United Women suffer FA Cup heartbreak

Torquay United exited the F.A. Cup in frustrating fashion, losing a game they dominated for long spells to a soft second half penalty.

Lee Mann made two changes to the side that won at Forest Green the week before.  With Alex Sheppard unavailable, Kaitlyn Harris resumed centre-back duties, while Ellie Bishop got the nod on the left wing ahead of Emily Elliot.

Harris unfortunately lasted less than fifteen minutes injuring her arm in denying Beth Everson a counter-attacking chance, being replaced by Rebecca McMullin.

For the first time this season, Torquay began the afternoon as underdogs, but that tag was belied by the way they started the contest and controlled the bulk of the first half.  They applied pressure to Bridgwater from the off, winning a succession of corners inside the opening few minutes, coming closest when Ellie Bishop’s shot was well saved by Alex Madden.

It was the first of four decent saves that would thwart United in that first period. Madden also saved from Lucy Solloway, palmed a Tee Kaptein free kickover the bar and kept Bishop at bay a second time, turning her low shot across goal, around the far post.

At the other end, Jasmine Read was the less busy of the keepers, but was forced into a sprawling save from a Connie Pengelly free kick, while the back four did their job of containing Pengelly and Everson against their former side, and Kayleigh Spiers.

Biggest talking point of the half was a foul by Libby Gimson on Solloway, as the United striker outpaced the defender on the edge of the area.  Torquay eared a free kick and Gimson a booking, put Solloway would surely have got her shot away, so Gimson was perhaps lucky it wasn’t red!

Bridgwater will have known they were below par in the first 45, and as had Forest Green a week earlier, came out of the traps flying in the second half.  Read made two reasonable stops and Natascha Bevan cleared another goal bound effort from just in front of the line.

Torquay, again, as at Forest Green, weathered that early second half storm, and got back into their own rhythm, only to be undone by a sucker punch.  They only half cleared a ball into the box and as Kate McKane stepped out, Everson nudged the ball past her and went to ground, referee David Sellars pointing to the spot.  Pengelly duly obliged from 12 yards, thumping the ball down the middle as Read guessed on diving left.

By now Elliot was causing havoc down the left for United, twice cutting in but being crowded out by Bridgwater defenders.  But she did finally set up United’s best chance of an equaliser, as Bridgwater game-managed the final fifteen minutes with play punctuated by lengthy stoppages.  In stoppage time, Elliot used her pace and trickery to get to the bye-line and pulled the ball back perfectly, but leaning back, Solloway failed to get any power in her shot, allowing Madden to save easily.

Torquay United: 24 Jasmine Read, 2. Lucy Palmer, 5. Sam Burnham, 17. Kaitlyn Harris (4. Rebecca McMullin) 14. Natasha Bevan, 6. Adele Brown (16. Lexie Watts), 7. Tracey Cross ©, 10. Tee Kaptein, 11. Chloe Williams (15. Kate McKane), 9. Lucy Solloway, 12. Ellie Bishop (3. Emily Elliot) Subs Not Used: 1. Emma Ayres, 19. Lana Northcott, 31. Danni Wyatt