Oakfield Stadium, 19 February 2023
Royal Wootton Bassett Town fell short in their quest to win a second Wiltshire County Women's Cup crown as Simon Harrison's side were well beaten in a 3-0 final defeat against Warminster Town.
A contest that pitted South West Regional Women's Football Premier Division rivals against each other, the showpiece promised to be an evenly-contested match.
But although Bassett weren't blown away, a sub-par performance allowed Warminster to claim a relatively comfortable win as they went one better than last year when they finished as runners-up.
Warminster scored at key moments early and late in the first half, with Shannon Redhouse netting twice to put her side in command at the interval.
Warminster made a fast start, and almost went ahead in the third minute as Bassett 'keeper Nia Davies tipped Millie Spratt's curling free kick onto the bar. Davies then did well to save low from Maddy Brown's 20 yard drive a couple of minutes later.
But Warminster didn't have to wait too much longer for the opening goal, which came just after the quarter hour mark. However, it arrived in somewhat controversial circumstances.
From the halfway line, Spratt sprayed a pass forward for Brown to run onto. Arriving to the loose ball at the same time as Davies, the Warminster forward appeared to commit a foul on the Bassett 'keeper. However, no free kick was given, and Redhouse reacted quickest, being on hand to place into an empty net from the edge of the area.
Warminster remained on top for the remainder of the half, and ultimately doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time.
This time Bassett could have no complaints. Brown dispossessed Neve Johnson inside the Bassett half to launch a counter before squaring inside for Redhouse, who took one touch and then arrowed a powerful effort into the back of the net from the edge of the box.
While Bassett came close with a Laura Jefferies free kick early in the second half, it was soon 3-0 as Brooke Cheal-Ferris scored with a towering thirty yard, left-footed strike that sailed into the top corner.
That was game, set and match with still over half an hour to play.
No consolation was forthcoming either with Bassett unable to muster anything of note in front of goal.
Instead, Warminster pressed to extend their lead further, with Mia Blazey coming close to turning the ball in from close range and Millie Powell - in the Bassett goal for the second half - having to be frequently alert to keep Warminster at bay.
While not the performance or result that Bassett hoped for, the team can nonetheless be happy to have gotten to the final for the fourth time in club history.
In what has been a very difficult season results-wise, that achievement is at least something to look back on with pride.
Credit: Stuart Smedley
Last modified on Monday 20th February 2023 at 18:52
