Report: Palace Women beaten on the south coast

Match reports

4 hours ago

Collett 45+2'

Brazil 39'

Jupp 17'

Blanchard 18' 9'

Despite a first-half brace from Annabel Blanchard, Crystal Palace Women lost 3-2 to Southampton in the Subway Players Cup.

A heavily-rotated Palace were beaten away at Southampton in the third game of the Subway Players Cup league phase.

Summary:

Potter opts for a very different team to Sunday's defeat to West Ham - making nine changes including a first start of the season for Hayley Ladd.

8: GOAL - Lovely Palace move sees Sharpe square it to Blanchard, who passes into the bottom corner
17: Goal - Jupp equalises after she was put clean through
19: GOAL - Blanchard doubles our lead from the spot after Howat is brought down
25: Good attack sees Weerden fire into the side netting
29: Brazil gets the better of Cosme, but makes a mess of her finish
39: Goal - Nice snapshot in the box from Brazil finds the bottom corner
45: Blanchard almost benefits from a lucky rebound into her path, but Santos is equal to her effort
45+2: Goal - Collett's effort is deflected and totally wrongfoots Yañez in the Palace goal
HT: Southampton 3-2 Palace
47: Larkin is set through but misses the target
51: Sharpe fires over from close-range
86: Sharpe works her way into a fantastic position, but makes a mess of her pass to England
FT: Southampton 3-2 Palace

Palace's unbeaten start to the Players Cup campaign came to an end against Southampton, with the hosts winning 3-2 at Silverlake Stadium.

The first-half had plenty of action, with all five goals scored in the opening 45.

Palace got off to the perfect start, as Annabel Blanchard bagged the opener on eight minutes.

Molly-Mae Sharpe nicked the ball from her defender and picked out Blanchard in the box, who took a touch and calmly passed the ball into the bottom left corner.

Southampton responded nine minutes later, as Freya Jupp finished well from a counter-attack.

Just seconds after the restart, Kirsty Howat was fouled in the Saints box and Palace had a penalty.

Blanchard stepped up and converted from the spot, bagging her second of the game and putting the Eagles 2-1 up.

Palace were losing at the break though, as a quickfire double from Ellie Brazil and Megan Collett had the Saints in a 3-2 lead at half-time.

Potter rang the changes at half-time, with Bethany England, Abbie Larkin and Sierra Enge replacing Shannon O'Brien, Blanchard and Hayley Ladd.

Palace began the second-half well, with both Larkin and Sharpe going close with efforts from inside the box.

Southampton defended well though, with Palace creating few clear cut chances in Eastleigh.

It ended 3-2, with the Eagles suffering their first defeat in the Players Cup this season.

This result leaves Palace in fifth-place in the Players Cup league, with the visit of Chelsea in the WSL up next for Jo Potter's side.

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Southampton: Santos (GK), Collett (Brown, 75) Mott, Goddard, Murphy, Peplow (McInnes, 45), Bashford (Edwards, 65), Brazil (Tucker, 45), Rae, Harries (Archibald, 45), Jupp

Subs not used: Moloney (GK)

Palace: Yañez (GK), Napier (Swaby, 64), Cosme (Bartrip, 64), Nolan, Weerden, Ladd (Enge, 45), Hopcroft, Sharpe, Blanchard (Larkin, 45), Howat, O'Brien (England, 45)

Subs not used: Erhabor (GK), Everett, Tsunoda