February
"The girls are great, the management are great and they've made me feel really welcome and it's nice to get some confidence back while I'm playing." – January signing Maya Kendell on her first month as a Grecian.
There’s nothing like making an impact as a new signing early on, and in just her third game for the club on loan from Bristol City, Maya Kendell would bag her first in red and white as City romped into a 4-0 lead away at Billericay Town, with the game ending 4-2. It was a month where City did most of the travelling, heading to Ipswich for the return league fixture in Felixstowe where Sophie Gillies fired City into an early lead. An 87th minute goal denied the Grecians a well earned point, but nonetheless they had more than competed in three fixtures against the title winners.
City made amends for their defeat at Wimbledon in September, as the ever reliable duo of Stacey and Gillies earned a 2-1 in at Coach Road.
March
"Hopefully we did the fans proud today." – Captain Bow Jackson after a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Skipper, there is no doubt about that one! A third win of the season over them lot down the A38 was sandwiched between massive victories over Oxford United and Cheltenham Town as City made it nine points from nine in March.
Sophie Gillies’ strike after just two minutes was the decider away to Oxford in a result that had huge implications in the race for the top four, before her strike ten minutes from time secured the win against Argyle in a closer affair than we had seen in the previous two- though it was perhaps not a surprise given the Greens were locked in a relegation battle.
A first game at SJP since October saw Cheltenham Town, themselves not safe from relegation, put up a fight against a determined City side. Amber Pollock would fire in a goal of the season contender to open the scoring before the Robins’ levelled, but Maya Kendell popped up with the winner.
April
“They left it all out there and gave it their all, as they do every week.” – Abbie Britton after ending the season with a 2-2 draw against Watford in front over 3,000 at St James Park.
Silverware and record crowds were the order of the month in April, as win number four against the Green lot came in the Challenge Cup Final at Coach Road. It was already 9-1 on aggregate over the three games, but by the end of the fourth it was 15-1 as City romped their way to the trophy with a stunning win. Zoe Watkins would bag her final goal in red and white, diving into the crowd in what would become an iconic photo, as she waved goodbye to the club after seven years at the end of the month.
A 2-0 defeat to Hashtag United ended hopes of a second placed finish, so it was all eyes on the final game of the season in a straight shootout for third against Watford as City fans Packed the Park. Trailing 2-0 after four minutes, Watford had threatened to spoil the party, but Britton’s resilient side fought back to 2-2 thanks to Sarah Stacey’s penalty and Ishbel Zuurmond’s goal. Indeed they could have won it in stoppage time though Gillies was thwarted by the keeper. A day to remember, and a season to never forget.