Oxford United Women v Portsmouth Women – Sunday 11th February 2024
After an incredible 10 straight league wins and top of the National League South on 36 points, Pompey Women travelled to Oxford United Women, 8 points ahead of their hosts knowing that a win would go a long way towards finishing above The U’s in a bid for that all important top/promotion spot.
Me and Ajit decided to make a weekend of our trip along with her school friend Claire. Claire is an avid Coventry City fan but, like a lot of us, enjoys watching a neutral game with friends.
As a leftfield idea, we all stayed in Aylesbury on Saturday night (22 miles east of Oxford) as me and Ajit had never been to Buckinghamshire’s county town before.
On arrival, we soon noticed some statues of British icons. Firstly there was Ronnie Barker by the contemporary Waterside Theatre, then just across the road and in Market Square is one of David Bowie (underneath the archway of the photo below).
Plus there was an absolute must visit at Discover Bucks Museum. ‘I Grew Up 80s’ is a highly impressive exhibition of 80s artefacts and culture from the iconic decade that had the three of us transfixed as we re-visited our childhood.
Even now when I hear the opening theme to He-Man its as if I’m back in the front room of my first house in North End.
On to Sunday, the three of us had our hotel breakfast then a nice morning stroll along part of the Grand Union canal before headingacross to Oxford for the match itself.
Unlike Oxford United men’s, their women’s team play at Court Place Farm (AKA The Raw Charging Stadium) in the Marston area of the city which is actually the home of The U’s city neighbours Oxford City.
So as their abode in the north east of the city is next to an area called Headington, there was a trip down football memory lane to have.
But not before visiting a real sight to behold. Just off the London Road on New High Street is the Headington Shark (AKA Untitled) which is an extraordinary 25ft fibre glass sculpture that goes head first through a roof top.
We then crossed the other side of London Road and a familiar journey many Pompey fans will recall back in the day – the now demolished site of Oxford United’s former Manor Ground.
I only went there once in March 1992, yet I remember the narrow Cuckoo Lane (as pictured below) and where the new apartments are roughly where you would have entered the uncovered away terrace.
We walked around the permitter of the old ground, and into Beech Road where the main stand was accessed and now home to the private Nuffield Health hospital funnily enough called The Manor Hospital.
I saw a foundation stone to state the hospital opened in 2003 but found it disappointing that there wasn’t a plaque (or certainly nowhere I could see) with any reference that for 76 years this was the home of Oxford United FC (nee Headington United).
After finding street parking near the ground, when we arrived at Marsh Lane we walked into Court Place Farm and noticed there is also the Oxsrad Sports & Leisure Centre next door together with netball pitches and another football pitch before you get to the RAW Charging Stadium itself.
After paying the £7 admission fee, we made our way through the turnstiles about 10 minutes before the 2pm kick off and I picked up a programme for £2.
The ground itself opened in 1993 so it is still relatively new and has an overall capacity of 2k. As pictured below, at one end is the club house and catering facilities with room for fans to stand by the perimeter of the pitch, and it is here we stood during the first half once we established Pompey were kicking to this end first.
As pictured below, the main stand is a cosy little stand with about four rows of seats and at the opposite end to where we were in the first half is a small covered terrace.
Time now of the Pompey team huddle just before play got underway.
As the game started, it was not long before we began to look very dangerous on the attack with Sophie Quirk running down the left side and into the box before seeing her shot saved by keeper Paris Sercombe.
Pompey continued this initiative and further chances from Daisy McLachlan and Emma Jones were kept out. But we broke the deadlock on 24 minutes when some great play from Quirk and Jones saw the latter cross the ball across to the far post from McLachlan to fire into the roof of the net to give Pompey the lead.
A special moment for McLachlan to net her first goal since the forward returned to Pompey in January, ironically against one of her former clubs.
Then 11 minutes later, the lead was doubled when a cross from Nicole Barrett was punched away by Sercombe and squared back to Ava Rowbotham who from well outside the area drove a speculative shot that flew into the net.
As the closing minutes of the first half ticked by, I decided to wander over to the side opposite the main stand. As pictured, there is a small seated stand in the corner, a covered terrace in the middle behind the dug outs and then in the far corner and, what appears an interim measure, some scaffolding seats which are both open to the elements and where you cannot see the right-hand corner on this side.
As you’d expect from a side who themselves had won their previous 7 league games in a row, Oxford continued to press as they looked to make sure the game didn’t run away from them. I then thought just keep it 2-0 at half-time then we have a solid base to build on in the second half.
But then in stoppage time came arguably the game’s defining moment that meant such a taller order for the hosts to come back from. Following a good run on the right-hand side by Barrett, she crossed the ball back to Rowbotham who chipped a perfect lob that The U’s defence and keeper could only watch as it dropped into the far corner of the net – her second incredible goal of the game.
HT: Oxford United Women 0-3 Pompey Women
As pictured below (L-R:) me, Ajit and Claire decided to move down to the covered terrace at the opposite end where most Pompey fans were standing, complete with a collection of club flags.
3-0 was quite a first half lead away to a side who have a formidable home record. So with that in mind, it was crucial we kept thingstight for the first 15 mins after the break as Oxford had to throw everything at us.
But on 51 minutes, there could be little argument that 3 points would not be heading back down the A34 after a good cross came in from Izzy Collins to Jones who controlled the ball so skilfully before setting up Georgie Freeland who struck home number four into the bottom corner of the net.
Credit must go to a section of young Oxford kids who even at 4-0 were singing their team’s name. Then with 14 minutes to go they were given some reward when what looked like a cross come shot was saved by Hannah Haughton with her foot, but the ball landed straight at former Pompey winger Tash Stephens who bundled home a consolation for The U’s.
But Oxford weren’t finished and it took a superb double save by Haughton on 82 minutes to prevent the hosts from halving the deficit.
Firstly, she dived down low to save a shot onto the post, then dived down well again to block the rebound to ensure we weren’t in for a nervy end to the game. It’s the sort of moment that would have been talked about much more if the game had a tighter scoreline at the time.
But as the 90 mins were up and we entered added time, Pompey restored their four-goal advantage when Ella Humphrey played in Nicole Barrett who cut in from the right, outsmarted the Oxford defence before slotting past Sercombe into the bottom corner to complete an outstanding performance and resounding win for Jay Sadler’s side.
FT: Oxford Women 1-5 Pompey Women
Att: 312
That win is Pompey Women’s 11th in a row in the league to keep them in that crucial top spot. We are now 11 points clear of 4th place Oxford United and still 3 points clear of 2nd placed Hashtag United – who won 3-0 on Sunday.
The Blues have a game in hand on the Essex club and a goal difference 33 better than them, that could well prove to be worth another point in the promotion/title race for Pompey Women.
As the players left the pitch in celebration there was plenty of interaction with the fans as usual, so I took the opportunity to have a selfie with some of our team (pictured L-R:) Jazz Younger, Izzy Collins, Nicole Barrett and Riva Casley.
Before we left Oxford to head back to Birmingham, there was still enough time and reasonable daylight to quickly pop into the city centre and take photos of some of the ultra-impressive buildings the city boasts, with the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera (circular building) being arguably the one that stands out the most.
So next up for Pompey Women is the visit of penultimate side Chatham Town Women to West Leigh Park on Sunday as the Medway town club find themselves 9 points from safety.
Whilst for Jay Sadler’s side it’s a quest for 3 more crucial points in the title/promotion race before everyone can properly look forward to our mouth-watering National League Cup semi-final away to Newcastle United Women of National League North. So far at least 30k are expected to be at the match at St James’ Park on Sunday week. PUPW PWPU.
PompeyNewsNow 