After the disappointment of narrowly losing their previous fixture, Bootham Ladies made the long trip south to London to face Maidenhead for the first time in National League Tier 2.

The two sides had met briefly during the summer at the Southampton Futsal Tournament, where honours were shared in an entertaining 5–5 draw. Maidenhead started the weekend above Bootham in the league table and, with Bootham, still smarting from their recent defeat against Manchester, a game they felt they should have won, determined to return to winning ways and cement second place in the league.

Bootham were represented by: Ellie Whittaker (C), Jess Baker, Jess Barnes, Suzy Collins, Heather Smith, Erin Elliott, Natasha Eustance, Nikki Brown and Katie Samson (GK).

1st Half

Bootham made the dream start when Maidenhead flew their goalkeeper, only for her pass to be picked off by Smith. From her own half, Brown kept her nerve and rolled the ball into an unguarded net.

The lead was short-lived. Maidenhead struck back almost instantly with a slick, incisive move. Bootham then swept the ball the length of the court in a flowing attack, Eustance’s effort forced a sharp save, but it was Maidenhead who struck next while playing fly.

Chances followed at both ends. Eustance and Brown went agonisingly close, only for Baker to deny Maidenhead with a stunning clearance off the line. The pressure finally told when Whittaker’s pass picked out Eustance, unmarked in front of goal, for the simplest of tap-ins.

Bootham should have completed the turnaround moments later, Brown rattled both posts and Baker blazed over from point-blank range. Those misses proved costly, as the hosts punished Bootham’s profligacy by snatching the lead just before the interval.

Half Time – Maidenhead 3 – 2 Bootham

2nd Half

The second half burst into life with both sides hunting an early breakthrough. Bootham went agonisingly close when Brown surged the length of the court and picked out Smith, but with only the keeper to beat she dragged her shot narrowly wide.

That miss proved costly as Maidenhead soon stretched their advantage, but Bootham responded with the goal of the game. A scintillating move saw Elliott find Smith, whose first-time pass released Brown. Her pinpoint cross was met with venom by Barnes, who hammered the ball home to ignite the contest.

Bootham pushed hard for an equaliser. Smith almost caught the keeper out with an audacious chip, before Eustance’s thunderous long-range effort crashed back off the crossbar. The game swung from end to end, with Samson producing a string of vital saves to keep Bootham alive.

Another slick move saw Elliott slide the ball into Eustance, who teed up Smith, but her low drive was smothered by the goalkeeper. Then came the final heartbreak. In the dying seconds, Brown delivered a superb cross into the D where Eustance found space, but with just the keeper to beat she couldn’t lift the ball over her as Bootham were denied a dramatic late point.

Full Time – Maidenhead 4 – 3 Bootham

Link to the latest NFS Tier 2 league table

Coach Chris remained encouraged after the game, despite the result, he said, ‘That’s the second game in a row where we’ve outshot the opposition and created plenty of chances, which is really positive. We’re playing good futsal and the goals will come. In the second half we put them under real pressure and for a good seven minutes we completely dominated the game. The court was narrow and long, and the surface made things tricky at times, but the players adapted well and continued to move the ball with intent.

We’re still learning to stay composed when we concede, but that’s part of our development. There were moments where we showed great patience, kept the ball well and moved the opposition around. Jess Barnes’ goal was outstanding and as good as any futsal goal we’ve scored all season. It showed exactly what this group is capable of when we build play properly.

While it was another long trip home, I couldn’t be prouder of the commitment and support within this squad. Travelling to London and back in one day shows the character and togetherness of this group. The results will come if we keep performing like this. We take the positives, reset, and go again next week when we return to Nottingham to face Southampton Athletic.‘

Match Highlights:

Player of the Match — chosen by Coach Chris, was Katie Samson – She produced a series of outstanding saves at crucial moments and played a huge role in keeping us firmly in the game. Calm, composed and confident with her distribution, Katie led from the back and gave the team real stability throughout. A fantastic performance and a thoroughly well deserved award. Well played, Katie.

Images from today’s game: