Leyton Orient Women are preparing to take on Cambridge United Women at Mildenhall Town FC this Sunday.
The O’s travel to Cambridge sitting third in South East Division One with 21 points from 12 games, trailing leaders Crawley Wasps Ladies by six points.
Their rise up the table came after a 3-0 win against bottom club Luton Town Ladies at Mile End Stadium last Sunday.
Strikes from Chloe McNee and Camila Pescatore, plus an own goal from Grace Stewart, secured all three points for the east-Londoners.
U’s Cruise
Despite Orient’s good form of late, the history between these two teams makes for difficult reading.
The O’s suffered a 3-0 defeat to Cambridge in the FA Women’s National League Cup second round, with Emma Jenkins netting a hat-trick.
They were beaten by the same score-line during the reverse league fixture in August, after Becky Shephard added to Kelley Blanchflower’s brace.
Finding Form
Opponents Cambridge head into this match sitting ninth in the league with 12 points from nine games.
They defeated visitors AFC Wimbledon Ladies 3-0 in their previous league outing on 13th January.
The U’s have not enjoyed as much success in front of goal as the O’s, evident through their goal difference of two compared with Orient’s seven.
Goal Getters
Looking ahead to this encounter, Orient’s Hayley Barton could pose a threat to Cambridge if the winger features this Sunday. She was forced off early during their last match with an injury.
Despite this minor setback, Barton has definitely left her mark on the league this season having accomplished 10 goals from 16 appearances. Her last goal came in the 3-2 defeat to Stevenage Ladies on 6th January.
Cambridge striker Kelley Blanchflower could be a danger to Orient and possesses almost identical stats to Orient’s winger. The Cambridge firecracker has netted nine goals in 16 games.
Opposite Ends
Both teams should go steaming into this match with a lot to prove. Orient will be looking to close the gap on second place while Cambridge are striving to stay inside the top 10.
This potential nail-biter kicks off at 2pm this Sunday and could possibly shake up both ends of the division.
