Grecian ladies win at Plainmoor
Exeter City Ladies’ first pre-season game saw them travel to Plainmoor to be part of a showcase for the Gulls’ success last season, which saw the hosts pick up the South West Women’s Football League title in the 2013/14 season.
Exeter also had a good campaign last time out, finishing as runners-up to Plymouth Argyle in the South West Combination, and saw the fixture as a way of getting pre-season rolling.
The first 10 minutes saw the Grecians start where they left off with, left-wing back Lola Garcia Sanchez causing constant problems as well as the pace of Helen Kukor causing problems to the Gulls.
It was Kukor very early on who helped Exeter take the lead – a ball slid down the line saw the forward leave the centre-half behind with ease, forcing the defender to concede a penalty which Kirsty Caunter dispatched well.
Exeter continued to dominate proceedings but with no real conviction and the score remained 1-0 for the majority of the first half – that was until five minutes before the break after a spell of Torquay pressure paid off for them, with an impressive 25 yard strike from Lousia Crooke left the game level.
This encouraged Exeter to kick on and within minutes Sanchez got in behind the full back after Kate Hine released her, and she squared to Caunter who wriggled through two defenders to restore the lead.
The second half saw an electric performance from Exeter’s forward players – Kukor opened the margin in scores after leaving her marker behind and slotting under the oncoming keeper.
Kukor now turned her performance up a notch and was a constant threat, and it was soon four for City as she laid on strike-partner Tash Knapman for her first.
The introduction of Vicky Barter created even more for Kukor and Knapman, although it was Sanchez who created Barter’s goal with another run down the left and cutting back to the edge of the box for Barter to place the ball out of reach for the Torquay stopper.
Kukor was soon to strike again after leaving two tired defenders behind with the extra yard of pace she kept adding to every run, and the scoring was finished when Sanchez finally found the net after several good attempts through the game.
It capped a very encouraging performance for a first pre-season game played earlier in the year than normal.
The Grecians face PILCS South Wales, runners-up in the Welsh Premier League, on Saturday 20th July (kick-off TBC). The game will take place at Exeter’s new base at St Martins FC.
Exeter City Ladies: Coupe, Staddon, Potts, Wright, Hine, Sanchez, Brooks, Copp, Caunter, Knapman, Kukor.
Subs: Barter, Russell, Butt.