Despite having large spells of the game, clinical finishing from Sherborne Town Ladies saw them win 3-0 and take the points in Dorset.
The Yellows travelled up to Dorset for their opening fixture with expectations of a tough game against last season‘s third-place finishers Sherborne Town Ladies. That’s exactly what the got, though United started strongly from the off and created several clear-cut chances during the first 45 minutes which they couldn’t take.
Right from kick-off the Yellows went direct forcing an immediate corner and that set the tone for the first fifteen minutes of the match, with the team creating chance after chance using their wingers, Ellie Bishop and Mia Preston, to good effect running at the Sherborne backline. New signing Hannah Drummond looked dangerous in and around the box bringing out several strong saves from the Zebra’s keeper Emily Hall, and hitting the post for the Gulls from an acute angle.
The opener came from an uncharacteristic error from United skipper Jana Richards on ten minutes, as her pass was intercepted by the impressive Kelly Snook who finished strongly underneath the body of Yellows keeper Emma Ayres..
However United came again carving out more chances and corners, but the impeccable handling of Hall in the Sherborne goal was thwarting the Gulls. Yet again Torquay forced a top drawer save as a curling effort from Danni Wyatt which was bound for the top corner, was clawed away for another corner by the Sherborne keeper.
Sherborne then doubled their lead on fifteen minutes, carving through the middle of the defence with some clever passing with Olivia Watts giving Emma Ayre no chance in the Torquay goal, albeit while United were down to ten players due to treatment being given on the sidelines, and though the rest of the first half ebbed and flowed 2-0 was how it ended though United heads were still high.
United came out focused in the second half but faced a defensive wall against them with all but one Sherborne player in their own half. Bishop and Preston were again causing problems, with Wyatt having a chance saved at her feel by Hall.
Despite the Yellows early pressure it was Sherborne who got their third goal and decisive goal on the hour mark with a counter attack. A cross shot was parried away by Ayres in the Torquay goal, but this left oncoming Sherborne player Sophie Garcia with an empty goal to tap into and make it 3-0.
United changed to attacking formations with twenty five minutes to go, but a well organised and resolute Sherborne stood up strongly and the second half faded with little chances for either side, leaving the Yellows with no points to take home, but plenty of positives to take away from the game.
TUWFC Manager Steve Elswood shared his thoughts after the game.
“Overall it was a great performance against a team who we knew would be organised and tough to breakdown, but the chances we created and the fact that their goalkeeper was the player of the match tells its own story. On another day with a bit more of a clinical focus we score several, but the performance was there and we were strong today and Sherborne knew it, but credit to them they took their chances and held on to get the points. They’ll be up there at the end of the season no doubt but we will keep doing what we do to make sure we are up there as well”
TUAFC make another long away trip to Royal Wotton Bassett FC in Wiltshire this coming Sunday (11th September) with a 2pm kick off.