Alan Wyatt’s ladies completed their pre-season schedule with a 2-1 win over the Exeter City U23s/Development squad on Sunday at Coach Road.
Torquay United’s Women completed their pre-season with another battling display and another victory (2-1) in an eventful encounter against Exeter City’s U23/development squad, at Coach Road. The game gave Alan Wyatt and Steve Elswood the final workout they were looking for, particularly for some of their younger summer recruits, against an Exeter side which also included five first team regulars. However, it wasn’t without cost, as Milly Klinkenberg suffered what looked a serious knee injury, just four minutes into the encounter. The central defender went down, clearly in pain, and after extensive icing and treatment by Medical Lead, Sam Latto and United’s coaching team, the youngster was taken to hospital. She will now undergo a scan this week to determine the seriousness of the injury, but clearly is likely to miss the opening portion of the National League season.
Both teams struggled with fluidity after the injury, but as United started to settle into some flowing football, it was Klinkenberg’s replacement, Emma Hollingsworth, who created the hosts a lead. Her free kick from deep inside the United half evaded everyone on the edge of the Exeter area and sat up nicely for an unmarked Ocean Latto to rifle home from 15 yards. It pushed United into gear and a flowing move, stemming from Chloe Kind’s tackle, through Bex McMullin and Tracey Cross in midfield, saw Nat Warman shot narrowly wide from the right of goal.
Minutes later United were at it again, another sweeping advance set up Latto’s weaving run, the ball ricocheting to Kind, whose deflected shot was well saved. United were in control, and Latto and Esme Kilburn-Thompson, combined for another blocked effort. It was only cleared as far as another United youngster, Jess Smith, whose looping on target 25-yard effort was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Exeter’s keeper. United’s goal hadn’t really been threatened in the opening 45, but it was breached in stoppage time, after they conceded a needless free kick on the right touchline. Having spent last season in a yellow shirt, United should have been alert to the ability of Connie Pengelly from such set pieces. The striker, now back at Exeter executed perfectly chipping her effort over Emma Ayres to take it to 1-1 at the break.
If the home goal had faced no pressure in the first half, it started the second under siege. Exeter’s number 11 Fed the ball into Pengelly from the left wing and her looping hit and hope dropped onto the top of Ayres’ crossbar. Exeter switched attack to the right and another cross wasn’t dealt with by United, the City forward heading inches wide at the back post. Gradually United re-established control, McMullin and Tee Kaptein setting up Kilburn-Thompson but her effort was saved. Kaptein hit a 20-yard effort straight at the keeper, and Cross repeated the feat moments later, after United stole possession. Kaptein and Danni Wyatt then exchanged a neat one-two, but Wyatt’s effort was blocked a yard from the line.
United weren’t having it all their own way and Exeter looked dangerous in bursts, going closest ten minutes from time, working the ball in from the left, Ayres just able to pounce on the deflected shot from City’s number 15. Lucy Palmer swept a Kilburn-Thompson cross just wide, as United looked for a winner, which finally came with five minutes left in normal time. Kind and Palmer set it up, but it was all about the
individual skill of Cross, weaving her way into the 18-yard box to fire home from close range. If United thought they had it won, Exeter had other ideas and a long free kick put Pengelly in, but she shot straight at Ayres. The former United striker then turned provider, this time it was Exeter’s Katie Grigg firing straight at the United stopper. And it was Ayres who denied Exeter a last gasp equaliser, diving to save a far post shot from Pengelly’s right wing cross.
United: Emma Ayres, Ella Stephens, Milly Klinkenberg, Emma Hunt, Jess Smith, Nat Warman, Rebecca McMullin, Tee Kaptein, Ocean Latto, Tracey Cross, Chloe Kind Substitutes: Emma Hollingsworth, Esme Kilburn-Thompson, Mia Preston, Danni Wyatt, Lucy Palmer
So that’s it! After opening the pre-season with defeat to Cardiff it’s four wins for United’s women, who will look to take that confidence and momentum into the start of their National League season. First up next Sunday is a trip to Portishead, who finished mid-table last season. It’s a 2pm kick-off at Portishead FC, Bristol Road, B20 6QG.