Southampton: Saints Women make St Mary’s debut in front of big crowd

Southampton FC’s Women’s team made their St Mary’s debut on Sunday in front of a big home following.

Saints played Coventry United Ladies in the Fourth-Round of the Women’s FA Cup and eventually lost the game 4-1, but 4,510 spectators were present to see them make their first appearance at the club’s main stadium.

This is a very significant moment in the team’s history and they put in a good showing despite playing a team two divisions above them in the football pyramid.

A competitive first-half would end with both sides going in at 0-0, but some intelligent attacking play from Saints saw them create some good chances.

Striker Ella Pusey was heavily involved and will have felt that she could have done better when she struck a volley over the bar just before the break.

Into the second period, Saints started strongly again as another chance for Pusey and Rachel Panting went begging, but Coventry soon took the lead on 55 minutes.

Saints had shown that they were more than a match for Coventry, but they perhaps started to tire as the second-half went on.

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Further goals after 59 and 65 minutes stretched their advantage to 3-0, before a fourth was added in stoppage-time.

There was still time for a special moment for Saints when Rachel Panting smashed in a superb long-range strike to give them their first goal at St Mary’s – no less than they deserved after a strong performance.

After promotion last season, Marianne Spacey-Cale’s side look set for another successful campaign this time around.

The have won eight and drawn one of their opening nine league games in the National League South West Division, scoring no less than 40 goals in the process.

In the previous two rounds of the FA Cup, Saints had beaten higher league opposition in Yeovil Town and Cardiff City, who both play one step up in the National League Southern Premier Division.

The team are really making good progress in their bid to rise to the top divisions of the Women’s game and have a great tutor in Spacey-Cale at the helm.