Page 4 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.36 2021-22

Saints march into Championship

Southampton FC Women 1 (Pharoah 21)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
at Edgeley Park, Stockport County FC
Southampton FC Women have won promotion to the FA
Women’s Championship after a superbly taken first half
goal from Sophia Pharoah gave them a narrow win over
Wolves Women.
Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side were always in
control of the game after taking the lead but
Wolves battled hard after the break despite
having to play the whole of the second half with
ten players.
Southampton appeared to settle down the
quicker and were close to taking the lead
following a good move in which Pharoah fed Lucia
Kendall with a through ball in the area, where she
attemped to dink the ball over the advancing Shan
Turner but the Wolves keeper did well to claw the
ball away for a corner.
Wolves hit back with Beth Merrick working Tammi George sends a volley over the bar for Wolves
herself an opening on the edge of the area and in injury time (Photos by Julian Barker).
after her initial strike was charged down, Maz
Gauntlett pounced on the loose ball but Laura Rafferty did well to block her shot from close
range.
Both teams had looked dangerous when going forward but Southampton were looking
the sharper at this stage and in the 21st minute, they opened the scoring. Georgie Freeland
clipped a neat pass over the Wolves defence and into the path of Pharoah, who coolly
rounded Turner and slotted home.
It could have been two just after the half hour as Southampton were awarded a free kick
25 yards from goal, Kendall’s shot coming back off the post and Alice Griffiths fired the
rebound over the bar.
Wolves’ task was made harder in first half injury time as Kelly Darby brought down
Alisha Ware near the touchline, in front of the dugouts, and the defender was shown a
second yellow card, reducing Wolves to ten.
Kendall passed up an early opportunity for Saints after the restart when she seized on a
loose pass from Anna Price but lifted her shot wide of the goal.
Despite the one player disadvantage, Wolves had pulled themselves together and began
to press forward strongly. Amber Hughes did well to create a chance for herself on the edge
of the area but her strike on the turn flew straight at Kayla Rendell.
Southampton brought on Ella Morris in place of Freeland on the hour and the talented
winger was soon involved, flashing a centre across the face of goal which none of her team
mates were able to get to.
Many of Wolves’ best moments were coming on the right from Merrick, who had a fine
match at both ends of the pitch, and she was narrowly off target with a shot from just outside
the area after picking up a loose pass out of defence.
Wolves piled valiantly forward as the half wore on but could not fashion a clear
opportunity, Southampton being well marshalled by experienced duo Rafferty and Leeta
Rutherford, as well as captain Rosie Parnell.
Issue no. 36 - 26 May 2022 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk