Somerset County Women’s League:  Pen Mill Ladies 10, Wellington Ladies 3

After a longer winter break than expected – due to multiple matches falling victim to waterlogged pitches – our Ladies visited leaders Pen Mill for their first game of 2023.

Wellington were hopeful of causing an upset, despite their form prior to the break, but Pen Mill went into the game with high hopes having not dropped any points so far this season.

The Tangerines held strong for the first 20 minutes of the match, denying the home side a few chances but the pressure built and built until a Pen Mill free kick found its way into the back of the Wellington net.

This opened the floodgates for the home side as the visitors were unable to settle themselves after the opening setback and Wellington found themselves 4-0 down by the 30-minute mark.

A defensive change for visitors, including the introduction of debutant Kate Kemp, allowed them to gain some stability at the back however Pen Mill’s superiority in the air was evident as the leaders made it 5-0 just before half-time after a well delivered corner.

Going into the second half, Wellington attempted an attacking approach by throwing everything they had at the hosts to try and get something out of the match. This allowed Pen Mill to take advantage of the high play and the home side scored two more to make it 7-0.

However, Wellington’s new found desire opened up the Pen Mill defence three times in the space of four minutes with Tash Hole, Ash Grabham-White and player-of-the-match Jess Regan all finding the back of the net after swift counter-attacks.

With the score at 7-3 and all of the momentum on Wellington’s side, the Tangerines created multiple chances during the rest of the second half but they were unable to catch the home side as Pen Mill finished off a couple more of their own opportunities..

A rusty return to matchday football with a more positive second half left Wellington with a lot to learn from as they aim to turn the recent run of form around, and use their recent defeats as a tool to bounce back to winning ways.

Next week, Wellington travel to face Portishead Ladies Reserves.