SSFC Women come back to draw 3-3 against Bradford City

South Shields Women picked up a well-earned point on the road against Bradford City AFC Women on Sunday, in a 3-3 draw at Horsfall Stadium.

It’s fair to say Shields didn’t make it easy for themselves, as they found themselves two goals behind after 35 minutes - Aaliyah Nolan slotted in the host’s first, before Maria McKenna responded a little later, but they clawed back to register something out of the occasion.

Sophie Greener - scoring for the sixth successive game -  and Becki McMahon aimed spectacular shots (arguably crosses) at goal and to their amazements, both of them went in, about 90 seconds apart, to tie the game leading into the break.

McMahon struck the crossbar during the second-half and she was potentially unlucky not to get another goal, which might have changed the outcome of the game entirely if it had gone in. 

South Shields FC International Academy’s Ashley Townsend was unfortunate not to get her first goal in a Mariners shirt against Wallsend BC Women last week, but she made up for that by heading in Josie Foster’s cross, after Eve Gatens played in a short corner.

Speaking of Foster, she put in such a good defensive shift, including a masterclass on the line where she blocked what appeared to be a certain goal for Hannah Markey with inches to spare.

Markey would get herself a goal to level things up once again in the 70th minute, and despite pressure from both sides to try and find a winner, the game saw itself out with the scores equal.

It must give the team a lot of confidence heading into next Sunday’s Women’s FA Cup match against FC United of Manchester Women, that they can bounce back from setbacks so easily.

That was something head coach Alex Miller highlighted after the game - that characteristic might not have been the case in years gone by, so credit must go to the Mariners for that. 

Full details for the FA Cup match will be shared on the club’s social media channels in due course.

Bradford City AFC Women: Whelan, Blythe, Sales, Fernie, Prothero, Ramsden, Stube, Hunt, McKenna, Jacobs, Nolan.

Substitutes: Wilson, Gill, Laughton, Long, Markey. 

Goals: Nolan (‘22), McKenna (‘29), Markey (‘68). 

South Shields Women: Gowans, Mole, May, Greener, Gatens, Wootten, McMahon, Norton, Elliott-Wood, Townsend, Foster. 

Substitutes: White, England, Naylor, Longstaff, Jota. 

Goals: Greener (‘35), McMahon (‘37), Townsend (‘58).