Match Preview | Southampton Women v Oxford City Women
Women look to build on opening success.
Oxford City Women travel south to face Southampton Women for the second game of the Southern Region Women's Football League season on Sunday.
City made hard work of dispatching Sholing Ladies after going down early to a Sophie Lee strike before Yasmin Edwards pulled The Hoops back level. City were completely on top during the game, so when Sholing Ladies took the lead once again through Sophie Lee yet again, it looked as though it wouldn't be City's day.
Substitute Ellie Walecki made in instant impact and Ellie White gave City the lead with ten minutes to go. Kiera Maskell's save in the last minute was enough to give City all three points.
It was a positive start to the season after a long pre season. Manager Lyon Theoharous was delighted to kick off with three points, he said: "To start with a win is always pleasing, but we have a lot of work to do. It's a long season. The girls were fantastic on Sunday and we need to build some momentum with another win on the weekend."
Southampton looked equally impressive during the first game of the season. Chloe Ball put The Sirens ahead early on and Southampton ran away with a 4-2 win.
The Sirens were relegated from FA Women's National League Division One South West to this league last season and show no signs of teething issues. They have plenty of talent and skill and will be a handful for City, but The Hoops will no doubt be up to the test.
FIXTURE DETAILS
Southampton Women v Oxford City Women
Test Park Sports Ground – Sunday 7th September – 2:00pm
Southern Region Women's Football League
ONE TO WATCH - Chloe Ball
Ball has got off to a flyer. She scored a brace in Southampton's 4-2 win over Fleet Town in the season opener. She played a full 90 minutes and bagged both her goals inside the first half hour. She also had the ball in the net shortly after her first but was flagged for offside.
At the beginning of the 2023/24 season, Chloe Ball signed for Southampton Women, transferring from Abingdon Town. Over the five seasons prior, Ball featured prominently for both Wycombe Wanderers and Abingdon Town, including through pandemic-affected campaigns. In 68 appearances, she netted a remarkable 67 goals.
Her standout season came in 2019/20 while playing for Wycombe’s Development side in the Southern Region Division One. She scored 24 goals in 16 appearances, although the season was ultimately abandoned due to lockdown restrictions.
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