BOWERS LADIES CRUISE INTO QUARTER FINALS

Bowers & Pitsea ladies were away to Chelmsford ladies first team in the 2^nd round of the Essex cup.  With three Essex representative county players in the Chelmsford team, Bowers ladies knew that this was going to be a hard game, but football is a funny old game.

Bowers started the livelier of the two sides and really took the game to Chelmsford, keeping the ball in the Chelmsford half and missing good chances.  Bowers defence was very strong and had all the answers, playing the ball out of defence, the midfield worked hard and were creating some excellent through balls to give the forwards about 6 to 8 one on one chances, only for bowers forwards to squander chance after chance.

It was only going to be a matter of time before the break through came in the 29^th minute, when top striker Vicci Pritchard latched onto a well waited through ball to race clear of the Chelmsford defence and slot the ball past the on coming keeper to make it  0-1.  Keeping up the pressure Bowers were having all of the play in the Chelmsford half, and forced a number of corners, a fine flighted ball from Jayde Mullen was headed into the back of the net by Jo Taylor to make it 0-2 on 33 minutes.  Bowers kept their finger on the button and still missed more and more chances only to go in 0-2 at half time.

Bowers expected Chelmsford to come out with all guns blazing in the 2^nd half, but it was Bowers who started the livelier and with a perfectly timed through ball to Vicci Pritchard once again who raced clear and chipped the on coming keeper to make it   0-3 on 49 minutes.  The score line could have been extended more had it not been for some dubious offside decisions by the Chelmsford linesman.  By now it was all Bowers, playing some breath taking football and well in command it wasn’t going to be long before goal number 4 was scored.  On the 53^rd minute Tracey Child took the ball on the wide right and from 40 yards stripped the defence and cut in on the edge of the penalty area to smash the ball home for a super goal making it 0-4.

Chelmsford never gave up and on the 60^th minute had there 1^st shot on target when they were first to the ball from corner to make it 1-4.  Chelmsford then made it 2-4 on the 80^th minute when a ball was not cleared only for Chelmsford to scramble the ball home.

This did not deter Bowers defence who held strong for the final 10 minutes, and with player of the match Lynn Bardon keeping the Chelmsford forward firmly in her top pocket, Bowers never looked like losing this game.  The final whistle sent Bowers 2-4 winners into the quarter finals with a mouth watering tie against cup holders Dagenham & Redbridge ladies on the 9^th January 2005.

Elsewhere within the league Billericay Town & Saffron Walden crash out of the cup after Billericay were defeated 2 -1 by Stanway & Saffron Walden lost 0 -2 to Barking.  Whilst White Notley notched up a 12 -0 win over Colchester Town which will also see them through to the Quarter Finals.

Results Round Up.

Chelmsford City  2  -  4  Bowers & Pitsea LFC.

Brentwood Town  9  -  0   Southend United

Maldon Saints 4 Redbridge 4  (aet) Redbridge won 2-1 on Pens

Saffron Walden Town  0  - 2   Barking

Dagenham & Redbridge 9   -   1  Maldon Town

Stanway 2  -  1  Billericay Town

White Notley 12  - 0   Colchester Town