Ponteland prove too strong a challenge for SSFC Women

South Shields Women suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against second-placed Ponteland United Women in the NERWFL Premier Division on Sunday.

The lasses’ first league outing in just over two months ended in sorrow despite taking the lead, even if some might argue Annece Legg’s lovely finish was against the run of play. 

Ponteland piled the pressure on from the beginning and they carved Shields open at the back time and time again in the opening 15 minutes. 

Three or four strong chances went squandering and the Mariners must have counted themselves lucky. 

There was very little to report on from a Shields viewpoint until Legg’s goal, which speaks volumes about the start the visitors had in comparison to the comfortable hosts.

Eve Gatens had tried her luck from a free-kick which forced the home ‘keeper, Deryn Hutchinson, to make a stop. 

Ponteland weren’t shocked by the first goal given they responded just a minute later through Lucy Pettit, who denied the Mariners a first clean sheet of the season. 

They managed to turn the game on its head shortly before half-time when Katie Monaghan netted directly from a corner, bewildering the Shields faithful in the process. 

The half-time message from co-head coaches Alex Miller and Sophie Clough was simple: improve.

To their credit, Shields did better after the break but still lacked that cutting edge which the hosts proved a further two times.

Chloe Wilkinson managed to find the team’s third of the afternoon after an audacious lob from range stunned Scarlett Gowans into making a parried clearance, which fell to the Ponteland player who only had to strike it home. 

It’s rare in football to see the indirect free-kick happen but Ponteland made the most of it after the referee judged Shields to have played a back pass in the 80th minute. 

McKenzie Darrington got the goal on that occasion to cap off a disappointing afternoon for the Mariners.

Chances from a Shields standpoint were sparse but threatening, with efforts by Sophie Greener and a free-kick from Legg coming closest from contributing to the goal count.

Shields are back at home next time out against Alnwick Town Ladies on Sunday, January 19th.

Full details will be communicated on our social media channels and the club website soon. 

Ponteland United Women: Hutchinson, Brooks, Monaghan, Wilkinson, Jones, Roe, Pettit, Rodda, Martin, Bell, Hollis. 

Substitutes: Scott, Mutrie, Dixon, Darrington. 

Goals: Pettit (29’), Monaghan (44’), Wilkinson (73’), Darrington (80’). 

South Shields Women: Gowans, Innes, May, Legg, Gatens, White, Wootten, England, Elliott-Wood, Spark, Foster. 

Substitutes: Greener, Norton, Abusada, Yeakey, Jota. 

Goals: Legg (28’).