Ed Payne

History was made on Tuesday evening as Stevenage FCW played their first competitive game at The Lamex Stadium against their foes from last year’s County Cup Final, Colney Heath Ladies. With a plethora of chances created, ‘Boro were unable to recreate the 3-0 win from their last outing with the shares being spoiled after goals from Dionne Manning and Terri Harvey, on a landmark day for women’s football in Hertfordshire.

A crowd of 465 hardy souls braced the torrential downpour to cheer on their respective sides. And it took just four minutes for Becky Shephard to attempt her heroics from Sunday with a long shot that flew just wide with Harvey signalling the dangers to come down the opposite end, forcing Celine Ray to stretch high to maintain parity.

Chances came and went for Manning and Susan Uwaifo, the latter called up from the development squad after claiming a brace against Cambridge City in their 4-1 win. Uwaifo was centimetres away from turning in a cross from Holly Greenwood, last season’s top scorer for ‘Boro, but that moment of history was yet to come.

Shianne Swarres, who dictated play in the centre of the park, and Emily Schofield both saw chances spurned before Manning became the first woman to score in a competitive match at The Lamex. It was more good work by Greenwood, this time down the right, battling through the gauntlet and sending the ball towards Shephard. The ball passed her by and fell for Manning to unleash a right footed strike of beauty from the edge of the area that sailed past Naomi Swift and into the net.

Stevenage continued to create chances with Schofield and Uwaifo shooting at Swift before the break and the second half saw more of the same. Uwaifo, Swarres, Shephard and Kelsey Millen all had attempts saved, blocked or narrowly off target, whilst Ray kept it tight at the back. Heath however wanted to share in the glory of the occasion and so it was that following a free kick from the same area that Greenwood had delivered in the first half, Harvey – from the same area that Manning had stood sent a thunderous shot goalwards and into the net.

Uwaifo and Nicole Farmer had late efforts, but on a day when the points were shared and the weather atrocious, women’s football shone bright and was indeed the true winner.

Line-up

Stevenage: Ray, White, Farmer, Neal (c), Manning, Swarres, Greenwood, Shephard, Gooderham, Uwaifo, Schofield

Subs: Millen, Paci, Craig, Hussain, O’Brien

Goal: Manning

Attendance - 465