Women's Report: Saints 0-1 Bristol City
Southampton FC Women fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Bristol City in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2.
Despite a strong attacking start from the Saints, it was Bristol City's Lexi Lloyd-Smith who scored the only goal of the game, giving the Robbins the three points.
Simon Parker gave Ellie Hack her first start as a Saint, replacing Amy Goddard who started on the bench.
Saints' starting line-up at St. Mary's. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)
Saints’ first chance of the game came through Abbie Ferguson, with Bristol City goalkeeper Fran Bentley being tested early.
Meg Collett proved to be an attacking force from the start as she made a nuisance of herself against the visitor's back-line, playing pin-point accurate passes in behind.
Collett didn’t shy away from her defensive duties however, as she recovered at full speed to slice the ball away from Mari Ward.
After Tara Bourne then cleared the danger from Fran Stenson’s area, Ellie Brazil picked up the ball to take play down the other end, but her resulting shot was deflected away.
Saints were forced into an early change as Collett was withdrawn due to injury, with youngster Issy Watts coming on in her place.
As the stoppage-time minutes ticked down, Ferguson controlled the ball that at first bounced off her back, and forced Bentley to stretch high to deny Saints a first-half goal.
In the second half, Ferguson was causing mayhem again with a string of one-two passes with Michaela McAlonie, as a counter-attacking chance was just missed on a fast break.
Ward came close to opening the scoring for Bristol City, but her close-range strike ricocheted off the near post.
As the visitors began to ramp up the pressure, Stenson was poised to make an important save on the goal line.
Saints were then forced to play the remainder of the match with ten players, after substitute Ruby-Rae Tucker - who had made a bright impression off the bench - was forced into an early exit due to injury.
It was former Saint Lloyd-Smith however who opened the scoring, as the Bristol City substitute shot first time into the corner.
The referee provided ten additional minutes of play after regular time, but the Robins traveled home with the points.
Saints: Stenson, Collett (Watts 44'), Hack (Goddard 79'), Bourne, Simpson, Bashord, Peplow (Akpan 66'), Primus (c), McAlonie (Roberts 66'), Brazil, Ferguson (Tucker 66').
Subs not used: Pettit, Mott, Dix-Trujillo, Udebhulu.
Bristol City: Bentley, Powell (Morgan 9'), Lawley, Ingle, Hardy, Ward (Farrugia 59'), Syme (c) (Lloyd-Smith 59'), Dafeur (Meena 73'), Jones (Losada 73'), Saez, Bennett.
Subs not used: Williams, Struck, Hebard, Hibbert-Johnson.
Goals: Lloyd-Smith (88').
Attendance: 1,821.
