City succumb to home loss against the Robins
EXETER CITY LADIES put up a valiant effort against unbeaten league leaders Swindon Town but fell just short of a result.It was a thoroughly encouraging team effort, with Sophie Currie making her debut in centre-midfield and Courtney Butt being switched to right-back. Corinne Potts started just behind main striker Helen Kukor.
A half of few chances saw the sides go in goalless at the break, though manager Clem Bennelick and assistant Maxine Coupe were encouraged by their side' display. The girls felt positive at half time and were keen to get back out on the pitch.
Within two minutess of the restart, City were in front. Young Paige Longworth-Wakeham won the ball in midfield, and played a perfectly-weighted through-ball to Helen Kukor, who showed composure to slot the ball past the keeper from eighteen yards.
This gave the City girls belief, but they knew that Swindon wouldn't want to give up their unbeaten run without a fight. It was in the seventy-second minute that a ball over the top of the defence allowed Swindon striker Meg Vella to slot past advancing keeper Carley Barber for the equaliser.
Swindon would take the lead in the eighty-fifth minute, when a corner wasn't dealt with, and somehow the ball ended up in the net after a couple of deflections. This gutted the Exeter Ladies but, with little time remaining, there was not enough room for a response.
Bennelick was pleased with the performance and the fight that the girls put in, especially against a top league side; the City Ladies can now take this positive performance into next week's game when they host Shanklin Ladies at St Martins, with a 2pm kick-off on Sunday.
Final score: Exeter City Ladies 1-2 Swindon Town LFC
Exeter City's men's team were beaten 4-2 at Accrington Stanley in a Sky Bet League 2 clash this weekend. For a full match report, click here.