YEOVIL Town Ladies turned on the style to beat strugglers Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Wells on Sunday. The Premier league, Southern Division’s bottom placed side are fighting for their lives at the moment and have a habit of starting to grind out the results at this time of the season, so this was a fine victory for the Glovers. This was their third straight league win for the girls, and was gained as a result of goals from Justine Lorton and Laura Bray, seeing the team strengthen their hold on third place in the table. 

“We put a fine performance this afternoon, and it was another three valuable points on the board ” joint manager Nigel Williams said after the match. “Today we set out to attack QPR. I have seen our team in many games this season allowing others too much respect in the first period of games. Today we were in control from the start, and set about our business from the first whistle. And although losing the toss put pressure on us, with QPR pushing us back into own half, we were winning the ball back very quickly. That set the standard and wave after wave of attacking play came our way. Justine Lorton used all her experience to control the game, sitting off the front two and playing some great balls around, stretching the opposition with passing that was showing a full range of her ability.

”QPR tried to give us problems down the right, but Mitch (Michelle Keehan) was up to all that they could throw at her and deservedly won the Player of the game trophy (unsponsored at this time by the way).”

Nigel talked proudly of the team today. “We had something to prove today,” he said. “QPR are a great team and this season has seen us draw with them at their place twice, once in the league and once in the league cup. On both occasions we should have taken the points, and today we deserved the points. I cannot speak highly enough of the performance. We controlled the game with confidence today, and that is how we need to continue this season. 

”Our first goal came from a brilliant run in from captain Rach Edwards. Picking up the ball on the edge of her own area she drove right at the QPR defence. Coming to an end when QPR managed to hold her up on the edge of their penalty area she delivered the ball to Justine Lorton who spun and struck the ball wide of the keeper into the bottom left hand corner. We never were rarely under pressure, and played the game out to half time and could have had another couple of goals but for a good period by QPR’s ‘keeper. 

”We came out for the second half and continued where we had left off. More attacking play saw QPR penned back into their half, with us entering into all-out attack. Our second goal came from a delivery from the right into a crowded area. A flick from cookie (Katie Cooke) then saw the ball fall nicely for Laura Bray, who continued her good scoring this season with a spin and toe poke into the net. This settled us into some fine passing moves, keeping possession of the ball when needed, and from then on the game never looked in doubt.” 

Nigel continued. “It is always a nervous time when you are only 1–0, with a good break from the opposition potentially cancelling it out,” he said. “The second goal today gave us the platform we needed to see out the game and allowed us to rest players and have a look at others.

”We saw some good football today on a pitch that was cut up from the weather, and previously played on this weekend. From the back to our front players everyone deserves credit for this result. We have the points we wanted, and the girls played the game that we asked them to. A good day at the office!”

Yeovil Town Ladies: Simkin, Brazell, Edwards, Williams, Keehan, Radburn, Wensley, Pearson, Lorton (Whitton – 68), Cook, (Sage – 75), Bray 

Goals: Lorton (42), Bray (79) 

Referee: Robin Connolly (Somerset)

Next Match: Away to Colne Valley Ladies in the second round propper of the FA Women’s Cup – 06 January 2013, 1.00pm kick off. The Broadway, Laleham, Staines. 

Nigel Williams was talking to Ali King