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Exeter City Women continued their strong start to 2024 with an emphatic win in the National League, beating Southampton Women’s FC by eight while maintaining their position at the top of the division.
The Greeks couldn’t have done better, with Jenna Markham scoring from close range just forty-nine seconds after a scuffle in the visitors’ penalty area. Mollie Taylor failed to connect with a back corner, while Markham had her own private duel with Sirens goalkeeper Grace Jenman twice forced clever low saves as City had intent.
Sarah Stacey fired over the crossbar, Phoebe Baker then repeating the feat as City created chance after chance but were guilty of not being clinical enough in front of goal. Taylor hit over, Amber Pollock struck wide, and Markham forced another strong palm away from Jenman as the Grecians probed away, but for all their dominance the lead at half time was by a single goal.
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Jess Sandland came out of defence to enter Southampton’s penalty half at the start of the half, and his cut reached Pollock, who made a ferocious effort that went over Jenman. The visiting goalkeeper had inspired all afternoon, but it would be a mistake that would double City’s lead. A top-looped cross landed at Stacey’s feet and she crashed in from close range.
Baker’s run was perfectly timed as he burst into the penalty area, his selfless pass allowing Ishbel Zuurmond to score a third as City began to locate the box in the Sirens’ penalty area.
However, despite all that dominance, as was the case at Swindon last week, the opposition found a way to get back into the game. A failed pass that the Greek defence was stopped through Maisie Aldridge’s planned run and her shot beat Abbi Bond’s advance. Just praise for rookie Aldridge, who had been running relentlessly in a lone role for her team.
Undeterred, City fought back, with Taylor delivering as he should when his cross at the near post was deflected past Jenman via Stacey. The Greeks temporarily scored five, Baker got lost in the box once back and forced a good save, but Stacey was in the mood to settle for the gift of anything from close diversity and fired in her second consecutive hat trick.
With the game entering into injury time, City took full advantage of tiring Southampton legs. Connie Pengelly fired in a classy free kick from twenty-five yards, the ball bending over the wall and past the outstretched hand of Jenman. Beth Ireland added her first league goal for City a minute later, slotting a cut back firmly into the bottom corner form the edge of the penalty area. Baker completed the scoring after Pengelly’s latest effort had thumped against the crossbar, the midfielder tapping in from close range for a deserved goal and the Grecians eighth.
There’s a sign in the home team’s locker room that simply says “relentless. “Even when they’re not at their best, that’s what Abbie Britton and Aaron Wakley’s team is all about, with three goals in stoppage time adding up to a goal difference. That can be very important at the end of the season. The next opponent will be Selsey, who suffers, before a very important stopover at Bournemouth, his unbeaten compatriot in the AFC. As smart as the Greeks have been so far, they will want to adopt this ruthless mindset. in the current part of the season to achieve the goal of promotion.
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