Axminster 4-3 Exeter City WFC Res.

Not a good weekend for City Women as The Development Side went down 4-3 at Tiger Way. City started the better, indeed had most of the first half, and showed their intent when that girl 'arris rattled the crossbar after about 10-15 minutes in her new central striking role. Ten minutes later Chlo wasn't to be denied when she was put through by Ella (one day I will get some surnames to put to these first names), shrug off the attentions of Axminster's tall centre half, waltz around the keeper and slot home into an empty net.

Having been dominant for the first thirty five minutes the game was turned on it's head after a very poor decision by the referee to give a free kick against Bronwyn for puling an Axminster's players arm when it was quite clearly the other way and Bronwyn had shaken her off and was about to send to send Chloe away again in on goal. However the resultant free kick was only half cleared, came out to an Axminster player who struck a rising half volley in off the underside of the bar from about 16-18 yards out leaving Lucy in goal with no chance. Worse was to come before halftime for City as Axminster snatched the lead. City were caught napping in midfield and the dimunitive Axminster striker was sent clear to finish clinically in the bottom corner.

The Tigers certainly came out with their tails up at the start of the second half but an errant back pass that split the Axminster central defensive duo was picked up on by that girl 'arris again to clincially despatch her second goal of the game to level things. Chloe should have gone on to complete her hattrick having weaved her way through a couple of Axminster challenges only to hit her shot against the keeper when maybe it was better to go around her again.

Axminster took the lead again from a corner when a well clipped corner was met by the head of an Axminster player to thunder the ball in off the underside of the bar. But City fought back when the returning Charlie Prowse, whose present made a difference to the City back four, came marauding forward like Franz Beckenbauer to smash a dipping 25 yarder which left the keeper with no chance whatsoever. It dipped that much that initially I thought that when she hit the shot she would have done well to hit the crossbar. Axminster weren't to be denied and got the winner when Lilly Burton's natural instincts to run with the ball so her get caught in possession very deep in City territory, Axminster got the break of the ball from the challenge and went on for their striker to finish cleanly.

Any hopes City had of getting back into the game went when Chloe went down like she'd been shot whilst chasing a ball down the line at full tilt and had to be replaced. It turned out to be nothing more than a bad bout of cramp. It's the second time in three games this has happened and I have my suspicions as to why.

An entertaining game with Axminster having a decent side. City hoped to be boosted by the return of Sophie Skilton next week as well as a couple of unnamed Uni students.

By Ian Harris