Stockton strikes again as resilient Magpies climb to sixth after Portishead win

Maidenhead United Women are unbeaten in three matches and have leapt up to sixth in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West table after overcoming Portishead 3-2 away from home in a thriller on Sunday.

After going six matches without a win in all competitions, the Magpies have now won two of their last three games under new boss Dave Kitson and are very much looking up under his stewardship rather than down.

On Sunday in Portishead, they got the job done with a stunning first half display, going three goals to the good before surviving a second half fightback from the home team.

Katie Akerman got the Magpies going with a rocket of a shot to make it 1-0 inside the opening three minutes, and the visitors went close to a second in the 16th minute after Lyndsey Preston’s cross shot came back off the post following a good ball through from Molly McKeever.

Blazey had a couple of first half opportunities for the home side, but Maidenhead turned the screw from the 25th minute onwards.

Aliyah Charles’ measured finish from range made it 2-0 shortly before the half-hour mark while Izzy Stockton all but wrapped up the points with a third in first half stoppage time, her third goal in three matches.

But, to their credit, Portishead weren’t quite dead and buried.

A degree of uncertainty began to creep into the Magpies’ defensive play with Hiett lifting a shot over the bar in the 53rd minute before Blazey cut the deficit to two goals with an acrobatic finish in the 57th minute.

Stockton combined well with Katie Vince for the latter to fire wide of the post as the Magpies looked to restore their cushion. But from a place of relative comfort and security, jitters started to grow when a long free kick from Portishead came back off the crossbar and was bundled home to make it 2-3.

However, the Magpies managed to stifle their hosts’ momentum in the closing stages and held on for a vital win.

The result saw the Magpies skip above local rivals Ascot United, Abingdon United and Marine Academy Plymouth to sixth in the standings.

They are due to host Moneyfields in a tough looking FA Women’s National League Plate match this Sunday at York Road, kick-off 2pm. United defeated Bridgwater United 2-1 in their last Plate match, Megan Harper netting an injury time winner for the hosts at York Road.

Kitson’s side will have their work cut out against Moneyfields though with their visitors second in the Division 1 South West table having won six of their first seven matches. They got the better of Maidenhead United 3-0 during that run and are unbeaten in the league. They have lost to Fulham and AFC Bournemouth in cup competitions, but generally they’ve been in excellent form this season.