FOOTBALL: Disappointing start to league campaign for Ilminster Ladies

FOOTBALL: Disappointing start to league campaign for Ilminster Ladies

ILMINSTER Town Ladies saw their 2017-18 campaign in the Premier Division of the South West Women’s Football League get off to a disappointing start.

The Ladies suffered a 4-0 defeat on Sunday (September 10, 2017) at the Archie Gooch Pavilion in Ilminster against visiting Forest Green Rovers Ladies.

The Blues had a strong squad for the game with vice-captain Dana Andrews returning to the side after serving a one-match ban in the last outing, while there was a full senior debut to youngster Amy Burge and a first start for new signing Colette Martin. Tia Shoemark also came back into the squad.

The game started slowly with neither team wanting to make a mistake to concede an early goal and there was some good early possession for Town, but they did not manage to create any chances from it.

But the deadlock was broken on 14 minutes when a ball played from the halfway line proved difficult for Dana Andrews to deal with and as the attacker closed in on goal, she had a shot from 18 yards and forced Town keeper Charlotte Johnson into a smart save. But the resulting rebound fell kindly to a Forest Green attacker who put the ball calmly into an empty net from 12 yards.

A second Forest Green goal came shortly after, where Ilminster were on the receiving end of some bad luck. The ball went through the Town back line and young centre half Daisy Charles tried to shepherd the ball back to Johnson in goal, however the pressure from the on-rushing attacker proved pivotal as the keeper went to clear the ball, it hit the Forest Green attacker and flew back over the keeper’s head and nestled into the bottom left corner.

In a half that Town created some good chances and enjoyed plenty of the ball they just could not quite find the all-important goal.

The closest they came to a goal was in the 35th minute. New recruit for the season Colette Martin beautifully struck a free kick from 25 yards that was destined for the goal however the Forest Green keeper made a fine save to deny her of a goal. The ball did fall in the box and kindly at that, but young Town midfielder Maisie Poole just missed the target from the follow up.

The second-half got underway and Forest Green came straight out the blocks forcing Ilminster keeper Charlotte Johnson into a terrific save.

A well placed header from the Forest Green striker was certain for the top left corner, but the Town keeper had other ideas. The keeper leapt well and pushed the ball at full stretch over the cross bar, an early contender for save of the season!

However, a third goal did come for Forest Green not long after this, when in the 48th minute a well struck shot could only be palmed away, and much like the first goal the Forest Green attacker was first to react to the loose ball and pounced on it from 12 yards making it 3-0.

Ilminster did not get what they deserved in this game, and Forest Green poured more salt in the wound by making it 4-0. A slight mix up in the box led to Town captain Sarah Miller being dispossessed and the Forest Green player took the ball calmly and struck it high into the goal out of the keeper’s reach. 

This is how the game finished, not how Ilminster wanted to start their league campaign, but there were still positives to take from the performance.

The next game for the Ladies is in two weeks’ time when the play host to Bishops Lydeard, which will be a tough test for the young Ilminster team.

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