Alton Ladies 4, Wimborne 0

JUBILANT Alton Ladies swept aside current Hampshire 1 league leaders Wimborne Wayfarers 4-0.

Saturday’s win leaves Alton in second place, four points behind Wimborne with a game in hand in their quest for promotion.

After a week’s break because of the frosty conditions, a rejuvenated Alton went out all guns blazing, and it was their high work rate and calm, confident play that led the team to their convincing home win.

Alton took to the pitch with composure and enthusiasm from the start, excelling early on with their strong passing, cohesive attacking play, and good communication all over the pitch.

Despite a few close calls as the team faced multiple penalty short corners, the combined strength of the experienced defence, as well as yet another impressive performance by Alton goalkeeper Louise Yeadon, was more than enough to keep the score at 0-0 by half time.

Back on the pitch, it wasn’t long before a focused Alton side made their mark on the game. Following some skillful work along the baseline by 13-year-old Monica Watkins, it was Leah Coney’s quick reflexes that finally put the ball in the net, scoring with a clever rebound off the Wimborne goalkeeper’s pads.

With one in the bag, the team went from strength to strength as the game progressed. And it wasn’t long before Monica netted goal number two, scoring from the top of the D with a perfectly-executed reverse strike, firmly planting the ball in the back corner of the goal.

And she soon struck again, confidently stepping up to the mark and scoring with a powerful penalty flick into the net to put Alton 3-0 ahead.

With victory nearly in Alton’s grasp, there was one more goal to come. With a well-placed ball in from Naomi Jones, finally it was Maddie Ripton Palmer who scored with a textbook sweeping deflection into the net.

When the final whistle blew, it signalled the end to an exceptional match all around for the delighted Alton side.

It’s clear to see the many long training sessions are paying off. A confident display of teamwork, as well as some exceptional individual performances across the pitch, made for a fantastic game to watch.

On Saturday, Alton make the short trip to Heath End School to face Aldershot & Farnham seconds.