Royston Ladies 2 Cheshunt 0 BEFORE this game both teams came together in the centre of the pitch as Royston Ladies side lost a most valuable member of their club Jill Birch who died last week. Jill will be missed terribly by the girls and before the game

Royston Ladies 2 Cheshunt 0

BEFORE this game both teams came together in the centre of the pitch as Royston Ladies side lost a most valuable member of their club Jill Birch who died last week.

Jill will be missed terribly by the girls and before the game started a minute's silence was held in her honour by both teams with Royston vowing they would win this game for Jill...and they did.

Denise Underwood and Ruth Ashkam held the centre of the pitch, working in unison with Kate Nankivell and Kirsty McKenzie, and between them they ran rings around the opposition giving Sarah Buckerfield and Kirsty Penfold the opportunity to push the ball through and pile on the pressure.

With these tactics Royston got their first goal when Sophie Gathercole stormed the opposition with her skill in the D before flicking the ball into the goal.

The second half saw Royston dominate the play and midway through they were awarded a short corner from which Ashkam made an essential pass to McKenzie who hit a great strike from the edge of the D to give Royston their second and final score.

Stevenage 1 Royston 3

ROYSTON'S third place position in the Sunday League was under threat before this game, but the pressure was eased with a comfortable victory in miserable conditions.

Stevenage beat Royston in their first meeting so Royston went into this game thinking it was going to be a difficult task - however from the start Royston absolutely eliminated the opposition.

They had a flurry of chances but were unable to put any away in the first period, which finished 0-0.

Sophie Gathercole got the opener in the second half when she raced onto a great Kirsty Penfold pass, but they were surprised to be pulled back not long afterwards when Stevenage levelled.

Royston upped their onslaught and with five minutes left woman-of-the-match Kirsty McKenzie, pictured right, smashed the ball home past the keeper before running through the opposition's defence to score a second to finish off the game moments later.