In the last game of the season TUWFC wrapped up their league season with a narrow loss to Ilminster Town Ladies.
Torquay United Womens First Team made the short trip up to Somerset to face table topping rivals Ilminster Town Ladies FC in their last league match of the 21/22 season. With a guaranteed finish in the top four already secured the Gulls travelled with a weakened squad due to player commitments and injuries. Players from the development team supported the first team in bolstering the squad.
Interim Manager Steve Elswood was keen to ensure the match was given the focus and importance it warranted, even if it was the sides curtain closing game of the current campaign. With the pending Devon County Cup Final Vs Exeter City next up this was the last chance for players to impress for a starting place in the Final squad.
Ilminster were looking to bounce back from a recent defeat when their Covid ravaged squad suffered defeat at the hands of Forest Green Rovers. Their squad was back to full strength for the Gulls visit and they started the strongest in the opening minutes.
Within two minutes a cross was placed over United keeper Kyanna Lee-Orchard to make it 1-0 to the hosts and the Gulls then knew that they had to get into the game quickly. They responded well when Tracey Cross pressured an Ilminster midfielder to set up Beth Everson whose shot hit the side netting.
Torquay pushed on again a couple of minutes later when a long ball from keeper Lee-Orchard fell to left winger Laura Lewis whose shot struck the bar, before being put behind for the Gulls first corner. A spell of corners followed for the Yellows with Ocean Latto finding Cross but she couldn’t keep her header down.
As United pushed and began to dominate the first half, a rare break from Ilminster came with a long ball over the top allowing their forward a 1 on 1 with Gulls keeper Lee-Orchard who got down well to make a block. From the resulting corner Ilminster forced a fantastic reaction stop from the Torquay keeper to once again keep the Yellows in the game.
As the half went on Beth Everson continued to outpace the Ilminster full-back at regular intervals and once again got to the by-line, winning a corner which resulted in Everson using her quick feet to lure the defender into a foul and the referee pointed to the spot. Sasha Mole stepped up and drilled the ball to the left-hand side of the goal giving the keeper no chance, 1-1.
Torquay kept pressing and their tempo began to overpower the Ilminster defence with another through ball sending Everson skipping away, and after a ricochet off the keeper and defender Everson was sharp to the rebound to send the Gulls into half time with a 2-1 lead.
United knew Ilminster would push and with a strong bench they did just that. Within 8 minutes they had equalized with a corner that was scrambled home and the Gulls then appeared under pressure in this battle.
Ilminster used their subs wisely and their fresh legs began to tell and in the 67th minute Ilminster got their winner when a cross shot parried by Lee-Orchard fell to the incoming Ilminster forward to finish from an acute angle.
Esme Kilburn-Thompson had a 1 on 1 with the Ilminster keeper as United broke quickly in the 80th minute, but unfortunately her placed effort went wide of the post. That was the Gulls last big chance at the end of the game to rescue the point that their performance deserved, having given so much work rate and togetherness against one of their top four rivals.
Next up for our Womens team is the Devon County Cup Final vs Exeter City Ladies Football Club on Friday 22nd April at Devon HQ, Coach Road, Newton Abbot, TQ12 1EJ with the match scheduled for a 19:15 kick off. Adults £5 Concessions £3