Bowdon Hightown 2 Canterbury Ladies 1

A LATE goal condemned Canterbury Ladies to a 2-1 defeat at Bowdon Hightown in their first National League Premier Division game of 2007 on Saturday.

Both teams were below strength, with the Polo Farm club without six regulars, but welcomed back vice captain Lucy Barnes, following a broken thumb, and gave Alice Brown her debut.

Canterbury took the lead after eight minutes when Mel Clewlow converted the first short corner of the game, and then saw another effort cleared off the line 10 minutes later.

Kirsty Chambers and Susannah Townsend were then both denied by good blocks from the Bowdon goalkeeper early in the second half, before the home side levelled with a neat turn and shot giving Canterbury keeper Beth Duggan little chance.

The visitors tired in the closing stages when Barnes was adjudged to have pushed an opponent, Bowdon converting the resulting penalty stroke to claim the points.

Meanwhile, Canterbury's men led three times in their National League Premier Division game at Cannock on Sunday, only to lose 4-3.

David Mathews, Huw Stevens and former South African international Greg Nicol were their scorers.

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