Following a dominant home victory against Romford Flyers, Wormley travelled to Shrub End to face a well-organized Stanway Pegasus side—a team that proved challenging last season. Although last year’s fixture saw Wormley emerge victorious in a thrilling 4-2 away win, today’s encounter told a different story.
Early chances fell to Gosnell and Japal, but Wormley struggled to convert. Stanway capitalized on this, breaking the deadlock just before halftime. A long ball over Wormley’s high defensive line found its mark, and Stanway’s forward finished coolly to give them a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
The second half saw Wormley maintain pressure, but opportunities to shoot were limited by Stanway’s resolute defence. As the clock ticked down with only a single goal between the sides, Wormley was forced to take more risks. However, the hosts stood firm, defending effectively and disrupting Wormley’s attempts to break through.
In the final five minutes, another long ball over the top set up a Stanway striker, who found herself in a one-on-one situation with Hebborn. Mehmet challenged her opponent physically but couldn’t come away with the ball. The striker took advantage, shifting to her left to find space and placing the ball into an open net for a 2-0 lead.
Despite the setback, Wormley managed to pull one back in added time. Purdue opened her season account with a well-taken goal from a tight angle. But it proved to be only a consolation, as Stanway continued to clear the ball at every opportunity, securing a 2-1 victory.
This loss marks Wormley’s first defeat since the Bank Holiday, but the team will look to regroup ahead of next week’s Adobe FA Cup tie against Premier Division side Cambridge City.
Manager’s Thoughts
“Today wasn’t our best performance, and I’m a bit disappointed with our overall display. Stanway are a physical, experienced, and combative side, and we struggled to capitalize when we had possession. We know what we need to work on before next week’s game.
With our style, there’s always an element of risk and reward, but it would be unfair to say we deserved anything more from today. Credit to Stanway—they’ve been the most competitive side we’ve faced so far. Their players and coach did a great job, and I wish them the best for the rest of their season.”
