South Shields Women brushed aside their recent rough patch with a resounding 3-0 victory against Harrogate Town AFC Women on Saturday night.
A cagey affair was settled mid-way through the second-half when Jen Wootten was sent through one-on-one to hand the Mariners a much-needed goal.
Natalie May would contribute to Shields’ second of the evening before Eve Gatens completed the set deep into the second-half, in front of an impressive 918 spectators at The Exercise Stadium.
Securing the three points was a welcome relief for the lasses, who have been working hard behind the scenes to chase a result like that, and with the next few weeks looking quite packed together, it might just have come at a good time.
Anna Yeakey was handed a start in goal, and given the hosts were arguably the stronger of the two sides during the first-half, it must be said she did an excellent job keeping them at bay.
Goalscorer Gatens was welcomed back into the matchday squad after a period out of action, while co-head coaches Alex Miller and Sophie Clough opted for Ellie White up front to start off.
Shields had to weather a mild storm in the early stages of the game, with the hosts providing some threat; Rochelle Ramroop gave Harrogate their first chance of the game from distance.
Yeakey pulled off a confident stop to deny Scarlett Oldridge who was through on goal, with the Shields ‘keeper claiming the effort just in time.
Annece Legg tried her luck from range but her shot evaded the target, before May followed it up with a shot of her own just before the half-time whistle.
The Mariners had found their spark at last, and they duly made sure of that after the break.
Josie Foster pinged a ball over the top of the Harrogate defence and Wootten found the ball after it was headed by a Harrogate defender.
All she needed to do was slot it home - and she did!
Wootten was next in line to provide the assist for Shields’ second when she crossed the ball, from the left-hand side, into the box, finding a surging May whose attempt fell into the back of the net.
The scenes from the Shields faithful were something to behold, and they were only added to when Gatens scored the team’s third of the evening.
Credit must be handed to Sophie Greener for her role in the build-up, charging down the right-hand side past substitute Olivia Blanchfield before sending a special delivery into the box.
Harrogate threatened thereafter from set pieces, but it amounted to little in the end as Shields picked up a priceless three points away from home.
It will be a quick turnaround for the lasses now, as they host Sunderland West End Ladies on Wednesday, April 2nd. Full details will be confirmed soon.
Harrogate Town AFC Women: Routledge, Sturdy, Freeman, Hall, Whiley, Parkin, Edmondson, Ramroop, Shuttleworth, Oldridge, Doyle.
Substitutes: Heaton, Blanchfield, Marshall, Gregson, Smith.
South Shields Women: Yeakey, Innes, May, Legg, White, McMahon, Norton, Spark, Abusada, Jota, Foster.
Substitutes: Gowans, Greener, Gatens, Wootten, England.
Goals: Wootten (73’), May (84’), Gatens (88’).
Attendance: 918
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