‘Sports Mail’ Report No 7.

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‘Sports Mail’ Report No 7.
By David Brawn

Published on Sat, Apr 14th, 2012

Hawks swoop to net trophy prize

Gallant Gosport are seen off in hard-fought final

Hawks secured their first silverware of the season as they battled to a 2-0 success over Gosport Borough. Goals from Vinny Nkomo and Nieshia Boal ended brave Gosport’s resistance.

It was a big boost for the Hawks as they confirmed their favourite’s status to lift the Portsmouth FA Senior Women’s Cup. Dick Semark’s side had designs on the prize ever since they shocked Pompey in the first round of the competition.

But Hampshire League division one winners Gosport proved sturdy opposition for the South-West Combination side on Thursday night at Dover Road.

‘Gosport are on the up as a team,’ said Hawks director of football Trevor Brock. ‘All credit to them. It is, for us, nice to get some silverware.’

Former Hawks player Chantelle Clark was named player of the match for her impressive Gosport showing. But she couldn’t quite force a shock result.

Midfielders Kaylee Schumann-Edwards, Laura Streeter and Jodie Prince upped their game in the second half as Hawks took charge. Nkomo fired the 66th minute opener and Boal chested home the second in the final minute.

Hawks went down 5-2 in their previous league match, to champions Yeovil. Schumann-Edwards and Streeter scored for Hawks. They are without a match tomorrow (15th) and face Pompey on Tuesday night.


Rivals set to clash again in Hampshire showpiece

Pompey and Hawks meet again in the county cup final on Tuesday at Privett Park (7.45pm). It’s the fourth successive season that the two teams have met in the final. Pompey have held sway in all of the past three county battles.

A 5-0 win in 2009 was followed by a 3-0 success in 2010 and a 2-0 victory in 2011. But Hawks won the last time the two sides met, earlier this season in the Portsmouth FA Senior Women’s Cup.

‘They won the last meeting so maybe they are favourites this time,’ said Pompey boss Vanessa Raynbird. ‘There is always a good atmosphere and we will aim to put on a good show. It’s always a good game to watch.’

Pompey are without a game tomorrow (15th) after they were knocked out of the league cup by Blackburn last weekend. However, they have a number of injury concerns ahead of the county final.

Full-back Jade Kirby and forward Jemma Tewkesbury are doubtful. Midfielder Lindsey Roe is almost certainly ruled out and key centre-back Lauren Murphy misses the rest of the season.

‘It is fortunate that we don’t have a match tomorrow (15th) given our injury problems,’ said Raynbird. ‘We take every cup seriously but Havant will be looking to continue where they left off last time against us. We have got to make sure we don’t let that happen again.’

Hawks go into the game with the Portsmouth Cup already in the cabinet. But they also have injury troubles.

Keeper Yzzy Taylor could be ruled out while Jenna Fowlie is also missing. ‘We will give it everything we have got,’ said Hawks director of football Trevor Brock.

Before the cup final, the Hampshire representative side will be presented with the South-East Counties crown which they won this season. The team is made up largely of Pompey and Hawks players.

By kind permission of “The News.”