The midfielder, who was one of the nine new players to step up from the Under-16s to the Under-19s this term, was on hand to convert from close range to score the only goal of the game nine minutes into the second half to give Head Coach Matt Sharman an important three points in his first competitive game in charge.
We weathered some pressure from the Saints after our opener and were indebted to some outstanding saves – three in total - from goalkeeper Rose Mylam after our opener to ensure we maintained our one-goal advantage and also open the campaign with a well-deserved clean sheet for our young side.
Sharman named a young squad for the trip to the south coast with a number of Under-16s part of the matchday squad, with one of those completing a full 90 minutes for the first time at this standard.
The hosts created the better of the opportunities early on in the contest with Mylam called into action to deny Mia Field twice in the opening quarter of an hour. Our first opportunity came shortly after though as Denis teed up Ellie Johnson on the edge of the box, but she sent her effort over the bar.
In truth, much of the first half lacked quality from either side in possession, although two corners from the home side caused small issues inside our box, but we managed to deal with the danger and head into the break all square.
However, just a minute into the restart, we struck the woodwork when Eloise Summers-Mee produced a strong run to the right of the box and sent a low drive against the near post. Five minutes later, at the other end, Mylam produced quick reflexes to gather an effort from the middle of the box.
We managed to find the breakthrough on 54 minutes thanks to some patient build-up play. Daisy May Bird played the ball into the feet of Johnson, she took a lovely first touch and charged through the middle before Nife Aramide eventually played the ball out to Summers-Mee on the right of the box, who showed tremendous speed followed by a low ball across the box for Withey to tap home – her first goal at Under-19s level and in the PGA League!
Summers-Mee became influential on the right-hand side, her cross this time taking a big deflection into the area and Johnson, who covered pretty much every blade of grass, couldn’t direct her volley on target. The momentum began to switch to the hosts as we entered the final 20 minutes of the contest but Mylam stood strong to produce two fantastic saves, the first coming to deny Sofia Dix Trujillo at the back post with her feet before getting down low to her left at full stretch to get a hand on Abigail Richardson’s low half-volley from just inside the area.
As we entered the final five minutes, Mylam was called into action once again, palming away Lorien Howard-McDonald’s low drive from the edge of the box before Amie Bush reacted quickest to clear the loose ball, taking a hefty challenge in the process. Summers-Mee and Denis were denied in one-v-one scenarios in stoppage time as we looked to add a second but those were the final chances as the whistle blew after eight minutes of added time, giving us three huge points to open the season.
"It was a really good collective effort from every member of the squad"
Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Matt said: “It was really nice watching all our players come together as a team, it was a really good collective effort from every member of the squad. Everything that happened during the game, I could see the players fighting for each other and working for each other, on and off the ball, so that was a good sign and one of the reasons we got the result.
“The three points is just a natural confidence builder and the girls, along with every member of the staff group, are really happy. It sets us up nicely for a double-header next week, but we’ll digest the performance, look back through and see where we can improve.
“The game in the second half became very transitional, both in attack and in defence, so Rose and our backline had some tremendous moments, in particular Rose, who made some fantastic saves for us. Lexi coming on had a fantastic impact on the team, she was very relentless in her behaviour and press, and she was in the right place for the opportunity to score the goal. So, massive credit to them both as they had positive influence on the game.”
Line-up
Spurs: Mylam, Northwood (Withey 34), Elmes, Bird, Bush, Mace (c), Aramide, Johnson, Neill (Deria 75), Summers-Mee, Denis. Substitutes (not used): Shields, Khanna, Durrant.
Match data
Goals: Spurs - Withey 54.
Yellow cards: Spurs - Summers-Mee 86, Denis 90+8.
Referee: Gareth Dunn.
Weather: Sun with a bit of overcast, 22 degrees.
