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Friday, September 5, 2025

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Sirens start strongly

Fleet Town 2 Southampton Women 4

Southampton Women opened their Southern Region League Premier Division campaign with a 4-2 win at Fleet Town in an entertaining encounter where both clubs could take positives into the new season.

Fleet, newly promoted from Division One South, showed good resilience after a difficult first half hour which left them trailing by three goals. Southampton, relegated from FAWNL Division One South West, were strong all over the pitch and could have added more to their early advantage.

 

Chloe Ball opened the Sirens’ account for the season on 11 minutes, nodding in a well delivered Chloe Tedman corner, Ball then doubled the lead with a powerful finish from ten yards on 25 minutes after winning a challenge on the edge of the area.

Home goalkeeper Kimberley Marshall twice made brave saves to deny Isobel Conti and Tedman as the visitors dominated but was beaten by a rocket from newly introduced substitute Izzy Crooks on 36 minutes.

 

Fleet had shown some good attacking play despite the setbacks and reduced the deficit on 40 minutes with a strong header from Dominique Lewis from a free kick, awarded when visiting keeper Leah Etheridge was penalised for handling outside her area in retrieving a blocked clearance.

 

Fleet returned after the break with plenty of energy and, kicking down the Easy@HGV Stadium slope, penned the visitors back in their own half for periods, testing the Sirens defence which was generally solid. Etheridge was forced into a fine save low to her left on the hour but there was always danger from Southampton counter attacks.

 

Any lingering doubts about the outcome were settled with ten minutes remaining when a fine run down the left and cut back by Tedman was swept home by Eliska Lynn for Southampton's fourth. Fleet gave the sizeable home support something to cheer late on through Avery Tolley's consolation goal and there was plenty for the home club to be pleased with on their debut at this level as they battled a team containing many players with higher tier experience.  

Fleet Town: Kimberley Marshall, Sophia Hayman, Mia Corrigall, Imogen Cockerell, Aniya Thompson, Olivia Cervino, Lily Martin, Kiera Simpson, Layla Drury, Zoe Luff, Alice French. Subs: Emily Funnel-Halford, Seren Farrow-Smith, Dominique Lewis, Kia Dunn, Avery Tolley.

Southampton Women: Leah Etheridge, Manisha Kaur, Lucie-Marie Waddon, Lucy Mear, Kezia Holmes, Chloe Ball, Ella Wright, Danielle Kjaer, Isobel Conti, Eliska Lynn, Chloe Tedman. Subs: Anwen Evans, Danielle O’Leary, Izzy Crooks, Eva Coulter, Jessica Soares.

Report by Patrick Higgins