Jammers Conquer New Frontiers
Written by Lee Witney | Photo by Roy Warner
Amy Yeldham’s late strike was enough to secure all three points for Maldon & Tiptree as they maintained their 100% start to the league season against Frontiers.
In a scrappy game, it was the hosts that had the better of the opening exchanges. Olivia Fraser’s shot whistled wide of Sophie Drake’s post inside the opening minute.
Maldon gradually worked their way into the game. Danielle Hindley shot just wide with eleven minutes gone.
Ellie Jones had the best look on goal with just over a quarter of an hour played. A pinpoint long pass from Amy Jacobs found Jones who was one on one with Sarah Walker. Jones let fly but was denied by a fine save from the outstretched leg of Walker.
Jones and Wright linked up well to create another opening with 25 minutes played. The ball was out to AJ who clipped the ball over Walker only for it to land agonisingly the wrong side of the post.
Walker was soon called into action again to keep the scores level. Again, it was a long pass from AJ to Jones that so nearly unlocked the Frontiers defense. Jones beat the offside trap to lift the ball over Walker who threw up a hand to make a great save and palm the ball wide.
A shot from Frontiers’ Tayla Handscomb that sailed wide just before the half time was the last action of a largely disjointed opening 45.
The early stages of the second half were similarly scrappy and tense. The first effort of note from either side came thanks to Natalie Strange who fired over the Frontiers bar with ten minutes gone.
Yeldham had run herself into the ground all afternoon. Pressing, harrying and not giving the opposition defence a moment of quiet, looking to make something happen.
She got her reward in the 66th minute when she was slid in by Jones. She raced away, bearing down on goal. This time, Walker had no answer for Yeldham’s unerring finish as Maldon took the lead.
It might’ve been two just a couple of minutes later, but AJ’s cross in for Evie Payne was just in front of the young winger, allowing Walker to claim.
Walker’s poor clearance nearly let Maldon in again with ten minutes to go as her pass cannoned back off Yeldham. Fortunately for the hosts, the ball wouldn’t sit for the goal scorer or Payne and they just about cleared their lines.
A second half that was disrupted by fouls and substitutions drifted away into the early autumn afternoon as the referee blew for full time.
It wasn’t a Maldon side at their free-flowing best, but it was another huge three points for the Jammers as they stay third in the table.
A trip to Division One side Clacton Regent is up next in the County Cup on Sunday 19th October.
