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Sunday 19 September 2004
FA Nationwide Women's Premier League, Southern Division
| Southampton Saints |
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3 |
AFC Wimbledon |
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Match report
SOUTHAMPTON SAINTS 2 AFC WIMBLEDON LADIES 3
Graham Newnham reshuffled again, looking to put the pieces of the jigsaw in the right place. This was aided by the return of Maria Bertelli to the midfield anchor and Michelle Riley in the back line. Danni Davies started at right back and Lisa Patey up front, with Andi McGrady continuing in the midfield.
This game last season saw both sides in the top three. This time round it's the bottom three and just as important, and the mood in the camp was upbeat bravado with a tinge of anxiety before kick-off.
Southampton tool the initiative from the start, forcing the Dons onto the back foot, and took the lead in the ninth minute when Rachael Axon turned a whipped cross from the right past her own keeper. In spite of some tough tackling the ladies kept their heads and the game slowly swung their way. Maria Bertelli had a shot cleared off the line on the quarter hour and Saints went down the other end and forced Lou Cooper into a low save. Just before the half hour Bertelli pushed a shot wide, then a minute later converted a penalty after Laura Smith was taken out in the box. The Southampton heads visibly dropped at this point, but within two minutes they had regained the advantage, Ann Marie Collins left with an easy tap in after a cross from the left had eluded three defenders. A nasty fifteen minutes followed as the home side fought to hold onto their lead. Firstly Joanna Goodwin was pushed over from behind, on the run, and injured her shoulder, then Scarlett Smith scythed down Keisha Ramos, which finally saw a yellow card furnished. Dons let the football do the talking and with the break fast approaching Julie Bygrave's drive was cleared off the line by a prostate defender, the same player was through one on one only for Jo Chastney to push her shot wide, Ramos had a shot deflected off target and Bertelli headed the corner wide. That's almost as many attempts on goal in five minutes as in all the previous League matches this season combined.
The second half started as the first had finished. Lisa Patey found Chastney in her way when clean through, and Gemma Woodford got in the way of Laura Smith to earn home side's second booking. Collins broke through at the other end, but dragged her shot wide, then a cross from the right went straight across goal and just eluded Ramos at the back post. Beth Sims and ex-Saint Lizzie Laws replaced Lisa Patey, who had given her usual 100% and the tiring Danni Davies, and it almost paid off immediately when Laws whipped in a cross field pass that set Bygrave through, only for the striker to push her shot wide. The game opened up, although Dons continued to have the edge. With ten minutes to go sidelined white witch Lauren Nuttall predicted a goal. Within a minute the visitors had forced a corner down the right and Andi McGrady gleefully swept it in from close range. With time running out there was only going to be one winner, and Southampton knew it. Substitute Kim Whitcombe was only booked for a blatant rugby tackle on Keisha Ramos. Nuttall's next prediction was a Beth Sims injury time winner, but her second sight let her down. Instead Sims broke down the left and tricked her way to the by-line before sweeping the ball across the box. Laura Smith, on the penalty spot, knocked the ball back towards Bertelli and her sweetly struck shot found the bottom corner from twenty-five yards to seal the three points, as the ladies held firm. |
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