City Women ended Fulham’s 51-match unbeaten run in spectacular style, with goals from Bow Jackson and Charlotte Whitmore securing a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage.
The Grecians’ first away win of the season came against one of the favourites for the league title, despite a late red card for Fearne Slocombe that left City defending their lead with 10 players.
Captain Jackson opened the scoring with a half-volley after a corner was flicked across the box, before Whitmore doubled the advantage with a flying header at the end of the first half.
Fulham pulled one back in the 60th minute and threw everything at City in the closing stages. Slocombe’s late dismissal caused further drama in the City penalty area, but the Grecians held firm to leave London with all three points.
Team news
Due injuries at the club, Abbie Britton could only name six players on the bench, with Amy Lockyer named amongst the changes with Tyrii Bell absent. Emily Pitman started her first league match for City, while the rest of the starting team remained unchanged from the Grecians last league outing against Bournemouth.
First half
City began strongly at Motspur Park, with an early Nia Lewis inswinging corner punched away by the keeper, before Amber Pollock had a cross-cum-shot caught underneath the Fulham crossbar.
Tia Asker almost opened the scoring in the 14th minute, when a superb flick from Whitmore set the wing-back free down the left. Asker cut inside and shot from the edge of the box, and it was parried down low by the goalkeeper, narrowly out of the path of the enrushing Pitman, who was scrambling to tap the rebound home.
Fulham weren’t unbeaten for 51 games for any small reason though, and with their first attack of the match they had the ball in the back of the net. Former Grecian Sophie Gillies was playing out on the right wing, and she sent a cross into the box that was converted with a diving header, however the assistant’s flag ruled the goal out.
The Grecians weren’t deterred though, and took the lead from a well-worked corner just before the half hour mark. Lewis swung in a cross from the right, which was flicked across the box by Giota Papaioannou to Jackson, who smashed a wonderful half-volley into the back of the net for 1-0.
It could’ve been two moments later, as Ishbel Zuurmond tried her luck with a shot from the edge of the area, but her curling effort went just wide.
City continued their first half dominance as the clock continued towards the 45 mark with Lewis having another effort from distance saved before Papaioannou nodded a corner wide at the far post.
With several minutes added on due to the assistant referee having to come off injured, the clock ticked into the eighth minute of first half stoppage time when Whitmore doubled City’s lead.
Lewis capped a fantastic run down the right with a pinpoint cross to the back post, where it was met by the head of Whitmore to put City 2-0 up moments before the break.
Second half
The Grecians began the second half brightly with a good chance as Zuurmond and Pollock combined to force a series of corners, but the hosts soon took a foothold in the match following some early substitutions.
Fulham threatened from the right with a low cross firing wide of Erin Foley’s goal, before they halved the deficit on the hour. A low cross from the right was fired across City’s box and tapped home, leaving City with half an hour to defend a one goal lead.
A tactical switch from Britton moved the Grecians into a bank 5-4-1 defensively, and they held Fulham at bay while threatening from long balls on the counter. One time they did break through down the right again, a fantastic block from Ffion Llewellyn halted any chance of an equaliser, as she threw her body in front of the ball with the goal gaping.
Georgia Vaccaro, on as a substitute, used her body to drag City up the pitch when she received a clearance from Papaioannou 15 minutes from time. Holding off a defender, the forward turned and shot low from 25 yards, but the ball bobbled wide.
A well-won free-kick from Zuurmond was hit just over by Lewis, before Fulham introduced more attacking changes to try and pin City back. More blocks at the back came with Llewellyn proving herself to be a wall in the Grecians’ back three, before a moment of confusion and bewilderment came deep in added time.
Fulham were awarded a free-kick out wide on the right, and City brought everyone back into the penalty area to defend. While both teams were setting up, a scuffle off the ball between Fearne Slocombe and a Fulham player resulted the City midfielder being shown a straight red card.
The referee initially pointed to the penalty spot, but as the ball hadn’t returned to being in play, but after some confusion she correctly reversed her decision to the free-kick. Once play finally got underway, the free-kick was headed wide, and the Grecians held on for the final moments to secure all three points in Surrey!
A fantastic result and City Women’s first win on the road this season, sealed after a dominant attacking first half performance before a resilient defensive display in the second, putting an end to Fulham’s 51-match unbeaten league run.
Up next for City Women, they return to Devon to host AFC Wimbledon at Willand Rovers’ Silver Street next Sunday, 2pm. Get your tickets by clicking here!
Exeter City Women: Foley, Pollock, Llewellyn, Jackson ©, Papaioannou, Asker, Slocombe, Lewis, Zuurmond, Whitmore (Poole, 100’), Pitman (Vaccaro, 70’, Sandland 99’).
Substitutes not used: Lockyer (GK), Baker, McGowan.
Goals: Jackson 28’, Whitmore 45+8’