Butler women steal three points from wasteful Van Mildert

Josephine Butler College came back against the odds to beat Van Mildert 2-1 in a highly anticipated Women’s Premiership Division clash.
Butler went into the match missing two key DUWAFC players, Helen Thomas and Anna Derrick, leading many to believe that Van Mildert would take the game comfortably.
Lead superbly by the University captain Amy Perch, Butler put up a strong resistance to wave after wave of yellow attack which reaped dividends at the final whistle.
With barely ten minutes gone in the first half, Sarah Cannon turned in a Livvy Amos corner as Mildert turned their early pressure into a lead.
From then on it looked like Mildert would turn their superior possession and attacking play into a clear goal margin.
However, the first half came and went with Mildert launching endless attacks on the Butler goal, only to find Perch standing firm in the heart of defence.
With every loose ball in the penalty area, the Butler captain was first to the action and proved to be an insurmountable obstacle in almost every Mildert attack.
When Perch was unable to make a last ditch tackle or deflection, Mildert contributed to their own downfall by failing to capitalise on clear scoring opportunities.
During the half-time interval, Mildert captain Emily Reed brought on Alex Bridger to add some steel to the centre of the field.
The move paid off as Mildert immediately asserted their midfield dominance in the second half. With Rachel Sowerby acting as playmaker, Mildert created chance after chance only to see their final efforts thwarted by Perch, who had continued her impressive form from the first half.
There was a distinct feeling of frustration as Mildert contemplated the score line. For all their chances and superior possession, they only had a 1-0 lead to protect.
That frustration quickly turned to disbelief as Butler stole a surprise equaliser against the run of play.
University goalkeeper Holly Williams, playing as striker, jumped on a loose ball and made no mistake in her finish.
Shocked to find themselves on even terms, Mildert continued their attacks on the Butler goal, only to repeat their wayward shooting from the first half of the match.
Esther Hitchin enjoyed an effective outing on the right wing, but her teammates had clearly left their shooting boots at home.
An entertaining first half ended with the scores level at 1-1, and with both teams clearly feeling they could go on to claim three points.
The second half was more notable for a series of controversial refereeing decisions which left the Mildert players fuming, many of whom were still incensed that Butler’s first goal was allowed to stand despite the fact it came directly from a clear foul throw.
Even for the ‘flexible’ standards which are sometimes afforded in ladies’ college football, this was a very poor refereeing decision to say the least.
To make matters worse, the referee’s whistle was also notably absent from at least 3 controversial handball penalty incidents. The first fell when a tangle ensued between the Mildert goalkeeper and full back in trying to contain striker Williams on one of Butler’s rare attacks.
The latter two incidents involved clear handballs in the Butler penalty area, which left the Mildert players and supporters at a total loss for words yet again.
Amos, having moved to the left wing to provide more of a goal threat, was visibly furious after having a penalty claim waved away.
To make matters worse for the Mildert side, Butler delivered a sucker punch when Williams latched onto a through ball and again made Mildert pay for their wasteful finishing.
Two shots on target and two goals later, Butler had taken a surprising lead much to the joy of their somewhat shocked fans.
Unfortunately the last fifteen minutes brought no more luck for Mildert. After throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Butler goal, they were frequently denied by a last ditch tackle or a poor finish.
Williams was brought back to shore up the Butler defence, making some heroic tackles and clearances, and at one point cleared away an impressive five consecutive Mildert corners.
As the final whistle went, Mildert were left to contemplate a missed opportunity, whilst Butler joyfully celebrated an unexpected victory. Their stubborn defence had survived the onslaught, and triumphed over a persistent but wasteful Mildert attack.