Swindon Spitfires kept alive their hopes of a top three finish in the South West Women’s Football League Premier Division with a laboured 4-2 win over visitors Weymouth.

They made a bright enough start and were 1-0 up inside two minutes after Emma Skinner found Hayley Huckin on the right wing, and then met the cross to drill past Beth Smith in the visitor’s goal.

The Dorset side had elected to play up the slope in the first half, packing 5 into midfield to restrict Spitfires as much as possible. And the plot worked with the home side struggling play the ball on the floor, additionally hampered by the wind and bobbly pitch.

But it was still Spitfires who created the majority of chances with Skinner firing just wide on 16 minutes and Sarah Uzzell forcing a save from Smith seven minutes later.

Debbie Rose was on hand to block a Weymouth shot on the half hour, with keeper Tamsin Kellett having little other than long range efforts to deal with.

Spitfires then had two good chances to add to their tally before the break, Uzzell setting Ria Salleh away down the left on 37 minutes only for the resultant shot to be straight at Smith. And the two combined again on 42 minutes, this time for Uzzell’s cross-shot to be cleared by the Weymouth defence.

A minute after the re-start Uzzell had her shot tipped round the post by Smith as Spitfires kept up the pressure. And on 53 minutes they were finally rewarded as Hayley Huckin did a quick one-two with Karyn Coombs on the right before controlling a superb lofted shot over Smith from the corner of the 18 yard box.

Weymouth were still a threat though, and halved the deficit a couple of minutes later when Spitfires gave them too much time and space in midfield before Annie Redding got in behind Spitfires defence to slot past Kellett.

Huckin then fired against Weymouth’s cross-bar in the 56th minute as again Spitfires put them on the back foot, forcing a series of corners that came to nought. And just past the hour a Sammie Smith free-kick found the head of Rose at the far post, only for Beth Smith to claim the ball as it came back towards her.

Some good pressuring by Hayley Shipp won Spitfires a corner in the 77th minute, and Sammie Smith’s corner was headed home by an unfortunate Weymouth defender to make it 3-1.

And five minutes later another great corner from Sammie Smith found Shipp at the far post who joyfully tapped home for her first competitive goal at senior level. And that should have been that, but a hopeful long range effort from Shannon Peaty somehow squirmed through Kellett’s hands in the 84th minute to give the final score a closer look than Spitfires deserved.

If Spitfires win their two remaining games they will finish in third place, and at worst they can finish no lower than fourth. A tremendous achievement for a team promoted into this division this season.

Meanwhile a Katie Wadey brace earned Spitfires’ reserves a share of the points in a 2-2 draw at FC Chippenham in the Wiltshire League.

Spitfires under 17s lost their penultimate league game 3-4 at Chinnor in the Oxford Girls League. Having needed two wins from two to finish as champions this was always going to be a tough game against a side who needed maximum point to keep their mathematical chances alive.

And it was the home side that drew first blood when a speculative shot from Sarah Dougall that was going wide of the far post caught the wind, curled back towards goal before bouncing up onto the cross-bar, down again, and then spinning over the line.

Spitfires were looking nervous and not at their best with shanked clearances and miss-hit shots, but were by no means outclassed and did well to keep Chinnor at bay. However they did concede a second three minutes before the break when keeper Becky Kench parried a free-kick and unfortunately Megan Sharp was quick to seize onto the loose ball as Spits stood and watched.

Spitfires started the second half determined to get back into the game, and within two minutes reduced the deficit. Kelsey Deacon found Sarah Uzzell who broke down the right before crossing to Emma Broughton who controlled the ball, stepped round her marker and calmly slotted home.

The game was all Spitfires now, Hayley Shipp fired just over before another Broughton effort was tipped onto the bar and away to safety by Chinnor’s keeper. And Anna Higgins saw her shot deflected wide for a corner before Uzzell was denied a run at goal after being harshly adjudged to have used too much force to get between her two markers.

Then on the hour Spitfires were hit on the counter as they failed to clear a bouncing ball and Jo Taylor punished them with a calm finish in what was Chinnor’s first attack of the half.

Then came the controversial decision that potentially turned the game when Uzzell broke from behind two defenders and ran on to slot home, only for the referee to pull her back for an offside decision from the home clubs’ linesman that looked dubious, even though he had seen the flag initially and allowed to continue her run and score.

Spitfires let their frustrations get the better of them and that undoubtedly contributed to the lapse in concentration that saw Taylor add Chinnor’s fourth within a couple of minutes.

But they re-gained their composure and for the final 20 minutes pressed hard to get something out of the game. Mya McKnight made a great run down the right before crossing to Uzzell who watched in despair as her shot came back off the far post and into the keeper’s hands.

With six minutes to go Uzzell was tripped in the area before dusting herself down and slotting the penalty home to make it 4-2. Shipp then hit the corner of the bar and post with a minute to go, before Georgia Coward set Uzzell away for Spitfires’ third right on the end of normal time, but Spitfires were unable to get the equaliser they deserved in the five minutes of stoppage time.

Spitfires’ under 14s drew 0-0 with Kidlington after having the majority of possession in the first half but without posing a direct threat on goal. Kidlington struggled to get out of their half but the few times they did they couldn’t get past Danielle Jones in the Spitfires goal.

In the second half Kidlington dominated the first five minutes, but Spitfires managed to get back in to the game gradually. With both teams going for all out attack the game became very open and end to end, but great defending by both sides saw the game ended goal-less.

Also in action were the under 12s who were 2-1 winners over Tower Hill thanks to goals from Genevieve Bayliss and Georgia Miller, and the under 13s who rattled 14 past Warminster Highbury with no reply, with Gracie Bridge (3), Lois Beer (2), Georgia Brown (2), Tamzin Davis (2), Sophie Roberts (2), Hollie Timbrell (2), and Lauryn Isaac all getting on the score-sheet.

Copy from Mike Skinner Swindon Spitfires with thanks.

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