MATCH REPORT
Charlie Bradford gives us the lowdown on today’s Wands Women PSF…
Horsham Women 4
(Bridgewater 45+1, Barker 60, Trialist B 7, Bowen 88)
Cray Wanderers Women 7
(Main 16, Francis 22, 40, Rix 28, Arnold 35, Trialist B 61, Gregory 89)
Sunday 20th July 2025, 2 PM @ The Fushion Aviation Community Stadium
After an impressive performance last weekend against Chatham Town Women Development to open up their pre season with a 6-2 victory, Cray Wanderers Women travelled to West Sussex this afternoon for their second…
Horsham Women were the opponents this afternoon on a day with variable weather compared to the searing heat of last week’s game, no doubt a bit of a relief to both sides!
Horsham apply their trade in the Sussex County Women & Girls Football League Open Age Premier Division. Like Cray that’s the seventh tier of women’s football and, like Cray again, they finished third last term.
Everything therefore pointed to a tight contest between the two this afternoon and, in a weekend which saw Cray Wanderers Women players Hannah Gilmour and Emily Symonds witness Oleksandr Usyk defeat Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium, it remained to be seen who could land the knockout blows this afternoon…!
And Cray certainly dominated the chances column early on with Olivia Gregory’s ball to Millie Main struck past the left post, Storm Arnold’s pull back almost turned into her own net by the covering Horsham defender, and Lucy Rix guiding an effort past the right post from a free kick.
Cray’s early pressure paid off when they took a 16th minute lead when Olivia Gregory ran down the right side of the box and pulled the ball back to Millie Main who simply could not miss as she guided the ball into the unguarded bottom left.
A further six minutes passed before Cray doubled their lead when Chloe Francis guided a shot into the bottom right corner in a nice finish.
And, a further fix minutes later, Cray made it 3-0 when a cross from the left was headed into the bottom left corner by Lucy Rix.
A dream opening half an hour then for the Wands Women and, after Chloe Francis missed a sitter moments before, their start got even better when they made it 4-0 in the 35th minute when Storm Arnold smashed the ball into the top left corner in a first time finished from 12 yards out.
Cray’s ruthlessness continued in the 40th minute when they completed a nap hand – Chloe Francis with the pick of today’s Cray goals with a superb strike into the top right corner from the edge of the box.
Some sloppiness however blotted Cray’s copy book in the third minute of first half stoppage time when they gave the ball away cheaply at the back and were duly punished when Bridgewater managed to tuck an effort into the unguarded bottom right.
HT: 1-5.
If there is such a thing as momentum when you’re 5-1 down then Horsham had it as they pulled another goal back in the 60th minute when Cray’s trialist goalkeeper gave the ball away cheaply and Barker capitalised to slot the ball into the empty net.
However, a minute later, Cray restored a four goal cushion when a square ball from the right was tucked into the bottom right corner by “Trialist B”.
Horsham however pulled to within three again in the 78th minute when a cracking strike into the top left from 20 yards by their own “Trialist B” found the back of the net.
And they weren’t done there as they scored again in the 88th minute when Bowen struck over the head of Cray’s goalkeeper from 25 yards.
Cray however had the last laugh – Olivia Gregory striking home via the inside of the right post in the 89th minute.
A goal fest then this afternoon and thirteen goals in two games so far in pre season for the Wands Women – they are nothing if not entertaining!
FT: 4-7.
