Women's Report: Portsmouth 2-5 Saints

Having been two goals behind in the first twenty minutes of the game, Saints bounced back to seal the three points at Fratton Park.

Abbie Ferguson and Jess Simpson scored their first goals for the Saints, with Ferguson scoring in both halves with two impressive finishes.

Michaela McAlonie was also back on the scoresheet, having scored the winning goal in the previous derby on Wednesday night. She then bagged herself another in stoppage time for her third in two games.

Simon Parker's starting eleven saw some squad rotation from the midweek cup clash, which included a return for Megan Collett, who was deployed at the front of the forward line.

Michaela McAlonie celebrates scoring once again. (Photo: Getty Images)

Just seven seconds into the game, Collett bolted forwards down the middle and produced the first shot, forcing a corner.

However, following an in-swinging corner themselves, Annie Wilding's header gave Portsmouth a shock lead.

Ten minutes later though, and the home side's advantage was deservedly doubled as Saints struggled to fully get going; another in-swinging corner proved dangerous and Georgie Freeland's ball in flew over the reach of Fran Stenson and straight in off the post.

Saints quickly found a response though as Ferguson delivered in solo style as she produced some two-touch trickery to then slot the ball past Portsmouth goalkeeper Jess Gray.

After a build-up of play around the edge of the eighteen-yard line, Chloe Peplow had a familiar long-range effort, but the ball hit the seats of the stands and Saints trailed at the break.

In the second half, the game turned into a stronger battle as Saints came out fired up in search for a way through to an equaliser.

Soon enough, McAlonie drew the game level with a drilled finish from the edge of the box - she picked up the ball and shifted it to the space in front of her, to then power her shot past a stretching Gray.

Saints later took the lead for first time in the game, mirroring Portsmouth's first half goal as Simpson bent her corner into the far netting for the game's second 'olimpico' finish.

Ferguson then got herself back onto the scoresheet with her second of game. Under no pressure, she floated the ball across the face of goal and into the inside of the far post.

Then, in stoppage time, McAlonie found herself on a solo run free of the defence - she paused momentarily, but decided correctly and fired the ball home for her second, and Saints' fifth.

Despite a struggled start, Saints' determination resulted in a full-time victory and made it nine consecutive south coast derbies unbeaten.

Portsmouth: Gray, Bull (c), Coan, Freeland, Rowbotham (Rutherford 75'), Hornby, Wilding, Primmer, Collins, Gale, Dahou.

Subs not used: Erhabor, Kennedy, Sheffield.

Goals: Wilding (10'), Freeland (20')

Yellow cards: Collins (51'), Rowbotham (70')

Saints: Stenson, Collett (Akpan 85'), Goddard, Hack (Bourne 46'), Simpson, Peplow, Bashford, Primus (c) (Udebhulu 90+4'), Watts, Ferguson (Mott 90+7'), McAlonie.

Subs not used: Pettit, Roberts, Brazil, Rae, Dix Trujillo.

Goals: Ferguson (23', 78'), McAlonie (56', 90+6'), Simpson (71')

Yellow cards: Hack (3')

Attendance: 2315.