Women's Under-19s defeated in league opener

Our Women’s Under-19s’ side suffered a 4-2 defeat to London City Lionesses in the opening game of their Professional Game Academy League campaign on Wednesday afternoon.

Head Coach Sabiha Jamal called upon a young side for the season opener with our starting XI featuring five first-year scholars, and two of them were involved in our opening goal of the afternoon at Cobdown Park.

Just minutes into the second period, Eloise Summers-Mee played a lovely ball to Poppy Neill and she fired home to cancel out the hosts’ opener in the first half through Habfebat Gbajabiamila. However, London City Lionesses quickly responded and reinstated their lead three minutes after our equaliser, Gbajabiamila with her second of the game, and she wrapped up her hat-trick shortly after the hour mark to give the home side a two-goal advantage.

Blue Bartlett-Antwi curled home a fantastic free-kick to halve the deficit and gives us a bit of hope, but that was quickly extinguished straight from the restart when Lexi Hewson grabbed their fourth and final goal of the contest.

Alongside a number of first years starting in the clash, we also had five Under-16s involved, with in full-back Aime Bush completing the full 90 minutes while a further two made an appearance from the substitutes bench – Mehak Khanna and Lexi Whitey coming on in the second half.

Bush, who was part of our Under-16s triumph in the PGA Trophy last season, was straight into the action in Kent when Chloe Kabo got behind our backline inside the opening five minutes before the young defender recovered well to deny the forward. We were then indebted to fantastic stops from Erin Radbourne, first with a strong save to block Kabo’s effort from close range before Gbajabiamila was then denied one-on-one by our shot stopper, however the hosts pressure eventually prevailed on 25 minutes, Gbajabiamila slotting home from inside the box following a cut-back from Kabo.

Holly-Mae Elmes saw an effort blocked after Neill’s corner caused a scramble inside the area while, on the stroke of half time, Grace Breen’s free-kick from right of the edge of the box was routine for Tilly Lawrence. But, seven minutes after the restart, we found the equaliser as Summers-Mee’s perfectly weighted ball over the top sent Neill through on-goal and she produced a well-taken finish, firing low into the bottom right corner. Back came London City Lionesses’, though, and they retook the lead on 55 minutes when Gbajabiamila grabbed her second of the afternoon, curling low into the far corner from the edge of the box.

Gbajabiamila completed her hat-trick ten minutes later as she raced behind, took the ball past the on-rushing Radbourne before converting into the empty net. We didn’t back down and cut the deficit on 67 minutes after a wonderful free-kick from Bartlett-Antwi, curling the ball into the top right corner from the edge of the box. However, straight from the restart, the home side reinstated their two-goal advantage with Gbajabiamila turning provider this time, sliding the ball across the box for Hewson to convert from close range on the left of the six-yard box.

Summers-Mee was denied by a last-ditch tackle inside the area, following good work from Rania Oukriss to get the forward through, as we searched for a way back into the contest but we ultimately couldn’t breakdown the home side in the closing stages, condemning us to defeat in our opening game of the season in what was a learning experience for our young side.

"This is part of their development"

Reflecting on the opening day defeat, Sabiha said: “We’re frustrated and disappointed to start the season with a defeat, but there are positives to take from lessons learnt so early on. We caused our own problems and conceded goals we shouldn’t have while failing to score big chances. We had a very young squad and, in truth, this is part of their development. It’s also important to highlight the Under-16s played a huge part in the squad, which again is very early on, but there’s plenty of excitement around who we have coming through the pathway.”

Match data

Goals: London City Lionesses - Gbajabiamila 25, 55, 65, Hewson 69; Spurs - Neill 52, Bartlett-Antwi - 67.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Bartlett-Antwi 85.

Referee: Imogen Green.

Venue: Cobdown Park.

Weather: Cloudy with a strong breeze, 22 degrees.