Oxford United Women remain unbeaten in the league after drawing 1-1 with Billericay Town Women this afternoon at Court Place Farm.
Leah Burridge opened the scoring once again in the ninth minute before Beau Parker equalised just after the break for Billericay.
A minute's silence to remember the late HM Queen Elizabeth II was impeccably observed before kick-off by all at Court Place Farm.
The visitors came into the game off the back of their first win of the season and made it hard for United to control the ball in the opening minutes as they have done so consistently this season.
Then, in the ninth minute, United took the lead rather fortunately to continue their trend of scoring early. Sarah King hounded the Billericay defence and after some excellent work to nick the ball off her marker down the right, put the ball into the box. The clearance from Billericay ricocheted off Burridge, past the despairing dive of visiting keeper Jess Gray and into the net for her sixth of the season.
In the 22nd minute, United had a goal disallowed when Riva Casley won a header from a Naomi Cole cross, and Gray spilled the ball. Burridge then dived in and was perhaps harshly adjudged to have fouled the Billericay keeper as the ball tumbled over the line.
The game turned bitty, and captain Lauren Haynes received the Yellows’ first booking of the season in the 34th minute after an aerial clash in the middle of the park. Five minutes before the break, Jaime Gotch headed just wide from a corner, but United went into the dressing room one goal to the good.
Just after the break however, the U's conceded their first goal of the season. Burridge turned into trouble receiving the ball from Rose Kite, and was tackled by Parker who finished despite a touch from the Oxford goalkeeper. 1-1.
The Blues had their tails up, and United’s grit was tested as the visitors had two good chances on goal.
But United reacted well, creating chances of their own. Daisy McLachlan so nearly restored the lead in the 59th minute when she turned her defender excellently in the box but was only denied by the feet of the outstretched Billericay keeper.
Billericay started to press higher up the pitch, attempting to stop the U’s from playing out from the back. With fifteen minutes left to play it looked like United had scored, as a misplaced back pass rolled perilously towards the Billericay net, but was just cleared off the line by Gray.
In the 87th minute, Sophie Baker came on for her first minutes of the season, replacing Burridge. The U’s worked really hard to try and find the winner, but the ball just wouldn’t fall for them, and the game ended as a 1-1 draw.
United will be frustrated to end their perfect run but remain unbeaten and top of the league. They now look ahead to the rescheduled League Cup game away to AFC Bournemouth next Sunday.
UNITED:
Kite, Stevens, Casley, Gotch, Provan, Haynes, Cole, Burridge (Baker), King (Hartigan), Johns, Mclachlan
Attendance: 220
Report by Billy Lawrence, pictures Darrell Fisher