Maidenhead United Women tee up Milton Keynes test after progressing past Penn

Alex Dover celebrates her goal with Molly McKeever. Photo: Darren Woolley

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Maidenhead United Women will travel to FAWNL Division 1 South East outfit Milton Keynes Dons in the semi-finals of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup after they made it through a hard-fought tie with battling Tier 6 side Penn & Tylers on Sunday afternoon.

United advanced thanks to goal in each half.

Maidenhead almost went ahead in the opening minutes, but thereafter the game on a heavy and bumpy surface became a battle against a determined home side who have only lost one league game so far this season.

It took a piece of magic to open the scoring.

Alex Dover opened the scoring before the half hour mark with an opportunistic made-to-measure lob, celebrated with glee by a player who has had the misfortune to have suffered two long-term ACL injuries in recent seasons.

United had daylight early in the second half when Izzy Stockton scored for the fifth consecutive match.

Sarah Sparrow glanced a Katie Akerman set-piece delivery towards goal which home ‘keeper Rebecca Tobin did well to keep out, however poacher Stockton was on hand to fire home the loose ball.

Despite the dismissal of Mayh Baksh for two cautions United stood firm and saw out the last half hour of the match with relative comfort, albeit a late Penn freekick hit the crossbar as the clock wound down.

Maidenhead will now travel to Milton Keynes on Sunday February 15 as they look to defend the trophy they won for the first time in club history last season.