Bees Finish Pre-Season With a Bang
London Bees rounded off their pre-season campaign in style with a convincing 4-0 victory over Maidenhead United at the Bees Stadium.
The game kicked off in warm conditions, but the heat did little to slow the Bees down as they started brightly and quickly put pressure on the visitors.
The hosts found the breakthrough in the eighth minute when Elizabeth Mulvaney and Sam Lanza broke free and found themselves one-on-one with the Maidenhead goalkeeper.
Mulvaney unselfishly squared the ball to Lanza, who took it around the goalkeeper before calmly slotting into the bottom-left corner to give the Bees an early lead.
Despite conceding early, Maidenhead continued to compete, working hard to test the Bees’ backline.
The visitors looked to create opportunities down the flanks and regularly played balls over the top in an attempt to send attackers through on goal.
However, the Bees remained in control of the game, pushing forward whenever opportunities presented themselves and creating a number of chances to extend their advantage.
The Maidenhead goalkeeper was kept busy, making several good saves to keep her side within touching distance.
Daisy Beard delivered a dangerous cross from the right, picking out Lanza in the centre.
The forward turned towards goal and fired an effort towards the bottom corner, but the Maidenhead shot-stopper was there to make the save.
Moments later, Beard was involved again, doing brilliantly to keep the ball in play on the edge of the box and sending another delivery into the area.
She found Hayley Hoare, who struck the ball first time towards goal, only for her effort to be blocked by the defence before being gathered by the goalkeeper.
Half-Time: London Bees 1-0 Maidenhead United
The Bees came out strongly after the break and nearly doubled their advantage when the ball fell to new signing Gemma Biggadike inside the box.
She found space to get a shot away, but once again the Maidenhead goalkeeper denied the hosts.
The second goal eventually arrived through a set piece. Beard delivered a pinpoint corner into the centre, where Aria Heil rose highest to head the ball into the bottom-left corner and double the Bees’ lead.
Hoare then came close to adding a third after driving down the left and attempting to catch the goalkeeper out at the near post, but the Maidenhead shot-stopper reacted quickly to deny the winger once again.
With the Bees continuing to control proceedings, Dan McKimm introduced fresh legs, bringing Fran Vigo, Betty Larkin, Rubie Smith and Grace Stanley onto the pitch.
The changes soon paid off as the Bees found a third.
Larkin’s long-range effort took a deflection off a Maidenhead defender and fell kindly to Beard, who kept her composure, looked up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to open her scoring account for the Bees.
With full-time approaching, Hoare added the finishing touch.
The winger picked up the ball outside the box and struck an effort towards goal, sending it over the goalkeeper and into the roof of the net to make it 4-0 and seal a comfortable victory for the Bees.
Full-Time: London Bees 4-0 Maidenhead United
The Bees begin their FAWNL Division One South East campaign next Sunday, when newly promoted Stevenage visit the Bees Stadium for the opening fixture of the season.
Goals: Lanza (8′), Heil (61′), Beard (86′), Hoare (92′)
Lineup: Hindle-Bamford (Millington-Stanbury 88′), Heil, Breen (Flynn 88′), Cashin, Beard, Lanza (Larkin 57′), Mulvaney, Biggadike (Vigo 77′), Bensted (Stanley 81′), Buttigieg (Smith 77′), Hoare (c)