Town bowed out of the FAWNL Cup after a late Lucia Kendall goal saw Southampton to a narrow 1-0 victory at the Goldstar Ground on Sunday.
A bumper crowd of 619 assembled in Felixstowe as the top-two in the Southern Premier Division kicked off the first of a trilogy of meetings between the Tractor Girls and Saints this season. As expected, the game started incredibly cagey as both sides looked to establish a foothold in the game. Town had the first chance of the game as Maddie Biggs received the ball from Summer Hughes but after cutting inside, she fired over from just outside the area. The Tractor Girls seemed to be in control of the game in the first-half but were unable to find any reward for their endeavour as Southampton's backline continued to hold strong. It was the visitors who perhaps had the best chance to break the deadlock as the game entered added-time but after a defensive mixup, Ella Pusey stabbed her shot wide.
After the restart, Town looked to push for an opener and could've got it in sensational style but Lucy Egan's thunderbolt from 25-yards flew just over the crossbar. Both sides continued to fight hard and jostle for control of the game but neither goalkeeper had been overly tested until the latter stages of the game. It was Kayla Rendell of the visitors who was called into action first as Hughes delivered into the Saints area, with Natasha Thomas somehow seeing her close-range header plucked out of the top corner by the Southampton stopper. As the game edged towards the closing stages, Southampton began to find a spark and started to put Town under a bit of pressure. The Blues soon had a let off as Ciara Watling's cross was flicked towards her own net by Paige Peake, but Quantrill was alert to tip the ball over the bar and stop Town from conceding an unfortunate own-goal. However, just two minutes later Southampton took the lead after a fabulous strike from Kendall. Town failed to get out to the England youth international and she punished the Tractor Girls by curling the ball into the top-corner from 20-yards.
The Saints almost doubled their lead moments later but once again found Quantrill equal to Georgie Freeland's dangerous goalbound cross. Roared on by the home crowd, Town pushed hard for an equaliser and thought they had it three minutes from time through substitute Sarah Brasero-Carreira but after driving inside and letting fly, the young Town midfielder was denied superbly by Rendell. The Tractor Girls would have another couple of chances to take the tie to extra-time, with the best chance falling to Barratt in added-time but she blazed over from Thomas' flick-on. Southampton would ultimately hold on to book their place in the second-round.
The Tractor Girls and Saints will meet again in a top of the table clash in just under two weeks time as Town make the journey to Snows Stadium for the first league meeting between the two sides.
Town: Quantrill, Hughes, Peake, Egan (Boswell), Lafayette, Hubbard, Horwood (c), King (Barratt), Robertson (Brasero-Carreira), Biggs (O'Brien), Thomas.
Unused: L. Jackson
Att: 619
After the restart, Town looked to push for an opener and could've got it in sensational style but Lucy Egan's thunderbolt from 25-yards flew just over the crossbar. Both sides continued to fight hard and jostle for control of the game but neither goalkeeper had been overly tested until the latter stages of the game. It was Kayla Rendell of the visitors who was called into action first as Hughes delivered into the Saints area, with Natasha Thomas somehow seeing her close-range header plucked out of the top corner by the Southampton stopper. As the game edged towards the closing stages, Southampton began to find a spark and started to put Town under a bit of pressure. The Blues soon had a let off as Ciara Watling's cross was flicked towards her own net by Paige Peake, but Quantrill was alert to tip the ball over the bar and stop Town from conceding an unfortunate own-goal. However, just two minutes later Southampton took the lead after a fabulous strike from Kendall. Town failed to get out to the England youth international and she punished the Tractor Girls by curling the ball into the top-corner from 20-yards.
The Saints almost doubled their lead moments later but once again found Quantrill equal to Georgie Freeland's dangerous goalbound cross. Roared on by the home crowd, Town pushed hard for an equaliser and thought they had it three minutes from time through substitute Sarah Brasero-Carreira but after driving inside and letting fly, the young Town midfielder was denied superbly by Rendell. The Tractor Girls would have another couple of chances to take the tie to extra-time, with the best chance falling to Barratt in added-time but she blazed over from Thomas' flick-on. Southampton would ultimately hold on to book their place in the second-round.
The Tractor Girls and Saints will meet again in a top of the table clash in just under two weeks time as Town make the journey to Snows Stadium for the first league meeting between the two sides.
Town: Quantrill, Hughes, Peake, Egan (Boswell), Lafayette, Hubbard, Horwood (c), King (Barratt), Robertson (Brasero-Carreira), Biggs (O'Brien), Thomas.
Unused: L. Jackson
Att: 619
