Maidenhead United u17s Girls defeat Swans to claim league and cup double

An excellent week in the history of Women & Girls football at Maidenhead United was capped by victory for the club’s U17 Juniors Girls in the Berkshire Girls Football League Trophy final at Thatcham Town FC against Caversham AFC Swans.

The 3-1 victory in the final completed a double for United who finished as unbeaten champions in Division 2 for 2023/24 and came at the end of a week when the Magpies senior Women’s team had dramatically clinched the Combined Counties League Cup.

The Reading-based side made a bright start to this cup final and goalkeeper Catherine Mitchell-Bunby was forced into action inside the opening moments. Maidenhead did however score the opening goal of the game in the 7th minute as Liberty Dieppe was released down the right-hand side and slotted home in off a post.

Caversham equalized with a well-struck goal after the quarter-hour and Maidenhead had a slice of luck before the half hour mark as a wonder-strike came back off the post with Mitchell-Bunby well beaten. Maidenhead ended the half on top as Dieppe went close twice but it was not until the second half that the Division 2 champions started to show their class and dominate the game.

Team manager Jasmine Brown revealed afterwards that she had calmly told the team at half time to raise their game if they wanted to avoid the pressures of a penalty shoot-out and they duly responded.

After only 4 minutes of the second period, the Magpies went ahead again as captain Nikkie Moore threaded an intelligent through ball down the left-hand channel and Dieppe – who had made her first appearance for Maidenhead United Women Development the previous Sunday afternoon – beat the Caversham goalkeeper to the ball to slot home from a tight angle.

Moore – whose performance deserved a goal – was denied by a good save from the Caversham goalkeeper after a pull-back by Dieppe and the final goal of the game came just before the hour mark with Dieppe involved again as her shot cross goal was parried into the path of the impressive Millie Wellington to open up a two-goal margin.

Thereafter, United continued to dominate the chances with Dieppe close to completing a hat-trick, Molly Howse glancing a corner narrowly wide and Moore again out of luck as a Dieppe cross fell just behind her with the goal gaping.

At the other end, Maidenhead’s magnificent defence stayed composed and handled the dangerous Caversham forward line well to snuff out opportunities and ensure that the team would be presented with two trophies by the league committee at the end of a very entertaining cup final.

Jasmine spoke after the match and said: “I am beyond proud of what these girls have achieved this season. Their dedication and determination to play the football they have this season has been outstanding. To go unbeaten in the league and then to finish the season winning the cup was beyond all our expectations.”

The Magpies team coached by Jasmine Brown and Sam Barwood was: Catherine Mitchell-Bunby, Isabella Jones, Millie Wellington, Soraya Freeman, Sarah Creffield, Amelia Russell, Nikkie Moore, Annie Griffin, Emilie Haley, Liberty Dieppe, Holly Bray, Molly Howse, Taylor Brooks, Tiahna Taylor.