25th September 2017
The Ladies put up a brave fight against league leaders Plymouth Argyle LFC on Sunday but
in the end went down 5-0 to a team looking well set for promotion. The away team were unbeaten before their visit to Petersfield Park having scored 25 goals, conceding just one.
After our midweek win we started brightly and for nearly 35 minutes contained our opponents to half chances and in fact we had the clearer efforts on goal. In particular one scramble in theArgyle goalmouth in the 20th minute left the crowd wondering how the ball didn’t go in.
However, in Natasha Knapman Argyle possess last season’s league top striker
and she was quick to pounce on defensive hesitancy to open the scoring.
And less than five minutes later she doubled her tally by peeling off her
marker and heading a second at the back post.
Half time 2-0.
In the second half we continued to compete well but after a
disputed third goal for Argyle, scored after the ball had clearly gone
out of play, the contest was effectively over.
Argyle scored a fourth after a slick passing movement and with 20 minutes
to go manager Graham Fletcher went for the triple
substitution bringing on Louise Bull, Holly Kay and Annabel Davies for
Jade Wiltshire, Ella Hitchcox and Louise Fensome. The trio brought fresh
legs to the side and the Ladies never gave up hope battling to the last.
But the tide was only flowing one way and the away side scored a
flattering fifth in the final minutes.
Graham Fletcher said: “For the first period there was nothing to separate
the two sides in terms of skill, endeavour and commitment. The score
flattered them, as it looks like we got hammered, when we didn’t. We have
a few players carrying knocks but their passion to play is unstinting.”
Panniers, Wiltshire (Bull), Purvis, Brown-Wealls (capt), Walters, Butterfield, Fensome (Davies), Hateley, Salleh, Hitchox (Kay), Briscoe.
