[OS] TUWFC Match Report | Sherborne Town Ladies 1 Torquay United Women 0

[Guest]

Sherborne Town Ladies 1 Torquay United Women 0 Torquay’s women missed out on the South West Regional Women’s Premier League title, and promotion, as they fell at the final hurdle with defeat against Sherborne.  In blustery conditions, that eventually worked against United on a park pitch in Ilchester, the visitors were the better side but gifted an early second half goal which they were unable to recover from. Lee Mann took pretty much his entire squad for the season finale but made an almost game-time decision on his sixteen, with numerous players carrying injuries.  Lucy Solloway played the entire contest despite a chipped bone in her ankle, Alex Shepherd returned still nursing a muscular injury, and there were places on the bench for Jasmine Barker, Chloe Williams, and Danni Wyatt, all of whom were carrying injuries. After a nervy first seven or eight minutes where Torquay failed to get the measure of the gusts, sending pass after pass too long into the Sherborne half, they gradually settled into their rhythm, moving the ball around and using Adele Brown to hold up and distribute the ball up front. Jasmine Read had to watch an early Molly Gladwell effort carefully, so it didn’t cause problems, but that aside United’s goal was untroubled in the first half.  At the other end Brown’s low cross evaded Tash Bevan at the far post, Kaitlynn Harris leaned back and fired over from about eight yards from a United corner.  Another corner ricocheted off a defensive knee and clipped the outside of Emily Wilkinson’s left post, and Tracey Cross hit both a fierce 25-yard effort, and a tame daisy-cutter straight at the Sherborne keeper. Tee Kaptein fired a direct free-kick over from about 25-yards, and came closest to giving United the advantage on the stoke of half time.  She cut in from the left side of the Sherborne area, her curling shot destined for the far corner brilliant saved by the diving Wilkinson. Firmly in control at the break, United introduced Ellie Bishop to inject a little more pace and firepower up front, with presumably team orders to grab the early goal that hadn’t been forthcoming in the first half. Since the turn of the year, United’s defence has been impeccable in the league, barely putting a foot wrong.  Totally out of character then, that it was a defensive catastrophe that had United chasing the game within ninety seconds of the restart. Sheppard’s initial error, under pressure from Snook, was compounded as Read took a touch instead of clearing to safety, and the league’s top scorer stole the ball and rolled it into the empty net. United from being in complete control were rocked, they conceded a procession of corners.  Read punched one to safety from under her own bar, and moments later flew to her left to deny a Sherborne effort that looked destined for the top corner. That finally reawakened Torquay, who got back into their groove, now needing to score twice to take the title.  Sherborne ‘game-managed’ the second half from that point and the increasing strength of the wind, made it hard for Torquay to send long passes into the teeth of the wind.  It got so strong that Read had to pass out from the back rather than sending long goal clearances. Bishop nearly found the net after good build up play but would have been flagged for offside.  Another run on the right from the United substitute set up Solloway but she couldn’t get the ball out from under her feet on the edge of the box.  Kapten’s cross was nicked off Solloway’s boot by a defender, as she came close to an equaliser.  Enter Chloe Williams to try and give United fresh legs on the right flank and almost immediate impact as she cut in to shoot low, but the wind took the strength out of her shot. Tee Kaptein wasted another free kick from a dangerous position.  Tracey Cross did likewise sending her effort too close to the keeper. Kaptein and Jasmine Barker, on as Torquay’s third replacement set up Solloway who was closed down quickly.  The wind took the strength out of efforts from Kaptein, Cross and Barker, as the visitors sought an equaliser to set up a grandstand finish. Back-to-back yellow cards for Sherborne substitute Hollie Golding in the space of five minutes saw the hosts reduced to ten players, but it was too little, too late to make any difference for United.  Ten minutes of stoppage time saw United probing continuously, but Sherborne’s defence held firm to complete the double over United. So, congratulations to Marine Academy Plymouth Ladies who are promoted as champions and will take their place in the National League.  Congratulations too to Gloucester and Saltash who won the regional north and south divisions respectively, and who will provide new opposition for United next season. Torquay United: 24. Jasmine Read, 2. Lucy Palmer, 3. Rebecca McMullin, 4. Alex Sheppard, 14. Kaitlyn Harris, 6. Adele Brown, 7. Tracey Cross ©, 8. Charlie Pettinger, 9. Lucy Solloway,10. Anthea Kaptein, 7. Natascha Bevan Substitutes: 5. Lily Hilton, 11. Chloe Williams, 13. Jasmine Barker, 19. Ellie Bishop, 31. Danni Wyatt After the match, it was a disappointed Lee Mann who gave is verdict on the heart-breaking end to a fantastic season.  You can see the full interview on the women’s YouTube channel HERE.The post TUWFC Match Report | Sherborne Town Ladies 1 Torquay United Women 0 first appeared on Torquay United.

Source: https://torquayunited.com/tuwfc-match-r ... -united-0/