SSFC Women defeat Wallsend BC Women Reserves to win second friendly

Three second-half goals gave South Shields Women something to cheer about, as they defeated Wallsend BC Women Reserves 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.

The Mariners went into the break scoreless despite challenging the hosts time and time again, but they managed to break the deadlock in the 47th minute thanks to Jaz Elliott-Wood’s excellent strike in the box.

The chances kept coming and it would take until the 69th minute for Eve Gatens to finally get her long-awaited, and fully deserved, goal and it was a sensational rocket from range.

Two minutes later, Sophie Greener got in on the act following Zoe Norton’s exquisite through ball which left the aforementioned forward one-on-one with the keeper.

It will no doubt be a pleasing performance for head coach Alex Miller, who spoke after the game about the lasses’ hard-working nature throughout the whole game.

The story of the first-half was that Shields appeared to do everything except score: they moved the ball well, they created ample chances for the likes of Ellie White, Gatens and Greener to score but goals just escaped them at that point.

It evoked shades of the Washington FC Women friendly last week, where The Mariners put in a respectable display but were unlucky not to be rewarded with more.

That isn’t to say Wallsend BC didn’t deserve anything either; they knocked on the door a few times themselves which forced Scarlett Gowans into making numerous saves.  

But the clear-cut chances went Shields’ way and until the restart that was the main feeling some supporters may have had about the game.

Things brightened up for the lasses after half-time and once again, set pieces came into play. 

Gatens delivered a pin-point corner which found Elliott-Wood, whose header was deflected off the line, and she managed to slam it into the back of the net before the keeper had a chance to react to the rebound,

Olivia Mole was the architect for the second goal of the game as she provided Gatens with a clean throw-in, but the rest was orchestrated by Gatens who scored a peach of a goal! 

Norton pinged it through to Greener moments later, who managed to coolly put the ball in the net without much fuss, and by that point, the game was well beyond reach for Wallsend BC.

Next up for South Shields Women is a trip to Belle View Stadium on Sunday, August 11th to face Consett Ladies. More information will be published in due course on the team’s social media channels. 

South Shields Women: Gowans, May, Ali, Greener, Legg, White, McMahon, Norton, Elliott-Wood, Longstaff, Foster.

Substitutes: Mole, Gatens, Naylor (all played).