Bath City Women 1st (2) 5 Shaftesbury Ladies (0) 0 – Sunday 10 March 2024 – South West Regional WFL Eastern Division – Twerton Park
Match Report by Finn Harlow.
Libby Goater’s brace helped secure Bath City’s biggest home victory of the season.
The striker’s goals pushed the Romans up to third in the league with two matches remaining.
Lilly Simmons and Chelsea Pearce contributed with their first goals for the club with Amy Key also recording her seventh of the season in a straightforward success.
After Shaftesbury’s Nikki Castle spurned a great opening on the quarter hour, City took the lead moments later.
Key powered down the Shaftesbury right, her cross eventually found Goater at the back post, who had time to control and shoot through Emma Stranger’s legs.
Pearce had a header chalked off for a foul and Tara Taylor was bravely denied by Stranger as chances arrived frequently for the dominant hosts.
They notched a second a minute before the break. Simmons’ shot deflected to Key, who benefited from Katie Evans’ attempted interception coming back off her and past Stranger from close range.
Ashley Harris spooned over from 10 yards and the openings continued after the break when Goater hit the inside of the post from Simmons’ lay off.
Chelsie Johnson shinned over from close range as City failed to clear Melissa Colston’s corner, and it proved the wake-up call Matt Abreu’s team needed as they made it three just past the hour.
Hari Sabic cleverly threaded through to Simmons whose shot from a tight angle flew through the legs of Stranger at her near post.
Pearce put City 4-0 up with a simple near post header from Mils Bellotti’s corner past the stranded Stranger, before the scoring was wrapped up in added time.
Sabic robbed Anna Yesson with ease, played it back to Goater near the penalty spot and she easily stroked into the corner to conclude City’s home campaign in style.
Att: 121
City’s Line-Up: Farley; Trivett, Gray, Bellotti; Key, Pearce, Harris, Duffy; Harvey; Taylor, Goater. Subs used: Simmons, Curtis, Rennie, Fensome, Sabic.
Scorers: Goater (16, 90+2), Key (44), Simmons (62), Pearce (73); Shaftesbury – none
Referee: Justin Cox