A rush of late goals added drama to a drab game, Jo Wilson's brace enough for the London Bees who made it three wins form four against Sheffield.
Rattling woodwork
Sheffield saw first two chances of the game inside the first few minutes, Sophie Harris alert to block Hannah Dale’s low effort from point blank range before Hannah Cain caught the underside of the bar from outside the box, the keeper soundly beaten. The open nature of the game gave both sides the impetus to attack each other, the hosts with better possession but more fractured build-up play, the travelling Reds sharp enough to break-up the intended link-up. Better work from the hosts brought about a clean run down the left flank from Sophie Fogarty, the full-back tenacious to work away from her marker before floating in a cross that was well claimed by Juliana Draycott.
Despite seeing less of the ball the visitors were able to do more with it when they had possession, the forward line easing in behind the home defence to work their openings, though the clear-cut chances were fast dissolving. A sustained period of pressure from the Bees saw Lucy Loomes fire over from ten yards before Draycott saved Jo Wilson’s low volley.
Although a clear game of home vs away, Sheffield looked the more composed side when they broke, a handful of friendlies in the gap between this and their last fixture enough to keep them mentally fresh. Conversely the hosts were more rash in their attacks, classic English hoofs littering the game when no easy forward pass presented itself.
Open
Having seen little of the ball in the ten minutes preceding it, Ellie Gilliatt went off on a mazy run seven minutes before the break, slaloming through the midfield and defence her before laying the ball off for Dale. The Liverpool loanee left looking skywards as her first-time shot rocketed off of the bar and high into the sky before being gathered by Harris. The game kept the same open feel until the whistle, the two sides doing well to cancel each other out.
Dale was next to come close after the restart, Gilliatt’s driven cross volleyed over the bar after Dale had found space in the box, the game still open though there was little in the way of golden opportunities. A lack of quality in the final third and splintered build-up play kept both goalkeepers untroubled, the game far from a classic.
Hannah Lalani’s poor connection from Wilson’s lay-off the first clear chance for the hosts of the second-half, long after the hour. A string of passes in the final third brought about the next chance for the Bees but tight defensive work from the visitors kept the hosts at arm’s length, Paula Howells’ effort from outside the box right down Draycott’s throat. The deadlock refused to be broken, even when the attackers worked themselves into good positions, Lagan Makin’s nippy run and shot from inside the box, straight into the side-netting.
Flurry
With less than ten minutes left on the clock the deadlock was finally broken by one of the liveliest players on the pitch, Jo Wilson. The striker’s scything run punctuated by a low curler that finally had Draycott bested.
A firm response from Sheffield saw the hosts penned back momentarily, Gilliatt’s curler enough to beat Harris but too much to slip inside the back post. With bodies piled forward for their next attack, the visitors were undone on the counter; the move made by Ashley Goddard’s tireless run through midfield. Her through ball to Wilson enough to make the attacker’s eyes light up, cutting in before slamming the ball into the back of the net by way of the bar.
Refusing to let their heads drop Sheffield pulled a deserved goal back in stoppage time through the hard-working Gilliatt. Catching the defence sleeping, the full back sprinted through and slotted the ball low under Harris, the goal was however too late and the clock quickly ticked down for Sheffield.