Wolves fell to their first defeat of the season as a TNS comeback cancelled out goals from Sophie Bramford and Jade Cross.
The game started evenly with few chances for Wolves as both teams were getting a feel for each other. Wolves found a way through, however, with Bramford finding herself in space to gently guide the ball past the keeper and into the far corner of the net.
The pressure was really on TNS after the goal and Bramford almost found the back of the net again after she managed to dribble past the keeper, but her shot couldn’t be directed on target.
With ten minutes to go till half time, Bramford went close again when Alice Keitley slipped her through, only for Bramford to hit the side netting.
TNS were quite a threat on the counter attack however, and they got an equaliser just before half time when Helen Evans slammed the ball into the back of the net.
The momentum was truly with TNS in the second half and they took the lead shortly after the break when Kim Bebbington found herself through and placed the ball well beyond Becky Thomas.
Jade Cross was then brought on to try and find an equaliser for Wolves. This almost paid off immediately when a deflected ball looped over to her in the box only for her shot to be blocked.
Despite this, a devastating counter attack meant TNS got a third when the ball landed perfectly for Laura Morris who safely guided the ball into the net.
Wolves didn’t give up and got a goal back through a quick corner allowing Jade Cross to head home, but it was too late for Wolves as TNS secured all three points.
Moment of the match
Bramford’s cool finish early in the game put Wolves in front as she placed the ball into the far corner of the net from a very tight angle.
Reaction
Manager Daniel McNamara was disappointed his Wolves side suffered their first defeat of the season to TNS.
He said: “Obviously it’s disappointing, very disappointing. I don’t think we really got going from the start to be honest, we turned up and went through the motions for large parts of the game and were beaten by a better side.
“It’s always difficult to concede just on the half time break, I think we missed a couple of opportunities in the first half, but I thought TNS looked good all night. It is easy for me to stand here and criticise players, but I’ll go away, analysis the game and look at what we got wrong as well tonight.
“It is what it is, the girls have got to react [from defeat] with another game in three days' time against a good Leicester United side. But we have got to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and maybe this might be the best thing that happens to us all season.”
Coming up
Wolves return home to host Leicester United on the Sunday 8th September at 2pm, before an away day follows, as McNamara’s side travel to Leafield Athleitc on the Sunday 15th September.
Next five
08/09 | Leicester United (H)
15/08 | Leafield Athletic (A)
29/09 | Doncaster Rover (H)
09/10 | Sporting Khalsa (H)
20/10 | Solihull (A)
Teams
TNS: Parkes, Brown, Smith, Taylor, H. Evans (Y. Evans 86), Lewis, Davies, Morris, Pennington, Bebbington, Griffiths
Unused subs: Clevellet, Davis, Brown, Doster
Wolves: Thomas, Price, Buck, Widdal, Jones (Barnett 60), Jenkins, Kietley, Anslow (J. Cross 60), Bramford, Jefferies, Palmer
Unused subs: Wilson, E.Cross, Edwards
Report by Jack Dawson
