YEOVIL Town Ladies put in a vastly improved performance following the draw at Queens Park Rangers last weekend, and they enjoyed the better of the game, but unfortunately came out with a 2-1 defeat at the league’s second placed side Millwall Lionesses. 

Despite their dominance of the game Yeovil still found themselves a goal down on the half hour when Emma Whitter netted for the home side. Ciara Sherwood doubled the Lionesses lead on seventy minutes, before Laura Bray pulled one back for the Glovers five minutes later. Yeovil bombarded Millwall in the closing fifteen minutes, but despite going close on a number of occasions Yeovil were unable to grab what would have been a deserved point. 

“I could not have asked for more either on the training field or from the match,” joint Glover boss Nigel Williams said after game. “It is always interesting when you challenge the girls to perform. I think you have to remember that the Yeovil Town Ladies team is made up of players that are not paid. They play for the love of playing for this club and play for the fact that they can play at a very high level. 

“Last week we did not do enough to win against QPR, but this week we saw a performance that showed Sarah (Lawler) and I a team that was determined to succeed. Millwall Lionesses have a very good long and established record at the top of the Ladies game. We matched them all over the park, and at the end of the game their manager came across and said that they were very pleased that the final whistle had blown. 

“The match started at a high tempo; something that we had said we wanted, and we had most of the possession for the opening ten minutes of the game, not allowing Millwall to play. We made some great attacking runs down the left with delivery that deserved a finish. Our midfielders, Jade (Radburn) and Gobby (Laura Wensley) were controlling the midfield and putting themselves about making sure that when we lost the ball we soon won it back. She had three great shots that were either parried away or stopped by defending players. She is having a great season, and long may this continue. However, I make special mention this week of our captain Rachael Edwards; Millwall have a very good forward player who they seem to rely on with a lot of over the top balls. But this week we had a defender in Rach who controlled her throughout the game, and for it she was voted a well-deserved player of the game. 

“Millwall, for their first goal were given the ball on the edge of the penalty area and delivered a shot that hit the underside of the bar, coming down on the back of Dodge (Goalkeeper Rachel Simkin) to go into the net. A harsh 1- 0 down against the run of play. 

“Half time came, and we had to congratulate the girls for the effort, commitment and passion that they showed in the first half. The second have commenced and again against the run of play Millwall received the in the box ball midway through the half, and unfortunately we gave the player too much space to turn and score in the bottom right hand corner.

“We made a change, bringing on Justine Lorton, and it was great to see her back after some time out with injury. We put three at the back and brought Rach into an attacking midfield role that soon won us a corner. It was delivered by Justine and scrabbled in at the near post by Laura Bray. From then on Millwall were under the cosh. We put attack after attack in on their box, and Millwall were panicking on the ball, not able to keep it. Justine made herself a free kick on the edge of the area and again their ‘keeper just kept it out. As I said their Management team came across after the whistle and said that they were pleased the game was over. 

“What we have is a team that can play with the best, and all they need to do is believe in themselves. This game showed a few people what we are about, and we need to make sure that we continue with this. We are looking forward to the next game. We will not let this go now. Expectation is that we play this way week in week out – nothing less will be acceptable. Sarah and I are really proud of the performance this week.”

Yeovil Town Ladies: Simkin, Grogen, Edwards, Hannam, Brazell, Radbur, Wensley, Pearson, Bray, Rapp, Sage (Lorton 70)

Goalscorer: Laura Bray (75) 

Referee: Kirk English (London) 

Next Match: Home to Colchester United – 18 November 2012