SENIORS HISTORY
24 Jun 2006

1991 TO DATE

EASTERN REGION LEAGUE
Originally the girls attended the Colchester United men`s ground at Layer Road for football training and as a result of wanting to form their own senior team, the sides after friendlies then decided to join the Eastern Region in 1992/93 as the Colchester United Eagles and the Colchester United Falcons. After a very successful first campaign the former then came fourth whilst the latter were champions. Both gained promotion to the first division but the Falcons left our club at the end of the season to continue on their own as the Colchester Royals.

However due to the success of the Eagles in this first season a third team was set up to play in a friendly league, this team being the Colchester United Hawks.

The friendly league for the 1993/94 season was incorporated into a subsidiary division of the Eastern Region. At the end of this year the Eagles finished mid table whilst the Hawks were third out of the six sides. In 1995 the Hawks won the Memorial Shield.

However with two very smallish squads a decision was then taken to merge the two sides for 1995/96 into a new side called the Colchester Ladies Football Club with a very strong squad this proved to be the case as they narrowly failed to win promotion. The team continued to operate until the 1998/99 season.

With the team now getting older, no junior league for the Under 17`s will operate, so the squad will now play in the Essex Women`s League.

ESSEX COUNTY WOMEN`S LEAGUE

2003/04
With no sections at the Under 17`s level for the Essex Girls` League, a decision was made to enter the squad into the Essex Women`s League and the first match took place at home to Rochford Town on 7th September 2003, all fears were allayed as the girls put in a superb display to win the match 8-1, with four goals apiece from Nicole Chater and Lauren Phillips. A second win was recorded the following week, 5-3 at Southend United, to see the team temporarily head the Division 2 table. The ladies were brought down with a bump as Barking hit four first half goals in the next match.

However a hat trick by Lauren Phillips saw them triumph 7-0 at Beacon Hill, to bring an end to a success September. The first venture into County Cup football saw a close contest but a narrow 2-1 defeat to Billericay Town at home. The following week the good league form continued as the team won 9-2 at Witham Town with Lauren Phillips hitting another hat trick. At wind swept Harlow Frontiers, the team played the whole match with only 10 players but still won 7-0 with another four goals from Lauren Phillips. The successful run continues as the Maldon Saints are thrashed 9-2 and Lauren Phillips hits six more to take her tally for the season up to 22.

The goals keep rattling in as Beacon Hill are beaten 13-0 at home with six more for Lauren Phillips, four for Nicole Chater, first senior goals for Alison Walters and Hannah Porter and another for Jo Chase. A rare win is recorded over Ipswich Town in a friendly as the Blues are beaten 3-1. The bandwagon rolls as three record hat tricks in the 11-0 home win against Witham Town on a very wet afternoon. The records tumble as the squad set a new club league scoring feat as Harlow Frontiers are beaten 16-0. The biggest test of the season comes in the league cup as the team fights back from 2-0 down to East Thurrock to lead 3-2 but finally lose out 6-3.

The first match of 2004 saw a disappointing display as the team slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Maldon Saints. However the side bounced back against Maldon Town as Nicole Chater scored four times in the 8-0 win. With a weekend spare a Select XI are beaten 6-3 in an entertaining friendly match. The top of the table clash with Chelmsford City Reserves saw us score three goals in four minutes to set us up for a vital 4-1 home success. First Division Brentwood Town prove a stern challenge in a friendly and at half time we are holding them 0-0 before losing out 5-1. Two goals apiece by Lauren Phillips, Nicole Chater and Ashley Gooding saw us to a comfortable 6-1 home success against Southend United Reserves.

Then the crunch match away at Barking Reserves, despite leading twice, we eventually lost the win takes all match 3-2 and the chances of the league title slipped away. This was followed by contrasting friendly encounters, where several of the Under 14`s squad are blooded. At Harlow Town we earn a well fought 2-0 success on a damp and windy afternoon. The conditions are similar a week later but we go down to a disapoointing 3-0 defeat at Maldon Saints. March 28th 2004 saw a 4-1 win at Maldon Town and the ladies earn promotion and runners up spot in the 2nd Division. The league season did not finish too well as the team lost 2-1 away at Chelmsford City Reserves. A charity fun day saw a four team tournament where the ladies drew 2-2 with Chelmsford City Res, beat Maldon Saints 2-1 but lose 1-0 to trophy winners Barking Town Res.

2004/05
The pre-season saw a useful win at home to Rochford Town where the team won the match 4-3 with a hat trick from Nicole Chater and another from Lauren Phillips. The next warm up match saw a record breaking success as Basildon Town were well beaten 18-0, the leading scorers were Nicole Chater with seven and Lauren Phillips four. The following week the ladies were brought back to earth as they lost 6-1 at Colchester United Reserves. In their first serious match they competed well but lost 8-0 at home to Buxton in the F A Cup. To complete a topsy turvy time they won another friendly 13-0 at home to Little Oakley, six more four Nicole Chater and five for Fiona Bucknall.

The first league match saw the girls well beaten 8-1 at Bowers and Pitsea United. The injury hit squad had to postpone their next league match but battled hard in their next to only lose 2-0 away at Colchester United Reserves, half of whose team use to play at one time for Colchester Ladies. Things did pick up as Nicole Chater hit four goals in a 6-1 home win over Harlow Town. Then a week later an entertaining match saw us hold on to beat Maldon Saints 4-3. However despite a lot of chances the Ladies lost at home 2-1 to Chelmsford City Reserves with a first ever goal for Lisa Fraser.

Despite a good start, 2-2 at one stage, the latest home match saw a heavy 7-2 to Saffron Walden. Again the team score an early goal but lose heavily at home again, this time 7-1 to Billericay Town. A match against White Notley in the County Cup was a tough assigned and so that proved to be the case as the team lost 12-0. A fifth defeat in a row but a lot closer this time as Hollie Ricketts scores the goal in a 3-1 defeat at Maldon Saints. Two more heavy defeats follow 13-0 at home to Colchester United Reserves and then a shock 11-4 setback at Harlow Town, a team who had lost every match previously this season. 2005 sees no improvements to the results as the losing run goes to eight. A last minute defeat in the 4-3 loss at Chelmsford City Reserves and a 10-0 setback at home to White Notley.

Then the most amazing result of the season, we had lost nine matches in a row, Bowers and Pitsea had won eleven in a row in the league, but we draw 3-3. The poor form returns seven days later as we lose 10-0 at home to Billericay Town in the League Cup. A better result this time as Hollie Ricketts scores in the 7-1 defeat at White Notley. Then a win at last as the Ladies win 2-1 in a friendly at Maldon Town with first ever goals for Loren Murphy and Ali Crick.

2005/06
The season begins with entries in the Harlow and Little Oakley tournament which saw runners up in the Plate in the first and a semi final exit in the other. A three team tournament at Basildon Town saw two wins, a draw and a defeat, before we beat Basildon United 5-2 in a home friendly. Another three team tounament this time in Colchester, saw us win all our games, with aggregate wins of 4-0 over Witham Town and 2-0 over Basildon Town. The final friendly saw a good 5-1 win at home to Chelmsford City Reserves before we lost 5-0 in an F A Cup tie at South Notts. The league action began and after a creditable home display to Billericay Town when we lost 4-2, this was followed by huge wins, 12-2 away at Chelmsford City Reserves and 11-0 at home to Redbridge. Seventeen of these goals came from Abi Head and Tanya Wells.

It was a close call against Maldon Saints, two early goals put us in control before Maldon Saints were rewarded for their good start in the match as they made it 2-1. However a third for the home side see us to a 3-1 home win with two more from Abi Head and another by Tanya Wells. After the home match against Southend was cancelled, the result of the season to date as we drew 2-2 at unbeaten league leaders Concord Rangers, amazingly hitting back from 2-0 down. From a high the form slumped quite a bit as we struggled to beat bottom of the league Cornard. It took a penalty by Abi Head midway through the second half to get us in front in the 2-0 home win.

Yet more struggles in the following match as a last minute goal by White Notley saw them grab a 2-2 draw as we failed to convert the chances made. A change to the County Cup saw no change in fortunes as we lost heavily at home to Concord Rangers 6-1. It had been a whole series of consecutive home games, and the next saw Chelmsford City in town. A superb start saw us two up in five minutes, pulled back to 2-1 and then 3-2 all before half time, and then saw storm away to win it 7-3. There were hat tricks for Fiona Wynne and Loren Murphy. Abi Head made it 19 goals for the season as the team led 2-1 at Redbridge, but in a very poor second half the match slips and a late goal sees us lose 3-2.

Into 2006 the year started with a bang as the team won 9-1 at Maldon Saints with four goals for Lynsey Green. Their next two games away at Southend and home to Concord Rangers were both cancelled, as the former opponents subsequently withdrew from the league. February was success all way, with wins at Cornard 7-1, White Notley 7-0 and in the League Cup at Redbridge Reserves 11-1. March began with a 5-1 friendly win over Basildon Town before the Stanway match was abandoned after a former player was injured with the team losing 5-0 just before half time.

The league title hopes finally disappeared after the 3-0 loss at Billericay Town. The poor run of form continued as they lost 1-0 at Basildon United in the League Cup and both matches in the double header to Saffron Walden A, 5-1 and 3-2. Finally the title decider saw Concord Rangers win 4-1 here to grab the trophy away from Billericay Town. The run of defeats had risen to six matches, and the team had slid from third to finish fifth in the league. At least the season finished on a good note as we won a home friendly 2-0 against Milton from Cambridgeshire.

2006/07
A friendly was won 7-1 at Little Oakley as preparations were made for the new season. This was followed by a home success over Runwell Hospital 7-2, which included a hat trick for defender converted to striker Antonia Vassallo. The serious action begins with a 5-1 F A Cup loss at home to Chelmsford City and 4-2 league loss to Concord Rangers. The first away league match sees the Ladies miss several chances but win 4-1 at Maldon Saints.

The trip to Saffron Walden sees the usual defeat 3-2, the winner coming late on. Back on home soil, and it is a resounding 7-0 win at home to White Notley, and another hat trick for Antonia Vassallo. A humiliating loss see the team lose 11-1 at home to Billericay Town on a very wet afternoon. Consecutive 5-1 defeats at Hawkwell Athletic and Maldon Town sees a slide begin in the league. In the County Cup it was the expected heavy defeat, 9-0 at home to Braintree Town. After a month without a game, the last match of the 2006 sees a 2-1 defeat at White Notley.

2007 starts with a visit from Redbridge and again the visitors turn up with a depleted side for the second year running and take a big beating as as Antonia Vassallo scorws four in the 8-1 win. However the expected defeat occurs next as we lose 4-0 at Billericay Town, the likely league champions. Back on home territory in the league, again a team turns up short, belatedly getting there with just eight players, and lose 8-0, with Antonia Vassallo this time hitting five.

A win over Basildon United looks a certainty as we lead 2-0, but late goals conceded see us draw 2-2 at home. Then it is Maldon Town at home, again a late goal is let in, and we lose 2-1 at the MCTC ground. The poor run continues as we lose 4-0 at Redbridge. Our good run continues in the league cup, and an extraordinary tie, once more saw us let a lead slip. At 4-4, the game goes into extra time, we refind our feet, to eventually triumph 7-4, as the amazing form of Antonia Vassallo hit top form with six. Her amazing speed of foot, eventually kills off our opponents, burning past their tired legs.

The home league looked in dire possibility of being cancelled or abandoned, but on a rain soak afternoon, the visitors played the whole match with just seven girls. This time Abi Head with five goals pipped Antonia Vassallo with four, in the scoring stakes, but it really was a no contest match, but credit to Maldon for surviving to the end.

The season ends poorly, losing 5-1 at Basildon, 3-2 at Hawkwell in the league cup quarter final after being 3-0 down, 3-2 at home to Saffron Walden and then 5-1 at home to Hawkwell. A win in the last match at the eventual third place Concord, and our league one safety would be secure, but despite twice leading, our opponents netted in the last minute and it ended up 2-2.

The season finishes with Antonia Vassallo netting 34 goals in all, but it could all be in vain, as the side finishes second from bottom in the table. The player of the season awards go to Harriet Young, Tess Chapman and Jade Heath. The future of the Seniors side looks in some doubt at present, but more information will be known in the near future.