AFC Wimbledon | Match report | AFC Wimbledon vs. Southampton Saints (21st March 2004)

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Sunday 21 March 2004
FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, Southern Division

AFC Wimbledon	3	-	1	Southampton Saints


Match report AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 3 SOUTHAMPTON SAINTS 1 England Under 19's Rachel Axon warmed the bench on her return to the fold, victim of a tweaked hamstring during her international debut on Friday, giving Danni Davies the chance to make her first start, and Graham Newnham kept faith with Keisha Ramos and Julie Bygrave up front, meaning Beth Sims was also consigned to a subs berth. With Tracey Perry struggling with a back injury, Charlotte Nash was also drafted onto the bench as cover. Two weeks ago AFC visited Saints and came away 2-1 victors. Saints manager, Sue Lopez, though her players dreadful then, and the league leaders came to Kingsmeadow determined for revenge. AFC took control of the game from the start, and only three minutes in Julie Bygrave took on Laura Smith's through ball and hammered it past Connie Brazier. With only ten minutes on the clock Michelle Riley doubled the home lead, forcing home Sarah Mulligan's corner from the right. A nasty trip on Keisha Ramos saw Sammy Howarth enter the ref's book on eighteen minutes, and soon after Nikki Watts pulled one back for the visitors. Just before the half hour mark Maria Bertelli took a calculated swing at a cross in from the right and it curled inside the bottom left corner for 3-1. Sophie Kingsley-Smith, already playing under appeal of a suspension, was booked for a foul on Maria Bertelli that resulted in some pushing and shoving, and some (real) abuse from the Southampton wall for the cheery fans behind the goal! Five minutes before the break and Tracy Perry made light of any injury concerns, coming for a corner and holding on whilst surrounded by forwards. Saints continued to press forward, but Dons held out well for the half-time interval. Keisha Ramos came close to embarrassing the keeper soon after the restart, just beating her to a through ball but only managing to steer the ball over the ball under pressure. Beth Sims replaced Ramos twenty minutes in, and almost immediately found herself one on one with the keeper, but steered the ball a yard wide on the run. Sims pace and aggression caused Saints defence all sorts of problems, and helped take the pressure off the hard-working defence, and it looked that Dons, if anyone, would increase the score. Southampton were left to play out the second half on the back foot, and Dons ended up deserved winners.
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