Stacey Sowden: hat-trick hero

Colchester United LFC 2 Barnet FC Ladies 4
South East Combination League Cup - Quarter Final
Sunday 5 February 2006
At Wivenhoe Town FC

Barnet FC Ladies won through to the Semi Final of the League Cup thanks to a 4-2 win against Colchester United in a pulsating tie on Sunday.Stacey Sowden grabbed the limelight with a breathtaking hat trick, but it was a match in which the whole Barnet team had to dig deep to guarantee progress in the competition.

Manager Tracey Kevins had to reshape her team's midfield with first chance midfield pair Leanne Small and Ashley Hutton both unavailable. Zoe Barnes and Emma Treanor came into the side. Lizzie Goodwin was nursing a broken bone in her arm, whilst new signing Claire Stevens was cup tied. Furthermore, Tina Keech was forced to withdraw after 20 minutes following a recurrence of a knee injury, giving Holly Darling a first taste of first team action.

The home side started the match positively, whilst Barnet failed to find their normal rhythm.The game was 20 minutes old before Barnet produced a worthwhile attempt on goal. Dee Smith broke forward from her right back position and unleashed a shot from 30 yards, which went narrowly wide. Minutes later Charlie Herson hit the Colchester cross bar with a header from a Beth Curtis corner.

The Bees took the lead after 34 minutes. Sowden was set free and made an incisive run into the Colchester penalty area where she was scythed down by a defender. Beth Curtis coolly converted the resultant penalty kick.

Barnet stunned their hosts with a second goal shortly before half time. Emma Treanor delivered a perfect cross-field pass from the left to pick out Heski Johnson on the right. Heski delivered a first time ball into the box for Sowden to run in and chip the keeper.

Barnet continued to push forward in the second half. Curtis struck a volley just over the bar, following another good ball from Treanor. Shortly afterwards, Curtis collected another ball from Treanor and after beating a couple of players chipped the keeper, who just managed to take the sting out of the effort with her fingertips. With the ball running loose and Sowden bearing down on goal, the keeper recovered well to make a brave save.

After 69 minutes, Barnet conceded a free kick on the edge of their penalty area after Johnson was adjudged to have fouled. The free kick was played into the box and headed home by a Colchester United player to reduce the arrears.

Barnet responded positively to the setback. Dee Smith burst forward with a rampaging run from right back and struck the post with a thunderbolt of a shot from an acute angle.

With five minutes to go the unthinkable happened when Colchester United equalised. The Barnet defence failed to clear a free kick, which was forced home by a Colchester forward.

Tracey Kevins asked her players how they would respond to losing their lead and the answer was instant. Dee Smith found Sowden 25 yards from goal and she hit a fantastic shot into the roof of the net to restore Barnet's lead at 3-2.

Sowden added another spectacular goal in injury time.Once again it was Smith who found the prolific striker who hit a raking shot past the keeper and into the net. It was Sowden's 31^st goal of the season and her fifth hat trick of the campaign.

Barnet's reward for their win is a semi-final tie with local rivals Enfield Town on Sunday 5 March.

Barnet Team: Jess Devoti; Davina Smith, Charlotte Herson, Katie Wicka, Tina Keech; Hayley Johnson, Katie O'Donoghue, Zoe Barnes, Emma Treanor; Beth Curtis, Stacey Sowden

Substitutes: Holly Darling (for Tina Keech 20 mins); Hannah Grover and Danielle Richards (not used)

Goalscorers: Beth Curtis (34 mins pen), Stacey Sowden (41, 88, 89 mins)

Report by John Taylor