Sunderland 0 – 2 Southampton FC Women
Eppelton Colliery Welfare Ground | Attendance; 300 | Goalscorers; Katie Wilkinson
Last Sunday, Saints travelled all the way up to Sunderland to watch the girls play Sunderland in the FA Cup, what a game of two halves this turned out to be. The end of the game saw a 2 nil scoreline and a place in the next round in the FA Cup for Saints! An attendance of 300 turned out to Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground, with a good 20 of those being Saints fans who made the long trek up! Impressive! I must say, the ground was silent in terms of Sunderland fans, all the noise was coming for us Saints fans!
Honestly, this match could be described as a match of two halves, that being that the first half wasn’t a great half, but it wasn’t bad in my opinion. By that, I mean we were struggling to get out of our own half and we’re being faced by a Sunderland team that were showing some pure dominance and aggression. Though, we did have a couple of very good chances, none that really amounted to anything, we just need to give a bit more welly in the final third and pass the ball quicker. We just weren’t seeing the ball very much at all and also struggled to string passes together at times.
I fully blame the pitch as well as the sun beaming down in our eyes for the first half, even with the sun shining in their eyes though, we stood our ground and held them off to ensure they were not going to score, which thankfully they didn’t! Beth also had an absolute cracker in goal as well as our defence to keep them from scoring. Being at a smaller ground it was really nice to be able to hear the girls communicating with each other.
Before the start of the second half, I was speaking to some other Saints fans to which I said, “is this going to be our typical of the first half not going great, and the second half we step up and are a lot better”.
Well, I was correct! I’m not sure what Marieanne said to them in the changing rooms, but we showed them we mean business in the second half. It was definitely a mixture of that and the fact that we had the advantage of the sun now being in their eyes.
The second half we come out a whole load stronger, we were playing the ball a whole load better and making a lot more runs and connection passes work. Megan Collett was on a mission with her adventurous runs that’s for sure. I think in this half the girls showed a lot more vision than they did in the first half, we were creating chances and some beautiful crosses into the box, which was amazing to see! Then come the two goals by none other than Wilko, one of them being goal of the season in my opinion.
What a game, what a fight to the end and what a mixed battle! Into the next round we go to which we faced WSL giants, United!
First half
The first half saw a lot more dominance an aggression from Sunderland, to which they were using the sun as their advantage to bar us down. The first chance came in the 3rd minute, a ball was passed out to Mary Mccateer on the wing who then took a shot, but Beth was there to make the stop and keep it out and the Raff cleared. The next chance came from a Sunderland free kick, the ball was put into the box but punched away by Beth, a tussle in the area saw Sunderland keep the ball and pass back for their player to shoot, it went well wide.
The next chance came in the 14th minute and this time it was by Saints, Molly Pike ran it down the wing and passed it to Meg C, Molly went on the overlap and received the ball back, ran it further in to the area and took a shot, it went over the bar. Sunderland was up next with yet another chance, a cross into the area saw Kitching head it wide and then Beth run and grab.
Molly Pike was up next to test Moan, with a run from the halfway line, she attacks and moves into position, she pulled the trigger, nutmegged the Sunderland defender but the ball went straight into Moans arms. Just 3 minutes later and Sunderland were at yet another attack, this time Ejupi tried her luck from outside the area on the wing but was unsuccessful. Molly was up again with her hat-trick of chances, after Meg C put a bull through to her, but again the ball went straight to the keeper's arms.
Rianna next with a chance after Molly squared it across the box for Rianna to put away, unfortunately it was saved by Moans knee and went out for a corner. Back to Sunderland where Kitching tried her luck again, Beth calmly collected the Kitching shot.
A very busy first half regarding chances with Sunderland having the upper hand this half.
Half time, 0-0.
Second half
The second half was definitely more our half, not just because we got the goals to win the match but because we came out a lot stronger and more dominant. The 55th minute of this half was pretty much the first chance and long behold, it was the goal that broke the deadlock. Megan Collett made a brilliant run down the wing, she put it into the box for Wilko who took a touch and pulled the trigger, 1-0 Saints!!!!
The 60th minute saw a Sunderland chance, Ejupi went extremely close but slipped as she shot which made the balls direction, which agonisingly for her, sailed wide pass the post. Next chance is what led to the goal, a goal in which I and so many others feel is a high contender for goal of the season! The move started off with Megan Wynne on the wing, she then passed it back to Meg C who put it through to Lucia, she then ran it to the by line, she put it in the box where Wilko skilfully pulled off a diving header, heading in and securing our 2-0 lead!
The wasn’t the last of it though, Milly Mott made a driving run down the wing, taking it past not one, not two, but three players before crossing it into the box after targeting Wilko, Wilko couldn’t quite reach the ball. Match ended, 2 nil Southampton!
Player of the match
The supporter's groups voted ‘Player of the match’ for Sundays FA Cup game against Sunderland is none other than Megan Collett!
Her first start yesterday after coming back from injury and what a game she had! We had a little pocket rocket on our hands, running her socks off completely, defending and never being afraid to put a tackle in, as well as attacking and putting crosses in! Also, that run and assist to put the ball in for Wilko was nothing but perfection!
Congratulations on ‘Player of the Match’ Meg🎉🎉
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