Cambridge City beaten 6-0 during Eastern Region Premier Division trip to Haringey Borough
An understrength Cambridge City suffered a 6-0 defeat at third-placed Haringey Borough in the Eastern Region Women’s Premier Division on Sunday, writes Robert Coe.
The Lilywhites, who were missing five regular first-team starters and featured new signings, twins Lily and Anias Winney, competed for large parts of the game but were undone by five of the goals being scored in 17 minutes either side of half-time.
Things are looking pretty bleak for Stewart Nicholls’ bottom-of-the-table side, who are currently five points from safety and face second-placed Luton Town in their next league game.
The City boss said: “We had a very depleted squad, some due to injuries and some due to not training.
“I thought we started well and moved the ball across the pitch as we asked. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes, we realised they had a very good player on the left side, who started to cause us a lot of problems.
“Zoe (Winchester) getting injured after 15 minutes forced us into an early substitution. We moved people about and got caught twice in quick concession. We reshuffled and managed to get some play going again.
“Second half was the same. We battled really well all game with such a young and depleted squad.”
City goalkeeper Erica Neale was called into action as early as the second minute, needing strong hands to save from a powerful long-range shot.
However, in the fifth minute the first goal came as the dangerous left winger Caitlen Star, back in the UK for the holidays from the University of South Carolina, broke free and crossed for an easy tap in.
Unfortunately, experienced defender Zoe Winchester had to go off five minutes later with an ankle injury to be replaced by 16-year-old Poppy MacLeod.
City had a short spell of pressure with Hannah Simpson hitting a shot on to the roof of the net and the Haringey goalkeeper saving with her legs to deny centre-forward Anias Winney.
However, Haringey’s second goal came on the half-hour mark and was added to two minutes later.
Winney had a shout for a penalty after a clumsy challenge in the penalty area and Natasha Coe played a neat through ball but Winney was narrowly offside.
The home side scored their fourth and fifth goals within two minutes of the restart and it was damage limitation from then on. Neale was again called upon and stand-in captain Isabel Beeson made several clearances.
Haringey made it six with 15 minutes remaining and City were left feeding off scraps although Coe and Winney were combining well, the former unlucky not to get a penalty after she was barged over in the box.
City switch to County Cup action on Sunday (19 January) with a trip to take on Cambridge Rangers.
