Playing under the Wroxham banner for the first time, the visitors forced Bedford to concede a corner in the opening minute after Holloway was put clear down the right flank. However, Pasque’s shot from the set-piece was comfortably saved by the home keeper.

Minutes later, Bell in the Wroxham goal had to be alert to collect a through-ball hit over the home defence. The visitors were doing most of the pressing and Bedford were forced to concede two fouls in quick succession just outside the penalty area. From the first, Rowland fired just over the bar, then Birchall’s header was saved by the keeper from the second free-kick.

Holloway was causing problems down the right flank with the Bedford defence unable to cope with her pace. Forcing another corner, Birchall headed just over the bar before Bygrave picking the ball from a poor clearance forced the home keeper into a good save. In a rare Bedford attack, they won a corner, but the header from the set-piece was well wide.

Wroxham thought they had taken the lead in the 20th minute after Pasque’s through ball to Birchall saw her run past her marker to fire past the keeper, only to be thwarted by a questionable offside decision by the assistant referee.

Almost a minute later, Bedford took the lead. A quick break saw Wroxham concede a penalty which was converted, after a clumsy tackle just inside the penalty area.

Stunned by this reverse, the visitors pushed forward at every opportunity. Hoy had a shot which was deflected into the keeper’s arms, then Hoy attacking down the left, laid the ball inside to Cooper who shot just over the bar.

Despite their dominance, the visitors were unable to find the back of the net with Leach firing one over the bar, then seeing a shot saved by the keeper’s legs as the hosts went into the break with a slender 1-0 lead.

The second half started in the same vein as the first with the visitors forcing the hosts to defend deep into their own half. From a Holloway corner, Hoy’s shot hit the bar, then Holloway after beating two defenders shot just wide, before a Leach shot was deflected past the wrong side of the post. At the other end, a free-kick from Bedford was headed over the bar.

Wroxham continued to push forward with Larkins running through from defence to launch an attack sending a cross to Hoy, who shot just over the bar. The visitors pressure finally paid off with 25 minutes remaining. Rowland receiving the ball from Bygrave, beat 3 defenders before the ball was half cleared to Leach who fired into the far bottom corner to level the scores.

Just five minutes later, Wroxham deservedly took the lead. A Hoy cross was cleared out wide to Holloway who picked up the loose ball, cut inside and unleashed a shot into the top right-hand corner of the goal.

An altercation between Leach and an opponent saw both players sin-binned by the referee as game got a little tense going into the final stages. Despite pushing forward, the hosts were unable to break past the Wroxham defence and force the away keeper into a save.

Both Rowland and Kindred narrowly shot wide in the final minutes before the last action of the game saw a 30yard free-kick by Bygrave tipped over the bar as the visitors left The Eyrie with 3 deserved points.

Wroxham Women: A Bell, A Larkins, N Cooper, A Rowland, C Shields, V Pleavin, K Holloway, B Bygrave, K Kindred, K Pasque, G Birchall. Subs all used: R Brister, M Hoy, E Leach, O Mungham-Gray, C Fullbrook.