Report: Aylesford Ladies 1-2 Sutton United Women

Sutton United Women’s second-half goal was enough to edge Aylesford Ladies in a tough battle in the Kent rain.

Manager Lucy Clark spoke of a fast start to her team on the sideline before kick off, and that’s exactly what she got, K’shaella Burch-Waldron passing it across goal to Gabby Williams at the back post, who took a touch, slotting it home past Ayelsford’s goalkeeper.  

For the next half an hour, chances were scarce, with both teams forcing each other to work hard for a sight of a goal.

However, just after the 30-minute mark, a beautiful free kick into the box landed to Burch-Waldron, whose bullet header found the back of the net but was instantly ruled offside by the linesman. 

With tackles flying around, it was a fiercely contested game, but Williams’ early goal was the only thing to separate the two teams at the break. 

After controlling the first half, Sutton were stunned at the start of the second.

From an Aylesford corner, the ball fell to number 8, who, on the edge of the area, put her laces through it, blasting it into the top left corner, leaving U’s goalkeeper, Megan Taylor, rooted to her spot. 

It was a goal that appeared to ignite an attacking flame in Sutton, immediately hunting for the lead again, first through Emma Spear, whose shot on the half turn from inside the box sailed over the crossbar.

Moments later, Spear’s strike partner, Williams, was gifted an opportunity, pouncing on an Aylesford mistake at the back but a strong leg from the goalkeeper prevented the American international from scoring her second of the match. 

The resulting corner then fell to Williams again, who peeled off at the front post, glancing it across the face of goal to Burch Walrden, who got a foot to it, only to be denied by a diving goalkeeper, somehow stopping it from crossing the line. 

It was thanks to the heroics of Ayelsford’s number 13 that Sutton weren’t in front, and this continued in a barrage of attacks when Williams drifted in from the left unchallenged, being seemingly invited to take the shot, which she did, but couldn’t bend it around the goalkeeper. 

It seemed only a matter of time before the U’s took advantage of one of the many oppurutnies they were being gifted, and on the 70th minute Williams was unsuprisngly involved, slowing her run down as she got in behind, surveying the area, and picking out substitute Cassie Chase, who with her first touch in a Sutton shirt, stroked the ball across her body into the bottom right corner. 

The U’s then went in search of their third to seal the three points, controlling the ball and finding space in between the lines, but they couldn’t find the killer goal.

It didn’t matter though, with Chase’s cool strike enough to seal the win, meaning Sutton have won three games on the bounce and will aim for their fourth against Penn and Tyler’s Green in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.