QPR LADIES rose to second in the South East Combination League with victory at high-flying Denham United on Wednesday night.





Rangers spurned several early opportunities before Stacey Sowden’s opener shortly before the break handed the R’s a lead their first-half dominance deserved.





Martino Chevannes’ side edged further ahead when Kasha Petit struck late on to secure a third successive win in all competitions, leapfrogging their Middlesex rivals in the table in the process.





Chevannes made four changes from Sunday’s League Cup success over Brentwood, most notably in goal where Sophie Cheadle started for the first time this term following a knee injury. Elsewhere, Seun Odeniyi came into the centre of the R’s defence while loanee Sowden was restored to the frontline alongside Katie Wilding.





Rangers, buoyed by netting six times on Sunday, began brightest under the lights at the Middlesex Stadium. Laura Cooper directed a long-range shot wide before Lauren Gage’s header also fell the wrong side of the post.





The woodwork denied the R’s the lead on 10 minutes as Petit was unlucky not to net. Her lobbed effort came back off the crossbar before Cooper’s rebound was blocked on the line by a Denham defender.





Further chances followed moments later as first Wilding saw a snapshot saved by Elizabeth Rose in the home goal before Elly Maggs scooped over from 12 yards.





Rangers continued to press for the breakthrough but, as half time approached, Denham appeared to have weathered the early storm.





Chevannes’ charges finally made their dominance count, however, six minutes before the break. Sarah Staples’ raking pass released Sowden down the R’s right who, despite the tight angle, buried her shot into the bottom corner.





Sowden almost doubled her tally with the second half less than 60 seconds old. The R’s striker again found the target but saw her next effort pushed behind by Rose for a corner as the visitors continued where they left off at the re-start.





Sowden came even closer nine minutes later. After breaking the hosts’ offside trap and swiftly rounding Rose's challenge, Sowden’s effort flashed agonisingly across goal to no avail.





Denham momentarily troubled the R’s defence at the other end as Sian McCrindle’s ambitious effort flew over before Sowden again was denied by the narrowest of margins. After outpacing her marker, Sowden’s floated effort to the back post was headed off the line.





Sowden threatened once again with ten minutes remaining, capitalising on hesistancy amongst the hosts backline. The forward found space in the area but saw her rasping drive divert away for a corner as the R's seeked a killer second goal.





The wait eventually was over as Rangers rubber-stamped a third straight win in all competitions with five minutes left on the clock. Another pinpoint pass from Staples set Petit free down the right, who made no mistake with a clinical finish underneath Rose.





There was still time for Wilding to go close to adding a third, skewing wide from close range on an otherwise near faultless performance from the resurgent R’s.





QPR: Cheadle (Coles 74), Bytyqi, McKenna, Staples, Odeniyi (Gover 83), Gage, Maggs, Cooper (Mabey 69), Sowden, Wilding, Petit.





Images courtesy of Colin Evans.



