Match report: Ellingham & Ringwood Women snatched a last-gasp Women's NC 1 South West (East) victory, beating Amesbury Women 24-21 to keep themselves in second

Ellingham & Ringwood Women edged out a hard-fought 24-21 victory over Amesbury Women in a dramatic and physical encounter away on Sunday.

Both teams battled fiercely, and momentum swung throughout the match, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.

The game began with nerves evident on both sides, but Ellingham struck first – just six minutes in, Charlotte Harvey powered through to score the opening try.

Amesbury responded immediately after the restart, showing firm possession and attacking intent. Their persistence paid off in the ninth minute, as they crossed the whitewash, with their ever-reliable fly-half adding the conversion to take the lead at 7-5.

Despite Amesbury’s attacking threat, Ellingham dominated in the scrums, showcasing their strength up front. However, an early setback saw Emily Snowball leave the field with an injury, replaced by Nina Hoadley, making her return to the team.

Momentum swung back to Ellingham in the 19th minute when captain Alice Elgar muscled her way over the line, with Charlotte Smith adding the extras, regaining the lead at 12-7.

Ellingham’s defensive resilience shone through as they successfully held up a potential Amesbury try, denying their opponents a crucial score.

The game’s physicality intensified, with Ellingham stealing a line-out at the 30-minute mark and making good ground.

In a bizarre moment, Holly Veneroso’s kick found an unfortunate target – the face of an Amesbury player, causing a brief pause.

Just before halftime, drama unfolded. A blistering breakaway run from Anna Fogel on the wing had fans on their feet, only for the referee to mistakenly signal a try only to realize she had been stopped at the 22-meter line. With confusion reigning, Ellingham regained composure as

Paige White picked and went from the scrum, dummied the defence, and crashed over for a stunning try, converted by Smith.

The second half saw Chloe Baltazar come on for her debut, and she nearly made it a dream start, but her first-ever try was denied.

Amesbury, refusing to back down, found their footing and hit back in the scrum battle, eventually scoring from a five-metre scrum, closing the gap to 19-14.

A lengthy stoppage in the 65th minute due to injury benefited Amesbury. They regrouped and struck immediately upon the restart, scoring a try and converting to take the lead for the first time at 21-19.

With time running out, Ellingham pushed forward relentlessly. As the 79th minute approached, they won a crucial penalty deep in Amesbury territory. Showing quick thinking, Smith took a tap, drawing in the defence, while Elvira Berninger came charging in from deep. The Amesbury defence had no answer as Berninger bulldozed her way through, bouncing off tackles to score the decisive try. The whistle blew moments later, sealing Ellingham’s thrilling 24-21 victory.

Second-placed Ellingham & Ringwood Women will travel to take on Reading Kites next Sunday before their final game of the season at home against Supermarine Ladies on the 13th of April.

Ellingham & Ringwood: Anna Fogel, Elvira Berninger, Anja Dixon, Franki Ridsdale, Lauryn Thurlow, Alice Elgar, Maria East, Paige White, Charlotte Smith, Holly Veneroso, Bryony Thompson, Kimberley Riolo, Charlotte Harvey, Name withheld, Ellie Dolbear. Subs: E. Watling, C. Baltazar, F. Howcroft, N. Hoadley, H. Sinclair.