Ashford Town Women 0 Brentford Women 2: Black and Cheatley on target in win | OneFootball

Brentford Women ran out as 2-0 winners against Ashford Town Women in the London and South East Premier Division on Sunday afternoon.

Makeba Black scored her first goal for the first-team late in the first half, before Ashley Cheatley scored against her former club in the second to wrap up the three points for the Bees.

Brentford had the ball in the back of the Ashford net on seven minutes when Alissa Down's corner was met by Becca Teale who cushioned the ball into Cheatley. The centre-forward rifled the ball past Rose Mylam but the ball was adjudged to have gone out of play in the process.

Cheatley dragged an effort just wide of the far post after a good drive into the box two minutes later as Carly Williams' side ramped up the pressure.

It was the Tangerines who went closest next though when Charlotte Close clipped a ball in to Sofia Allan who lifted over and would have been disappointed she didn't test Saskia Reeves-Priestley from a good position inside the box.

Reeves-Priestley then made an incredible double save to prevent the Bees going behind, tipping a long range strike on to the crossbar and then reacting quickly to stand up and save the rebound from inside the six-yard box.

On the half-hour mark, the Brentford keeper made another important save with her legs as she shut down Close who was through on goal.

It wasn't a vintage first-half display from the west Londoners, but they did find themselves ahead thanks to Black on 34 minutes.

Down's corners caused issues all day and when Mylam didn't punch convincingly, the centre-back was in the right place to tap home with her first goal for the first team.

Marta Boabonay could have had a brace from the bench, volleying over from close range after excellent work from Asees Sangha on the right.

Then, when Cheatley rounded the keeper and pulled the ball across the six-yard box, she was denied by last-ditch pressure which saw her miscue her strike, and Brentford went into the break a goal to the good.

Jessica Roberts sent a free-kick close to the top corner five minutes after the restart for the home side.

Cheatley then went close again after Teale knocked the ball round her full-back and found the striker with a low cross, but Mylam was able to hold on to the low effort.

On 55 minutes, Down almost found the bottom-left corner after Freya Worsley found her in space on the edge of the box. Her side-footed effort was dummied brilliantly by Cheatley, but Mylam changed direction just in time to scoop the ball away.

Cheatley was searching for a goal against her former side all afternoon, and had her best chance three minutes later when Renai McCrea's cross found her unmarked in the centre of the box but her header was too close to Mylam who parried it away.

It was a great battle between Brentford's no.16 and the Ashford shot-stopper, who denied Cheatley again with a brilliant diving save when she flicked the ball round her centre-half and fired a vicious half volley toward goal.

It seemed like a second was going to elude Williams' side despite having plenty of chances, but on 65 minutes, Cheatley finally got her goal.

Captain Maddie Phillips rattled the crossbar with a stunning effort from range and Cheatley was the quickest to react to the rebound to score her 13th of the season and make it 2-0.

She should have got a second on 70 minutes to put the game to bed when Wiktoria Kiszkis crossed to the back post where Cheatley could only hit the post from close range. Khyri McKenzie then turned her marker as the ball was recycled and forced another top-drawer save from Mylam, who tipped over the bar with a faint touch.

Close, who had scored 21 goals for Ashford this season before today's clash, smashed the bar with 15 to play, before Phillips went down the other end and poked an effort just wide as the game really opened up.

Cheatley and Maï Louvrier drew two more top saves from Mylam, but it ended in a 2-0 victory for the Bees who kept their 12th clean sheet of the season to maintain their position at the top of the LSE Premier.

The Bees are next in action in the semi-final of the Capital Cup against Tier 3 opponents AFC Wimbledon at Bedfont Sports Club on Sunday 15 March (3pm kick-off GMT).

Brentford: Reeves-Priestley, McCrea, Potter, Black, Teale (Harris-Walters 75), Phillips, Down (McKenzie 61), Worsley (Kiszkis 61), Sangha (Louvrier 81), Cheatley, Berry (Boabonay 42)

Ashford: Mylam, Frise, Allenby, Carpenter, Southgate, Sucuoglu, Roberts, Morris, Allan, Crooks (Cottrell 55), Close

Subs: Hitchcock, Nitsche, McDermott

Carly Williams' reaction to Ashford victory

Brentford Women head coach Carly Williams reacts to her side's clean sheet and victory against Ashford Town in the LSE Premier Division.

"We got the result over the line. The second half for us was much better so we're happy with the result and clean sheet," she said.

"We talked about taking the transitions out of the game where we could and the group did that well. They were patient on the ball and drew Ashford out so we could play around them.

"Their keeper made some great saves today so a lot of praise goes to her. We scored two decent goals but there was more for us there and we should have had more, but ultimately we got the result we needed."