deep in their own half, but apart from a deflected cross being saved by Bell they rarely forced the home keeper into making saves.

It took around 10 minutes for the home side to get going in the second half, until Leach’s lob cleared the keeper and bar from a centre by Holloway, then Birchall fired across the goal and just past the far post.

Tink was brought on for Leach as Wroxham continued to make changes due to the heat and five minutes later the hosts increased their lead. Birchall was fouled around 30 yards out on the right and Parker’s free-kick was met by Birchall with a bullet header past the keeper. Barely two minutes on, it was 3-0 with another set-piece goal with Pasque heading home Holloway’s corner.

As the game entered its final stage, the visitors had a header just wide of the post, the Bell had to be alert to gathered a cross with a Wymondham striker challenging at the far post.

Bygrave had a shot saved in the final minute, before a header was just wide from a Holloway corner in the last action of the game, with the hosts securing all three points in an entertaining game where both sides played admirably in extreme hot conditions.

Wroxham Women: A Bell, A Larkins, O Mungham-Gray, K Pasque, G Parker, C Shields, K Holloway, B Bygrave, K Kindred, E Leach, G Birchall. Subs used: C Tink, V Leyer, L Symonds. Unused: C Fullbrook.