Fareham Ladies’ 1s completed a near perfect season on Saturday with a 4-2 win against Oxford. Not only did this result compensate for our loss against the same opponents at Henry Cort but we also managed to extend our winning margin to 14 points over second place Marlow. We led the league in almost every way measurable this season, finishing with most points, most wins, least defeats, most goals scored, least goals conceded and most clean sheets and we were the only side to remain unbeaten away from home.

With her wedding just a week away, Lauren Anning decided not to take any chances by playing at Oxford but she was present on the touchline and the remainder of the core group of 16 players were all able to take part in the finale.

It did not take long before Oxford reminded everyone that there were two teams on the pitch and they would have a big say in the outcome as the home team took the lead in the second minute from a penalty corner. The injection was hit to the nearest player, Charlotte Seaman, and her angled shot received the finest of deflections from MOLLY HULCUP before flying into the far top corner just out of the reach of Sophia Barclay.

Fareham took the early setback in their stride as they looked for an equalizer. It almost came in the eighth minute when Sarah Johns had a shot which hit the outside of the goal frame after a dangerous run and cross from Gracie Coleman.

We only had to wait one more minute before we were on level terms. A quick break in the ninth minute was initiated by Alicia Caillard and was continued by Gracie Coleman with a run into the area. As she neared the goal she slipped the ball across to SARAH JOHNS who had her back to goal but scored with a clever reverse finish to beat the keeper.

Safely back on level terms, the visitors took control and went in front in the 19th minute from their first penalty corner. There was nothing fancy about this one as SIAN EDWARDS stepped forward and unleashed a strike with such venom that no one on the goal line stood a chance of keeping it out.

The remainder of the first half was fairly even but neither side threatened to add to the score and it remained 2-1 at half-time.

Fareham began the second half on the offensive as they looked to open up a two goal lead. Katie Paxman and Hannah Ward set up an opportunity for Rebecca Reavell two minutes after the resumption but Mia Cryer, the Oxford keeper, saved the shot. However, she could do nothing in the 38th minute when Fareham scored again from a penalty corner. Aimee Timms had the initial shot which ALICIA CAILLARD re-directed into the opposite side of the goal to give the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Two minutes later Kiera Denham had a powerful run down the right and created another opportunity for Rebecca Reavell but her reverse shot was saved well by Mia Cryer. Moments later an inadvertent foot denied Hannah Ward the chance to extend the lead from in front of goal.

Despite trailing by two goals, Oxford picked up the pace and started to become more threatening. This was further compounded when the umpire showed a yellow card to the Fareham bench with 11 minutes remaining and the captain had to come off the pitch for five minutes.

It was an innocuous incident which didn’t seem to justify a card but for a while it threatened to spoil a good game and could have changed the outcome as, barely a minute later, Oxford pulled the score back to 3-2 from a well executed penalty corner. FLORENCE HULCUP got the final touch with a deflection at the far post.

Fareham saw out the remaining minutes on the card but the final moments were quite nervy as there was the feeling that there would be another goal for somebody. Fortunately the visitors, probably fired up by a certain sense of injustice, were not going to be denied. They had come to win and they were not going to have it snatched away in the closing stages.

With two minutes to play Fareham were awarded their third penalty corner of the game. They had scored from the first two and they duly made it a perfect three from three with a nicely worked one-two between AIMEE TIMMS and Alicia Caillard which Aimee completed with a powerful low shot (and trade mark slip) to restore the two goal margin, settle the nerves and finish the game in style.

The final score of 4-2 for Fareham was very satisfying. We had finally beaten Oxford and achieved our aim of maintaining the quality and commitment through the final games of the season. Next season will be a new and exciting challenge in the national league but whatever the future holds and whatever we might achieve at a higher level this will always be a special season and we will probably never win as many games or accumulate as many points.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed this season. In addition to the sixteen players present at Oxford, thank you to Hannah Oldham and Emma Boddington who also played an important role in the games which they played. Thanks of course for the time and effort put in by Lemmo and Nick Roddis to brilliantly coach and shape such an exciting team and thank you to Linda and Emma for keeping us fed with your excellent teas. Finally, thank you to everyone who has supported us this season, home and away. It is really appreciated and has helped give us the edge in some close contests.