Marine Academy Plymouth 1 2 Bridgwater Utd WFC
Two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half were enough to put Bridgy Women in command on Sunday in their league game with Marine Academy at a sunny Ivybridge Town FC, writes Kerry Miller.
That comfortable lead was halved late on as the home side rallied impressively, but the Robins held on and kept their 100 per cent league record intact as they look to ther next match at home to Abingdon United next Sunday.
The squad was slightly changed from last week’s victory but they took a little while to settle into the game but once Meg Jarvis had a free-kick fly just over from distance and Katie Jones’s header from a corner was tipped over by teenage home keeper Emily Drinkwater Robinson then they took control.
The home side began to drift deeper as Bridgwater pressed and Abi Carslake went close with a left foot cross shot before Ella Pemberton volleyed over from close range. The pressure told on 22 minutes when the home keeper and a defender got into a tangle under a challenge from Jarvis and the ball ended up in the net for an own goal with Jarvis following up but unable to claim it for herself, holding off the defender at the same time.
Moments later the match was seemingly over as the impressive Aimee Kingdon rattled the bar with a drive and the rebound was not cleared with Jarvis curling a peach of a shot over Drinkwater Robinson and into the far corner to double the lead.
The young stopper then flew to her right to palm away a drive from Kingdon just past the half hour mark to keep her side in the game as Bridgwater were all over the Devon side like a cheap suit for much of the half. To their credit the Academy did not go under and just before the break a corner caused mild chaos in the visiting ranks and Sam Drewery was somehow denied with the ball twice cleared off the line.
The temporary chaos was repeated on the hour as the home side went in search of a goal with the Robins’ defence just holding out and as tempers began to fray, referee Lacey Chivers-Hickton was forced to hand out a lengthy lecture and a yellow card to the home bench. The 18 year old official had a fine game and did not hesitate to flash the cards when necessary.
This somehow then led to the Robins going off the boil and the Academy sensed a way back into the game and Kelsey Blight found room to bring a save out of Jasmine Read. The pace had slowed after Bridgwater’s possession dominance of the first hour and it was no real surprise when substitute Kate Bowden tucked away a loose ball after Read’s initial save with ten minutes left.
But the cool heads prevailed and the perfect league record continued as they managed the last few minutes to run out victors. The teams meet again on Sunday week at Ivybridge for a League Cup Group match but before then they entertain Abingdon Utd in the league at Middlezoy next Sunday, ko 2pm.
Squad: Jasmine Read, Keeley Banfield, Manfy Sharpe, Abi Carslake, Ellie-Mae Bell, Meg Jarvis, Ella Pemberton, Gracie Owen, Katie Jones, Aimee Kingdon, Gracie Binns.
Subs: Abbey Hateley, Phoebe Mullins, Ellie Strippel, Beatriz Kretteis, Emison Evans, Rosie Hill, Zoe Watkins.
Join us for our next home match v Abingdon on Sunday 20th September (2pm KO). Get your tickets here