Promotion Decider See's Ladies Edged Out

Town travelled to fellow promotion hopefuls AEK Boco, in a game which felt more like a cup final than just your regular Sunday league game.
 
Traveling with a weakened squad due to sickness and injuries wasn’t going to make this game any easier, meaning Ilminster had to travel with a bare 11!! Club captain Sarah Miller returned to the squad for this encounter with, Molly Bidgood gaining another call up to the first team, and proving she has what it takes to start making herself a regular with the first team. 
 
If the squad depth problems weren’t enough to make this test harder for the ladies, the blustering winds would make sure that it wasn’t going to be easy by any stretch. 
 
The first half saw very few chances for either side. Ilminster shooting with the wind, however created a few chances  but weren’t able to convert any of them. Numerous times good balls from Captain Sarah Miller, and midfield counterparts Megan Purchase and Maisie Poole saw chances fall to the feet of Shannon Crouch, but they usually left her with a lot to do.
Chances also came  through the excellent hold up play of Molly Bidgood, leading the line on her own.
The defence stayed strong throughout the first half, most notably when Ilminster full back Sammie Knight, managed to clear the ball off of the line, with some quick thinking to make up for a slight miscommunication when dealing with a dangerous ball into the box. 
 
The second half however was more open, seeing both teams create chances, but the hosts taking the majority of theirs!
The home teams first goal came in the 72nd minute, from a free kick just outside of the box to the left hand side. The ball was dangerously played into the box, after a few ricochets off of numerous players the ball found it’s way kindly to the feet of an AEK player who calmly put the ball into the goal from 6 yards out. 1-0 to AEK Boco.
 
The hosts second goal came after a good bit of pressure from Town, however a clearance from a Boco defender saw the ball catch the wind, and make it’s way to the feet of an on rushing attacker. She carried the ball 30 yards, and the emphatically hit it home, into the top right hand corner of the goal! Great finish, nothing Town’s keeper Kath Parsons could do to prevent this one.
 
Only 5 minutes later Boco added their third and final goal to the game. A free kick in any other game 40 yards from goal wouldn’t usually be something you see hit, however the conditions suited this today. The ball was struck perfectly, and caught the favourable gust of wind, carrying the ball over the head of Ilminster’s keeper, an into the top of the net, 3-0 AEK, however Town managed to get a consolation.
 
In the 90th minute some clever work from young Ilminster midfielder Maisie Poole, saw her wriggle her way through the defence, only to be pushed from behind and taken down by a defender for a penalty. Up stepped top goal scorer Shannon Crouch, who struck the penalty calmly straight down the centre of the goal. To make the game 3-1, and that’s how it finished.
 
Another strong performance from a young Town team, however coming out worse off this time around!
 
Player of the game was defender Sammie Knight, dealing with anything thrown at her well all game.
 
The ladies next game takes place on Sunday March 5th when they host Cheltenham Civil Service 2PM Kick off.