Cambridge United Under-18s battle back to beat Bournville in Junior Premier League encounter

Cambridge United Women Under-18s kept up the pressure at the top of the Junior Premier League after Saturday’s 4-2 win at Bournville left them just a point off the summit.

The U’s came from a goal behind with a brace from Emilia Reinhardt and one each for Gwendolyn Davis-Jones and Lily Horsler to remain in fourth place in a congested top of the table, with only a single point separating four teams.

United got under way with a 3-5-2 formation but they started badly, conceding after just three minutes when a corner hit the body of the unfortunate Horsler and the ball rebounded into the back of the net at the near post.

However, Cambridge did not have to wait long for an equaliser when a short throw from goalkeeper Lily-Grace Jane-Cooke found Katie Watler, who played a defence-splitting pass to Reinhardt and she was well positioned to slot the ball beyond the on-rushing keeper.

Horsler made up for her own goal and gave United the lead after a quarter of an hour when Mistie Fox-Barker took the ball down the right and found Reinhardt, who pulled it back from the byline for Horsler in the six-yard box to finish.

The visitors were clearly on top with more chances falling to Natasha Coe and Millie Docking before an excellent first-half performance was capped off when Davis-Jones scored from an 35-yard free kick from that flew into the roof of the net.

The second half did not have the same energy as the opening 45 minutes as United reverted back to a 4-3-3 formation, allowing for defensive lynchpin Sydney Daniels to be rotated.

Nevertheless, United still did enough to extend their lead to put the game beyond Bourville and seal the three points. Coe picked up the ball inside her own half and launched the ball into the opposition penalty area which bounced over the goalkeeper with Reinhardt at hand to tap the ball in to an empty net and get her second of the game.

Bournville pulled one back but it could not diminish the delight of manager Sean Greygoose, who said: “A brilliant result with a few players unavailable.

“We have started to change the shape to help the girls develop and I thought they were excellent with the understanding and changes.

“We went a goal down after a minute but showed a great reaction and totally controlled the game for 75 minutes.

“The last 10 minutes became slightly sloppy and that’s something we spoke about because the girls are setting themselves such high standards, so something to work on but again we created loads of chances which is the main thing.”

On Saturday (December 2), Greygoose’s team travel to Watford to face the bottom-of-the-table side.