Torquay United Women's Team

link - Exeter City Woman had a very comprehensive win in their semi.

Link - good match report on the TUFC website - looks like 3 players are cup tied in this competition plus illness for another so good result all things considered.

Yep, took a circuitous route but came back from behind to win 2-1. In the first half had slightly more pressure and corners but unable to create clear cut chances hitting the side netting and shooting just over. MAP scored a good goal with a defence splitting pass that was taken well by shooting low to the right. Beth Everson came out firing in the second half on the right wing taking the ball into the area and being pushed over right in the corner of the box to win a penalty. Tracey Cross hit a howitzer giving their keeper no chance. About 10 minutes later Beth won another with a trailing leg catching her as she cut back inside the area Unfortunately Tracey got too much on it this time hitting well over but showed some good touches in midfield throughout the match and may have the provided the assist for Esme Kilburn Thompson who took her chance well and almost passed the ball into the bottom left hand corner to take the lead. Torquay keeper made a brave save taking a knock and a shot late on was just fractional over.

link - another 3 points for the woman today. Now just 3 points separate the top 3 with Sherborne losing at St Austell today. Two big away games against the top two coming up….

link - change of venue for Sunday,’s match to Coach Road, Newton Abbot.

So the game did go ahead today enabled by switching grounds to play on the 3G pitch at Coach Road.

TUWFC put in a five star performance winning 5-0 playing particularly well in the first half being four goals to the good at half-time and with other teams calling their games off it looks like we are now top of the league by goal difference with Sherborne, having played the same number of games. Ilminster with games in hand are the team to watch being just two points behind.

Looked like we started in a 4-3-3 formation with a very potent front three, Bishop and Everson were either side of Kilburn-Thompson in the middle with both of these players having pace to burn and within half an hour all three of them were on the score sheet. Bishop on the left had initially got away for our first attack with her cross hitting the near post but repeating this trick again, saw her cross find Kilburn Thompson for an easy close range tap in to take the lead after just a few minutes. Bishop then got a good goal herself again getting away on the left but more centrally and placing the ball precisely pass their keeper to go in off the far post. A good ball from midfield was enough for Everson to use her pace and get clear on the right this time putting the ball past the keeper at the near post. It could have been better with Bishop hitting the near post but just before half-time number 18 (Bailey?) smashed a lovely 20 yard shot into the top right hand corner leaving their keeper no chance and even she initially looked surprised when it went in.

We completely dominated the first 45 minutes, it was a well deserved tlead giving Royal Wootton Bassett hardly a sniff at goal and I can only remember one shot going wide and we completely outclassed them in all areas of the pitch. The second half wasn’t as fruitful and it can be difficult to keep the intensity going. About 5 minutes in we changed the formation to 4-4-2 which wasn’t as successful as our two wingers still played in a very similar position to the first half so it was more like a 4-2-4 meaning Royal Wootton Bassett were able to put more pressure on our goal at times but they fluffed their chances when the opportunity arose….

Bit of controversy in the match when a long ball saw our keeper come out of the area but was easily beaten to it by their forward who then tried to shoot but it hit her on the arm while outside of the area. The referee gave a yellow but many would have seen red but don’t think it was a deliberate handball which may have just saved her. Very shortly after she then made a fine diving save to her right to push the ball onto the post where it was then cleared away to rub salt into the wounds of the visiting team.

Torquay still had quite a few chances the other end but were unable to take their opportunities with the Wootton Bassett keeper doing particularly well. Towards the end of the game a deep cross just evaded their keeper and Bishop was on hand to slot the ball home. She then had a couple of opportunities to get her hat-trick but it was not to be today.

The team can reflect on a very good win against a mid-table side in very cold and wet conditions particularly during the first 30 to 40 minutes of the first half. If the team play like they did in the first 45 minutes, the best I have seen them play then it’s going to be a very good team that will beat them and bodes well for a tough run in where we play the 4 teams now directly below us! The players that have come in seem to be playing very well and we are hitting form at the right time. Kilburn-Thompson played really well today and continues her record of scoring in every game while wearing Yellow. She is very calm on the ball, controls it well and looks for the simple lay off where possible meaning she has a very high successful pass rate and I reckon could have had a hat-trick herself with a bit better services at times as she found space in the area but certainly one to watch!

Number 18 who scored that wonder goal is Katie Barriball, someone else that Grant has brought in recently as he continues to reshape the squad.

Big game on Sunday against third place Ilminster, a win for them would mean they go above us and with their games in hand would be very hard to catch.

Table and results can be found here - link