Army women defeat Kent FA in first win for their new head coach
The Army women's senior team has got their season off to a flying start after a commanding win over Kent FA in the Southern Counties Cup in Aldershot.
Two first-half goals by Corporal Ali Croucher and Lance Bombardier Jess McAuley and a second-half goal by Corporal Imogen Fisher gave the Army a 3-0 win over a strong Kent FA team.
It is the Army's first win under the new leadership of Sergeant Craig Parker, who stepped up to the women's head coach role in August.
The Army controlled the tempo of the game in the opening stages, and it was Cpl Ali Croucher who would get onto the scoresheet 26 minutes into the first half.
As the Reds' confidence grew, Kent's began to waver and it showed when Lbdr Jess McAuley sliced through their defence line to strike the ball into the net for a second goal.
At half time the Army were sitting on a 2-0 cushion, but when faced with a physical and determined Kent team, they couldn't afford to rest on their laurels in the second half.
The Army continued their red-hot form in the second half, and a goal by Cpl Imogen Fisher bumped their lead up to 3-0 as a win looked almost certain.
At full time, the Army come away with a commanding 3-0 win and a big dose of momentum to carry into the season, as next year they aim to improve on their back-to-back third-place finishes at the Inter Services that they've suffered the past two years.
Head coach Sgt Craig Parker said after the game that the team is in a "good place" at the start of the season.
He said: "If you want to be really critical of the three services, if it was a foot race, we are third and that has been for a numerous number of years now.
"That's something that we really want to change, and getting that good feel factor in, getting the right preparation into it and we will see what the season brings, but we are in a good place."
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