WOMENS FOOTBALL: GOALS from Carly Eagles and Sara Sinclair were key for C&K Basildon Ladies, who maintained their two-point lead at the top of the Women’s South East Combination League with a 2-1 win over a resilient Enfield Town Ladies.

After a promising opening to the match, Basildon carved out their first chance after 13 minutes when a free kick from Jenny Brown-Wealls found Zoe Rushen, whose shot from inside the penalty area was saved by the Enfield goalkeeper.

And Rushen had a headed chance thwarted just minutes later before Basildon opened the scoring in the 24th minute.

Claire Lacey’s free kick found Eagles and her shot took a small deflection, which was enough to wrong-foot the Enfield goalkeeper and see the ball fly into the net.

Just a minute later the Enfield goal led a charmed life as Basildon almost added a second. But despite a great move from Amy Nash and Sara Sinclair, the ball went wide. Brown-Wealls’ corner kick found the head of Sara Sinclair, but she could only steer the ball just wide of the post in the 41st minute and Lacey had a shot cleared off the line.

But despite Basildon having most of the game, Enfield equalised on the stroke of half time from Emma Thomas’ free kick five yards outside the penalty area which went into the top corner of the Basildon net.

Ignoring the setback, Basildon opened the second half well and scored a second in the 54th minute.

Rushen linked up well with Nash, whose low cross into the Enfield penalty area was only cleared as far as Karen Stephanou, who headed the ball back into the area. Sinclair was first to react and drove the ball low past the Enfield guardian to give C&K the lead. Some great goalkeeping by Enfield then thwarted Rushen and Sinclair, while Hannah Porter’s headed 82nd-minute effort was disallowed.

Basildon: Kinsalla, Farmer (Carty), Lacey, Porter, Lawler (Hopwood), Stephanou, Nash, Sinclair (Rodney), Rushen, Brown-Wealls, Eagles.

* Basildon’s Reserve team continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-1 home draw to second-placed AFC Dunstable. A penalty by Ash Debnam gave Basildon the lead but AFC Dunstable equalised before half time.

Despite striking the post and the crossbar in the second half, Basildon did not score again and the draw left them four points clear of AFC Dunstable at the top of the table.