Weymouth Women (1) 1 Bath City Women 1st (1) 2 – Sunday 12 November 2023 – South West Regional WFL Eastern Division – Bob Lucas Stadium
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Bath City Women moved up to joint second in the league with a battling success at Weymouth.
An early own goal and Libby Goater’s penalty decided the contest at the Bob Lucas Stadium as Matt Abreu’s side followed up the men’s success at the venue five days previous.
Emily Screen’s free-kick for the hosts proved academic in Dorset.
City debutant Eve Trivett got off to the ideal start. The wing-back’s teasing delivery towards the near post saw Amy Key’s pressure force Lauren Ellis into slicing into her own net past the helpless Kate Chard.
Goater had a goal ruled out on 21 minutes when Hari Sabic’s goalbound shot deflected off the forward who was stood offside.
A treble substitution six minutes later worked for the hosts. Screen’s first involvement was to loop a free-kick over Sadie Farley from 35 yards out of her reach.
Screen shot wide on the turn after fellow replacement Sophie Bonfield put the defence under pressure before Chard denied Goater with a fine save as her swerver from 25 yards required the keeper’s intervention.
Having struggled against a physical outfit in the first half, City improved after the break and a neat move down the left eventually led to them retaking the lead.
Ruby Black, Emily Dellow and Goater combined before Mollie Harvey was chopped down in the box by Alice Redding – the first penalty awarded in City’s favour in a competitive match.
Goater stepped up and calmly side-footed into the bottom left corner.
Emily Dellow hit the outside of the post and Tanea Wright’s fabulous turn and finish was disallowed for offside as the visitors looked far sharper after the break.
In wet conditions Chard superbly held Tara Taylor’s drilled strike from 20 yards before City survived a scare on 87 minutes.
Gracie Billing’s crossfield ball picked out Ruby Clark in the box, she cut inside but was repelled by Farley who spread herself in the way, which turned out to be a match winning save.
It helped the Romans secure successive victories into a fortnight off before league leaders Poole Town visit Twerton Park.
City’s Line-Up: Farley, Trivett, Bellotti, Gray, Curtis, Taylor (c), Goater, Giles, Key, Pearce, Sabic. Subs used: Black, Harvey, Dellow, Wright.
Scorers: City – Own Goal (4), Goater (pen 49); Weymouth – Screen (27)
Referee: Kevin Guest