Following a convincing 3-0 win against then leaders Forest Green Rovers Ladies, United’s quest for promotion gathers pace with four games to go.
Torquay United’s women produced a thoroughly professional display to displace Forest Green Rovers at the top of the South West Regional Women’s Premier League with a three-nil victory at Liverton. United join Bristol Rovers at the top, still with games in hand on both fellow title contenders.
With the game switched to the bobbly grass pitch, instead of the slick 5g surface at Coach Road, and hamstrung by a number of injuries, and walking wounded, Steve Elswood’s side passed every test that was thrown at them and were rarely troubled by the visitors.
United’s boss made two enforced changes with Sasha Mole and Daisy Self both sidelined; Laura Lewis came back into the right side of midfield, while the switch of Rebecca McMullin to right back as Mole’s replacement was a master stroke, the stand-in defender barely missing a tackle all afternoon.
In a game where the points were crucial for both sides, United dominated first-half possession, Rhi Bailey, Tracey Cross and Tee Kaptein winning everything in the centre of the park. The midfield battle meant very little in the way of clear-cut chances from either side.
Connie Pengelly survived an early injury scare, as Rovers’ Welsh under-17 international keeper, Amelia Yarwood, was quick off her line and first to the ball as Pengelly bore down on the edge of the area. And it was United’s prolific striker who was the main target for the hosts, but without really getting a proper sight at goal.
At the other end, United were served a warning of Rovers’ capabilities. Top scorer, Nynka Rucker got the better of Ocean Latto down the right, but her cross to the edge of United’s box was met with a tame shot from Katie Jones, easily dealt with by Emma Ayres in United’s goal.
It looked like taking something special to break the deadlock, and so it was on 28 minutes, United won a corner on the left, Latto’s precision delivery met with a bullet header by Pengelly to open the scoring.
One-nil at the break was a precarious lead, and United went hunting a second goal from the first whistle of the second half. Twice, Pengelly’s tenaciousness forced defensive errors, the striker driving across goal and just wide from 15 yards, then setting up Kaptein, whose effort was blocked. The tireless Esme Kilburn-Thompson, set up the next chance, marauding down the left and setting up Cross, her 20 yard effort, brilliantly turned over by Yarwood.
The goal was coming, and once again it was initiated by a Latto corner. This time, Rovers half cleared the danger but the ball back into the box ricocheted off into the path of Pengelley who stroked home. It was a vital moment in the contest, as the assistant had his flag raised for offside, but, referee Dean Atkins, after confirming the ball to Pengelly had come off a Rovers defender, allowed the goal to stand. No VAR, just sensible officiating!
United were in full flow now, and went close again, Kilburn-Thompson again the architect, Bailey touching the ball into the path of substitute, Danni Wyatt, who blasted over.
A double substitution for Rovers produced their best spell of the game with Eleanor Briscoe and Poppy Mortimer’s fresh legs forcing United to drop deeper. And fourteen minutes from time, Rovers almost gave themselves a lifeline with good possession leading to a rasping drive from Rhian Robbins. Ayres though, who’d had little to trouble her until then, produced a fingertip save to turn the ball over.
It was the wake-up call United needed to finish strongly, and Bailey’s cross from the right, forced another save from Yarwood to thwart Cross. But United would not be denied a third, which came in stoppage time. Kilburn-Thompson gambled on a Rovers midfielder mis-controlling and surged forward to play McMullin in to bundle the ball home under the attention of Yarwood and a defender.
Only Bristol Rovers 6-1 win at Bishops Lydeard keeps them above United on goal difference, with Gas Girls and United both on 33 points. United though still have that game in hand as they travel to Warminster next Sunday.
Team: Emma Ayres, Rebecca McMullin, Jana Richards, Emma Hunt, Ocean Latto, Laura Lewis (Danni Wyatt), Rhi Bailey, Anthea Kaptein, Tracey Cross (Alice Gue), Connie Pengelley (Scarlett Williams), Esme Kilburn-Thompson
Manager Steve Elswood was full of praise for his team at full time when reflecting on the game.
“I am very pleased as that has now put us joint top of the league, and it was important that we got back to winning ways after the last two drawn games, though taking five points from nine in those last three games actually isn’t too bad where as if we had taken only two or three points it could’ve been a bit of a disaster. What was pleasing today was a dominant first half, though when we went in at half time the girls weren’t happy with themselves because of the standards they have set this season, so they had a discussion to put things right and make it better in the second half and show how passionate they are.”
“We came out in the second half and we were pretty ruthless when we had our chances, we controlled the game throughout, and it’s another clean sheet and overall it was a commanding performance, capped by a couple of goals by Connie who is doing what we brought her in to do. I think we talk a lot this year about game management and we have been very strong with it, and it has only been in the last few games that we have started to wain a bit with that, so we were very keen to get back to that and make ourselves difficult to beat, we don’t give up and haven’t been beaten in the league since the opening day, and sometimes it isn’t about creating chance after chance, but taking the ones that you get.”
“The next two games are against teams down the bottom end of the table, but they are not easy games and Warminster play on a slopey pitch but i expect us to go there and get a result before we take on Royal Wootton Bassett who are bottom, but they are a good club and they will come at us, though again i expect us to be professional, and maybe these are the two games where we could get a bit of goal difference if we can, with no disrespect to those two teams.”