Beth Wharton scored twice from free kicks, but Grimsby Town Women were narrowly beaten 3-2 by Nottingham Trent University Women in the East Midlands Regional Women’s League Premier Division.
The Mariners found themselves trailing after just three minutes when the hosts scored with their first attack, and Town struggled to find their rhythm during the opening period despite creating a handful of opportunities to get back on level terms.
Nottingham Trent doubled their advantage nine minutes into the second half after Town were unable to clear their lines, but WHARTON gave the visitors hope with a superb free kick from around 25 yards on 68 minutes.
Goalkeeper Jasmin Lacey then produced an excellent penalty save to keep Town in the game, but the hosts restored their two-goal advantage shortly afterwards with a strike from distance.
Wharton gave the Mariners another lifeline with a second outstanding free kick in the closing stages, but Town were unable to find an equaliser as they left Clifton Sports Centre empty-handed.
FIRST HALF
Town named Jasmin Lacey in goal, with Leah Wray, Sophie Gray, Scarlett Norman and Abbie Emslie making up the defensive line. Beth Wharton, Maisie Wybrant, Brooke Mayall and Pariss Welsh started in midfield, with Issy Thompson and Brooke Howe leading the attack.
Alicia Davis, Tilly Burnett, Alisha Dejonge and Laura Flecknor were named among the substitutes.
The Mariners looked to make an early impression, with Emslie sending a cross into the penalty area which was comfortably gathered by the Nottingham Trent goalkeeper.
However, the hosts took the lead with their first attack of the afternoon on three minutes, putting Town on the back foot early in the contest.
Nottingham Trent threatened again shortly afterwards, but Wybrant did well to get a toe to the ball and prevent the hosts from creating a further opportunity.
Town made their first change on 22 minutes as Dejonge replaced Howe, and the substitute soon looked to make an impact. She fired narrowly over from distance on 29 minutes before another effort two minutes later clipped the netting above the crossbar.
The Mariners continued to search for an equaliser and came close on 35 minutes when Wray delivered a cross from the left, which Emslie met with a header that drifted just wide.
A dangerous ball from Emslie was claimed by the goalkeeper before Wharton could get on the end of it, while Dejonge also tested the keeper with a strike that was held.
Wharton delivered a free kick into the penalty area in the fifth minute of added time, causing a scramble in front of goal, but the hosts managed to deal with the danger.
Wybrant was shown a yellow card during the incident as Town went into the interval trailing by a goal.
SECOND HALF
Town made two changes at the break, with Flecknor and Davis replacing Mayall and Thompson as the Mariners looked to find a way back into the contest.
However, Nottingham Trent doubled their advantage on 54 minutes after Town failed to clear their lines, leaving the visitors with an uphill task.
Dejonge was booked for a high boot on 62 minutes, before the hosts thought they had added a third goal four minutes later, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
Burnett replaced Wybrant on 66 minutes, and Town soon found a route back into the game.
After Wharton was fouled around 25 yards from goal, the midfielder stepped up to take the resulting free kick and produced an excellent strike to find the back of the net and make it 2-1 on 68 minutes.
The hosts looked to restore their two-goal advantage and Lacey was called into action on 73 minutes, producing a good save before turning the ball behind for a corner.
Howe then replaced Wray on 79 minutes as Town continued to make changes in search of an equaliser.
The Mariners were given a major opportunity to get back on level terms on 82 minutes when the referee awarded Nottingham Trent a penalty after the assistant referee adjudged Lacey to have brought down an opposing player.
However, the Town goalkeeper made amends in superb fashion, diving to her left to keep out the spot-kick and keep the deficit at one.
Unfortunately, the hosts restored their two-goal advantage just two minutes later, finding the net with an effort from range to make it 3-1.
Town refused to give up and Wharton produced another moment of quality on 90 minutes, finding the net with a second free kick from around 25 yards out to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
The midfielder’s brace was not enough to rescue a point, however, as Nottingham Trent held on to claim all three points.
Wharton’s impressive afternoon saw her named both the Supporters’ Player of the Match and the opposition’s Player of the Match, adding to her standing as the East Midlands Women’s Regional Premier Division’s leading goalscorer.
The Mariners will have an opportunity to put things right when the sides meet again at Clee Fields in January.
Town: Lacey, Wray (Howe, 79), Gray, Norman, Emslie, Wharton, Wybrant (Burnett, 66), Mayall (Flecknor, 46), Welsh, Thompson (Davis, 46), Howe (Dejonge, 22)
UTM
