Women's Report: Crystal Palace 4-4 Saints

Off the back of a super start to the season in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Ipswich Town, Simon Parker’s side scored four goals again in a very different affair in the capital.

Michaela McAlonie, Ellie Brazil, Tara Bourne and Meg Collett scored Saints’ four, with Bourne scoring from the penalty spot, but the end-to-end battle was 2-2 at the break and finished 4-4 at full-time.

Saints started strong from the off and secured an early lead through McAlonie, who got herself off the mark inside the first three minutes.

Brazil beat her player with some footwork trickery, and Palace failed to clear her ball into the box, allowing McAlonie to poke the ball home from close range.

Michaela McAlonie celebrates her first Saints goal. (Photo: Patrick Khachfe - WSL/Getty Images)

The home side were then troubled again by a Tara Bourne corner that almost resulted the lead being doubled through Chloe Peplow.

The Eagles drew the game level in the 24th minute though, through Abbie Larkin who slotted the ball past Fran Stenson to cap off a flowing team move.

They quickly earned a second to turn the scores around when Justine Vanhaevermaet netted at the back post following Palace’s third corner of the game.

As control of the match started to slip out of Saints’ hands, Annabel Blanchard forced the first big save of the game, as her powerful shot was pushed out from the top corner by Fran Stenson.

Blanchard was then almost able to capitalise as Amy Goddard tripped inside the box, but Stenson again had her goal covered.

Saints weren't going to roll over though, as they rallied to bring the game back level once more; Jess Simpson raced to the byline and cut the ball into the box to find Brazil, who tapped home from close range.

Later, Mary Bashford showed strength to battle for possession of the ball and set Atlanta Primus through on goal, but goalkeeper Shae Yañez snuffed out her attempt on goal.

As stoppage time ran down in the first half, Collett appeared in a flash to produce a perfectly timed last-ditch tackle to deny Palace’s opportunity for a third before the break.

Saints started brightly again in the second half, and after just two minutes had earned themselves a penalty.

The referee pointed to the spot and showed a yellow card to Yañez, after the goalkeeper rushed off her line to intercept Brazil but was adjudged to have committed a foul.

Centre-back Bourne stepped up to the spot and finished low into the corner to restore the lead for Saints and give them an identical opening to the half.

Tara Bourne is congratulated for her pin-point penalty.

The game was set for end-to-end chaos once more though, as the score was drawn level for the third time when Larkin fired the ball into the net from outside the box with a venemous strike.

In a carbon copy of the first half, the game's seventh goal was quickly added to the scoresheet when Ashleigh Weerden picked up possession from Collett’s clearance and blasted the ball into the far side of the goal.

However, Collett swiftly recovered at the other end as she attacked down the right wing and squeezed the ball into Yañez’s goal from a narrow angle to level the game again.

Hearts jumped into mouths for Saints as a flurry of chances fell to Palace as the game wore on, but another Stenson save and a sufficient clearance was eventually produced.

Goddard then raced to put her body on the line to protect Saints’ chances of taking a point, as the hosts turned the screw in the final moments.

Another important save was made by Stenson in stoppage time to deny Larkin from securing a hat-trick, and preserve a deserved point in a remarkable game that provided plenty of entertainment for the neutrals.

Crystal Palace: Yáñez, Napier, Arthur (Hughes 46'), Howat (c), Weerden, Green, Nolan, Blanchard (Watson 90+7'), Vanhaevermaet, Riley (Hopcroft 75'), Larkin.

Subs not used: Annets, Sibley, Sharpe, Swaby

Goals: Larkin (24', 58'), Vanhaevermaet (28'), Weerden (60').

Yellow cards: Yáñez (47'), Riley (53'), Howat (90+6'),

Saints: Stenson, Collett, Goddard, Bourne, Simpson, Bashford, Peplow (Akpan 66'), Primus (c) (Watts 83'), McAlonie (Mott 90+8’), Brazil (Tucker 66'), Ferguson (Hack 83').

Subs not used: Pettit, Akpan, Roberts, Dix Trujillo.

Goals: McAlonie (3'), Brazil (41'), Bourne (50'), Collett (64').

Yellow cards: Simpson (90')

Attendande: 896