Pen Mill Ladies (4) 4 Bath City Women (0) 0 – Sunday 4 September 2022 – Somerset County WFL Div 1 – Yeovil Sports & Social Club
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City Women’s first league game ended in defeat to title favourites Pen Mill Ladies.
The Yeovil-based side showed no mercy in the first half as they benefitted on lapses at the back to get off to a winning start.
City had their chances but found home goalkeeper Kate Chard in top form to frustrate Matt Abreu’s side.
Stand-in goalkeeper Ali Diegutis gifted Pen Mill’s first on five minutes when her attempt to play out from the back saw her pass go straight to Megan Gratton, who accepted the gift to confidently fire home from 18 yards.
Tanea Wright was smartly denied by Chard, who bravely blocked the follow-up from the same player to keep her side ahead.
The hosts doubled their lead midway through the half when City failed to clear a throw-in and Leonie Hobbs’ punished the defence by slamming into the roof of the net from just inside the box.
It became 3-0 eight minutes later with a goal near identical to the first, this time Charlotte Harmer capitalising on a loose ball from a backpass to easily dispatch past Diegutis.
Annie Hervey’s attempt from the corner of the penalty area nearly caught out Chard who did well to bat away, while her opposite number was helpless to prevent a fourth as Lorna Jennings was freed inside the penalty area and her low drive snuck inside Diegutis’ right post to give the home side a commanding advantage.
City still pressed but Chard stood firm. After good work by Emily Bristow, Wright found half a yard to shoot and her effort slipped through Chard’s hands before the stopper courageously prevented the onrushing Ashanti Golding from poking home the rebound to keep the lead at four into the break.
The remaining 45 largely belonged to the visitors with Diegutis seldom troubled.
Jade Whale hammered wide from a tight angle, the impressive Chelsea Giles showed excellent close control in the box before Chard tipped her shot around the post and Livi Davis shanked wide after Paige Owen-Jordan’s free-kick ricocheted back off Chard’s knees to the midfielder.
City Women were much more resolute defensively and the frequent substitutions didn’t hamper their momentum as they matched their accomplished opponents in the second half.
City’s Line-Up: Diegutis; Evans, Owen-Jordan, Curtis, Dellow; Taylor, Davis; Wright, Hervey, Bristow; Whale. Subs used on rolling basis: Hucker, Silverthorne, Fensome, Giles, Golding.
Scorers: City – none; Pen Mill – Gratton (5), Hobbs (22), Harmer (28), Jennings (36)
Referee: J Knowles