NLSW1: Torquay United v Southampton 2pm 4/02/24

Match report on the women’s Facebook page has just dropped:

🟡🔵 Match Report - Southampton Women FC🟡🔵

The yellows came out on top 2-1 in what could have been labelled as a must win Home fixture against Southampton Women FC at Coach Road home of the Devon FA.

It had been a long time to wait for a return to their home venue for a fixture which United made their fortress in the last year. They had to dig deep to seal the three points with a very spirited front foot performance showing there passion and giving new managers,Tracey Cross and Jake Ellis and all the supporters lots of pride in sealing the three points having been pinned back by the visitors having lead 1-0 at the break.

Both teams tested themselves out in the opening 10 minutes with Southampton’s best chance coming from a break down the united left hand side with the ball whipped across the 6 yard box, but no red shirt was able to capitalise.

United then broke down the pitch themselves and forced their first corner of the game. The corner was swung in by Ocean Latto and headed up in the air by the Southampton defender and the ball looped up and hit the top of the crossbar, almost giving United the lead.

On 15 minutes, Southampton broke with a low shot taking a deflection of the foot of United CB Lucy Palmer with the ball just going past Emma Ayres right hand post which gave Southampton a corner.

United started to then take control of the first half with a great through ball sending Ellie Bishop through on goal. Bishop rolled the ball towards the corner with the Southampton GK making a good block. The rebound fell to player manager Tracey Cross just outside the box who lifted the ball over the bar. It was a clear indication United were starting to get on top of the first half at this point.

United continue to probe with shots from Rebecca McMullin and Kirsty Brown but both efforts didn’t trouble the Southampton goalkeeper.

United were pushing and this was evident when United got their opening goal. A Tracey Cross shot from outside the box struck the hands of a Southampton defender and the referee awarded a free kick some 30 yards out just left of centre.

Up stepped United right midfielder Ella Stephens who curled the ball over the wall and into the bottom right corner of the Southampton goal bringing much delight to the big crowd in attendance.

Brown had another shot which was dragged wide on United’s next attacking move into the Southampton half as they searched for a second goal before the break.

United made a substitution at the beginning of the second half with the hard working Kirsty Brown being replaced by new signing Tiana Campbell.

Campbell was involved straight away holding the ball up and laying off to Tracey Cross. Crosses low shot was easily collected by the Southampton keeper.

On 60 minutes Lexi Watts played in left back Ocean Latto and her overlapping run and cross struck the chest of the Southampton defender before going out for a corner with claims of handball echoing around Devon FA, nothing given by the official, and the resulting corner came to little.

Southampton were beginning to find a little foothold in the second half and with 20 minutes to go started to put some pressure in the United half and forced a couple of corners which came to nothing but the signs were their that the visitors were beginning to get a bit of a foot hold in their search for an equaliser.

United did create a chance on the counter attack. The impressive Ellie Bishop cutting inside with her shot easily grabbed by the Southampton keeper. Bishop had worked tirelessly throughout the game and put in a really good shift for the yellows. A minute later she was bearing down on the Southampton goal once again but her tired shot this time flashed across the reds goal.

The game then started to swing to the visitors as a Cross shot flashed across Emma Ayres box just missing the back post.The Southampton players and bench clearly believing there was something in the game for them in the minutes remaining.

With 10 minutes to go Southampton did get an equaliser the ball was worked across from the left-hand side to the edge of the yellows box where Oceana Adams gave herself a little bit of space between the United back line and curled her shot hitting the post with ball spinning of the post and into the net past the despairing dive of United keeper Emma Ayres.

Many at Coach Road would have expected the game to have played out to a point a piece for both clubs at this stage.

However, it set up a grandstand finish for one of the slides to take the game and with five minutes of stoppage time on the clock, it was United substitute Emily Eaton, who had come on for midfielder Lexi Watts earlier to become the hero.

In the third minute of stoppage time she controlled a cross from the right hand side and crashed the ball into the net to give United the most important and hard earned result so far this season.

United had put on club captain Danni Wyatt for the final period of the game to replace Bishop and Wyatt harried the southampton backline keeping their time to launch long balls to a minumum to get another equaliser which they couldnt achieve giving the yelllows 3 valuable points.

A great end to what was a tight and very entertaining fixture from two sides both wanting to play who both new the importance of the result.

United now have three very tough fixtures ahead against first and second in the league Exeter City and AFC Bournemouth and then a very tough Devon County Cup semi-final against Plymouth Argyle.

The yellows know that the next 3 results do not define their season and todays result gives them huge momentum and promise for the key fixtures coming up in March against all those sides in and around them in the second half of the table.