Report & Highlights: Palace Women lose away at Southampton

Summary:

• Arthur and Larkin come into the side whilst Howat drops to the bench.
• 13: Stunning stop from Stenson prevents an early Palace opener
• 18: GOAL - Brazil taps home to give Southampton the lead
• 22: The hosts are denied by the post
• 24: GOAL - Brazil doubles her tally with a finish from inside the box
• 45: GOAL - Palace get one back through Weerden's looping cross
• HT: Saints 2 - 1 Palace
• 60: Yañez shows good reflexes to deny McAlonie
• 69: Blanchard strikes the bar from a corner
• 76: Peplow fires wide from outside the box
• 82: McAlonie is clean through, but Yañez does well to smother her shot
• 85: End-to-end action sees Stenson pull off a stunning save, before Brazil goes close to scoring at the other end
• 90: Ladd's swerving effort is pushed away
• 90+1: GOAL - Brazil gets her hattrick with a tap-in at the back post
• FT: Saints 3 - 1 Palace

The Saints managed to get the win on a rainy day in Hampshire, with an Ellie Brazil hattrick wrapping up the points for the hosts.

Palace started strongly, and were agonisingly close to going ahead on 13 minutes.

Ashleigh Weerden whipped the ball into the centre of the box, and Elise Hughes saw her powerful header pawed away by goalkeeper Fran Stenson.

Brazil would then open the scoring on 18 minutes - tapping home from a cross, before doubling hers and Southampton's tally with another goal six minutes later.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Weerden managed to halve the deficit.

The winger beat her defender, and curled a high cross into the area.

The ball swerved in the air, and managed to evade Stenson and find the bottom corner.

Annabel Blanchard was inches away from restoring parity on 69 minutes after a well-worked corner, but the midfielder was denied by the crossbar.

Southampton then had their chance to pull further ahead on 76 minutes with a quick counter-attack, but Chloe Peplow's effort flashed wide.

Shae Yañez then pulled off a stunning save to deny Michaela McAlonie who was one-on-one with the 'keeper on 82 minutes.

Just minutes later, and Stenson did superbly to deny Abbie Larkin from point-blank range before Brazil spurned a golden opportunity to put the game to bed.

Brazil then grabbed her hattrick on the 91st minute, after a quick counter-attack.

In a tight contest on the south coast, the hosts managed to secure the points in an end-to-end clash.

This result leaves Palace in fourth-place in the WSL2, with the visit of Bristol City up next for the Eagles.

Kicking off at 14:00 on Sunday, 8th February at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton - you can secure your place by clicking below!

Southampton: Stenson (GK), Goddard, Bourne, Brazil, Peplow, McAlonie (Mott, 85), Bashford, Simpson, Primus, Collett, Palmer (McGowan, 65)

Subs not used: Brown (GK), Edwards, Hack, Tucker, Watts, Pettit, Roberts

Palace: Yañez (GK), Arthur (Riley, 45), Cato, Everett, Sharpe, Hughes (Howat, 79), Weerden, Nolan, Ladd, Blanchard (Brown, 85), Larkin

Subs not used: Annets (GK), Vanhaevermaet, Brady, Newell