Foxes slip to sixth after losing a goal advantage
FA WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE
SOUTH CARDIFF CITY LADIES 3 LOUGHBOROUGH FOXES WOMEN 1 LOUGHBOROUGH Foxes Women threw away a goal advantage in the second half to come away from Wales pointless in a 3-1 defeat to Cardiff City Ladies.
The opening 15 minutes of the game was a scrappy affair with both sides contesting to see who could get the better of their opposition in the throw in statistic column.
Kylie Nolan, whose pace caused problems for Foxes defence for large periods of the game, had the first real effort of the game but her effort struck the outside of the post and bounced away to safety.
Foxes grew into the game after a few half chances from the hosts and opened the scoring, probably just against the run of play. Great link up from Rebecca Knight & Kate Lowder saw the latter loop the ball over Welsh international, Laura O’Sullivan, and into the net to take her account to four for the season.
Lowder nearly had a second straight after, but narrowly missed the target following good build up play from Eva Rogers and Shauna Chambers. Foxes lead Cardiff by a goal at the break. Knight could have extended the visitors lead in the second half, but as she rose like a salmon from a corner, her header was cleared from the line from a Cardiff defender.
Cardiff responded well after this and Foxes didn’t get out of second gear following their best attempt in the second half.
The Welsh side pressed hard for an equaliser with their best chance falling to Nolan who smashed her effort wide of the target. However, the goal was coming and Nolan turned provider for it. Nolan whipped the ball into Grace Horrell’s path who guided the ball into the corner past the despairing Amy Burle.
Cardiff were in the ascendancy and it took a last ditch tackle from Jodie Bartle to prevent the hosts making it two in two minutes. Unfortunately, the block wasn’t enough as the following corner was deflected into their own net and the hosts had turned the game on its head. 2-1 Cardiff.
Foxes’ Rogers could have drew the scores level but her effort was just over after cutting it from the left hand side.
Foxes began to press for a late equaliser and had efforts from Hicks and McGrother but this only led to gaps at the back and Cardiff punished Foxes and put the game to bed. Nolan was involved once again and squared it to Kelly Isaac to make it three.
Foxes could have pulled one back at the death but Rebecca McGrother smashed her spot kick against the post and that summed up the Foxes second half performance.
The results sees Foxes slip to sixth in the table after totalling seven points in five games. Cardiff have leapfrogged Foxes and now sit fourth in the table with nine points from four games.
Foxes travel to Oxford United Women on Sunday.