FA CUP second qualifying round

Bridgwater Town Ladies 4 Newbury Ladies 2

BRIDGWATER Town Ladies progressed to the third qualifying round of the FA Women’s Cup in an evenly matched tie.

Town got off to a fantastic start when they took the lead in the second minute.

Abi Locke went down the left, beat her full-back and squared to Anusia Rourke, who let fly from outside the box.

Newbury were stunned, and Town should have gone further ahead through Taylor Gainey and Locke.

Newbury capitalised on this just on half-time when a forward cut inside leftback Courtney Bell and shot across Town keeper Ami Ward into the corner.

Town started strongly in the second half, but Newbury went ahead after a speculative shot caught Ward off her line and dropped in.

Town then seemed to click, and the pace of Gainey and Locke was causing a tiring Newbury defence problems.

After 60 minutes Town levelled when a deep pass from the right found Gainey, who got behind the defence and clipped the ball past the on rushing keeper.

Newbury came back strongly, but Town’s pressure paid off when Gainey was upended in the box on 71 minutes – Rourke dispatched the penalty to put Town back in front.

Town decided the tie on 80 minutes when Gainey latched on to a through pass, outpaced the defence and calmly put the ball past the keeper.

Hannah Brown made her first appearance in 18 months after the terrible tackle at Plymstock in 2013 which resulted in knee surgery.