Acle Ladies ready for promotion showdown after crucial win
Broghan Scully stabs home Acle Ladies' opener against Royston. Picture: Richard Giles - Credit: Archant
Acle United Ladies completed the double over Royston Town with a 3-1 victory to keep their title and promotion ambitions to the FAWPL firmly on track.
The visitors, knowing a victory was imperative, pushed forward from the start but against the run of play Royston took the lead on 20 minutes when a long ball over the defence left Hooper in the home goal exposed.
Royston could easily have stretched their lead, with their player guilty of a bad miss, before Todd was introduced in the 25th minute and she had a hand in the equaliser just two minutes later.
Larkins won a corner on the right flank and the set-piece from Wells to the far post was played back across goal by Todd, with Scully on hand to stab the ball home.
Six minutes later, Acle took the lead.
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Bullard was put away by Goodfield down the left flank and her cross was converted by Todd past the helpless home keeper.
Rowland came on at the start of the second half, in a straight switch for the hard-working Ladbrooke, as the visitors looked to consolidate their lead.
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A Larkins free-kick to the far post was headed just wide by Bullard and then the former’s dangerous free-kick into the goal area was missed by both attackers and defenders.
A long ball from Larkins was chased down by Todd, who laid the ball back from the by-line to Wells whose shot was saved by the keeper.
The woodwork then saved the hosts with 15 minutes remaining as the third still would not come but Royston kept battling away and tried to push forward in the closing minutes.
However, they were not getting much joy against the centre-back partnership of McGuire and Shields as Acle looked to see out the game.
Copeman replaced Scully with five minutes remaining and sealed a 3-1 victory in the 93rd minute, volleying home after receiving the ball from Ladbrooke after Larkins had crossed to the far post.
Acle United Ladies: J Hooper, A Larkins, L Goodfield, C Shields, L McGuire, A Ladbrooke, K Pasque, B Scully, L Bullard, R Burton, J Wells. Subs all used: M Todd, A Rowland, J Copeman.
The Ladies travel to Tottenham on Sunday to face Haringey Borough in a game which will decide the team to be promoted to the FA Women’s Premier League (2pm).
