Somerset County Women’s League: Wellington Wildcats Ladies 2, Wells City Ladies 1
Wildcats completed their season with an excellent win over promotion chasing Wells City last Sunday.
Wildcats started brightly and used the width of the Recreation Ground to good effect.
Both Robyn Stockman and Leah Morrell were able to use their pace to run behind the Wells defence, putting the ball into the box, but the visiting defenders always seemed to be in the right place.
Wells gradually began to build momentum which saw them try balls over the top and through the middle but they found the Wildcats defence in top form.
The first real chance of the game came on 27 minutes when a Wells striker broke the offside trap but was unable to slot past keeper Bianca Hamlyn who made a superb save to her right. Hamlyn was quickly up but conceded a free kick from which Wells hit the crossbar.
Wells pressed and had two very good chances to test the keeper but blasted over the bar on both occasions.
Some very good defending by Naomi Southcott and Tenika Goss also kept Wells at bay.
As half-time approached, Wildcats had an excellent chance themselves. Ebony Sellick was put clear by Kelley Coates, but the Wells keeper was quickly out of her goal to make an outstanding save on the edge of her box.
Both teams continued to play attacking football throughout the second half, but it was Wildcats who made the breakthrough on 68 minutes.
Chloe Payne, on for the injured Edmondston-Low, played a ball for Stockman to run on to. She was able to knock the ball into the penalty area and Coates made an excellent dummy, taking the keeper with her, leaving Sellick to smash home into an empty net.
Wells pressed for the goal they needed, but this left them exposed at the back and Wildcats added a second on 80 minutes. Halle Arnold’s shot from the edge of the area, which would have tested the keeper’s skills, took a deflection giving her no chance of keeping it out.
With nothing to lose, Wells pushed forward down the flanks, but found no way past full backs Grace Winter and Georgia Purdy who were solid all afternoon.
After a series of corners, Wells did claw a goal back on 87 minutes following a deflected goalmouth scramble.
As they pushed for the equaliser they needed for promotion, they hit the crossbar from a free kick, while Hamlyn also made a couple of excellent full-length saves to keep them out.
Credit goes to both sets of players who played an outstanding game in what at times was horrendous conditions.
Unfortunately for Wells, the result meant they missed out on promotion on goal difference, while Wildcats can reflect on an excellent campaign at their end-of-season dinner and dance in June.
Wildcats ended their first season in division one with eight wins from 18 games and will be looking to improve on their points total next season.
Any player looking to play ladies’ football for Wildcats will be welcome at their weekly training sessions which are currently held at Wellington Recreation Ground on Thursday evenings from 6.30pm.
Team: Bianca Hamlyn, Grace Winter (cpt), Tenika Goss, Naomi Southcott, Imogen Edmonton-Low, Leah Morrell, Halle Arnold, Georgia Purdy, Robyn Stockman, Keeley Coates, Ebony Sellick. Substitutes: Chloe Payne (used); Danielle Bond (not used).
