Women's League Cup Report: Saints 1-0 Portsmouth

Michaela McAlonie's stunning second goal of the season gave Saints a comfortable start to their Subway Women's League Cup campaign.

With three games this week, Simon Parker opted for a rotated squad which saw loanee Ashanti Akpan make her first Saints start, and Issy Watts, Ella Pettit and Natasha Udebhulu all receive their first starts at senior level.

Natasha Udebhulu was lively on her first senior start. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)

The first derby match started evenly, but Saints eventually had the first shooting opportunity, as Abbie Ferguson smashed the ball onto the crossbar after she was picked out by a pinpoint Mary Bashford pass and displayed some clever feet in the area.

Saints raised the early pressure and it paid off, as the scoring was then opened when McAlonie lobbed Portsmouth goalkeeper Comfort Erhabor from long range in spectacular fashion.

Akpan then tried her luck with her own long-range effort that sailed into the stands, before yet another far-out strike was attempted, this time by Esta Roberts, as Saints showed balanced composure despite being a young side.

Ferguson took on Pompey's back line again with a neat run, but her final shot dragged just wide of the far post.

In a sudden change of pace, Portsmouth were on the attack for the first time as Jessie Gale made a direct run towards Ella Pettit, but her header sailed high and wide.

The half-time break saw Saints sitting comfortably ahead, but Pompey came close to drawing the game back against the run of play in the second half; Pettit was caught off her line, but Tara Bourne recovered well to make the clearance.

The second half was a much quieter affair, as a quartet of substitutions helped to see out the game including senior debuts for youngsters Jasmine Lampard and Sofia Dix Trujillo.

Dix Trujillo however, with her first touch of the game, took a shot that Erhabor was forced to push wide before she then earned a second corner with a deflected shot in a late flurry.

Under the lights of the Silverlake Stadium, Saints earned their first set of points in the Subway Women's League Cup and kick-started their double header derby week with a well-earned win.

Saints: Pettit, Watts, Goddard (c), Hack (Bourne 46'), Simpson (Mott 46'), Roberts, Akpan, Bashford (Primus 46'), McAlonie (Lampard 46'), Ferguson, Udebhulu (Dix Trujillo 85').

Subs not used: Prout.

Goals: McAlonie (19')

Portsmouth: Erhabour, Bull (c), Coan, Freeland, Rutherford (Rowbotham 46'), Hornby, Wilding, Primmer, Collins, Gale, Dahou (Sheffield 72'). - Rowbotham 46

Subs not used: Gray, Kennedy.

Yellow cards: Bull (11')

Attendance: 751