Women's Report: Saints 2-0 Sheffield United

After a goalless first half, Freya Gregory’s powerful half-volley just after the hour mark broke the deadlock before Rianna Dean wrapped the game up in the closing stages.

Remi Allen made two changes as Milly Mott returned in defence whilst Alice Griffiths made her first start of the season.

Keen to make amends for last week’s disappointing defeat, Saints started fast with a renewed sense of purpose at St Mary’s.

They were made to wait for the first sight on goal though, which arrived in the 12th minute when Freya Gregory’s cross picked out Molly Pike at the far post.

Time stood still for a moment as Pike threw herself at the ball acrobatically, but her volleyed attempt dropped just wide.

Gregory was enjoying space as an outlet on the left and delivered another inviting ball minutes later that found Pike again, who was this time denied at close range by Sian Rogers.

The Sheffield United shot-stopper recovered in an impressive double save to keep out Meg Collett on the rebound as the scores remained goalless.

From there, chances were harder to come by despite some positive spells in possession; Griffiths saw two shots from range fly over as the first half wore on.

Griffiths tried her luck on her first start of the season. (Photos: Chris Moorhouse)

Saints came closer still to the opening goal in the final minutes of the first half when Gregory again sent in a dangerous delivery that found Lucia Kendall with a blocked shot.

From the resulting corner, Rachel Rowe saw her close-range header pushed away by the defiant Rogers in goal.

Goalless at the break, but Saints were certainly on top as the game resumed in a similar fashion.

The patience in possession was rewarded just after the hour mark, when the deadlock was broken in style by Gregory’s first goal for the club.

A deserved reward for her battling display, the Aston Villa loanee rifled in a half-volley back across goal after the ball had bounced up perfectly for her inside the penalty area.

Freya Gregory salutes the St Mary's faithful in celebration.

There was a chance for a quickfire second shortly after, as Saints picked the ball off from a Sheffield United goal kick; Rachel Rowe steadied herself in the area and was brought down as she shot, but the referee waved away the penalty claims.

With the visitors a goal down, their biggest opportunity came in the 78th minute against the run of play as Maria Farrugia blazed over at the end of a counter attack.

Saints needed to kill the game off and came close to doing so when Kendall drove forward and found Pike in the area, whose shot flew over the bar.

The contest was eventually wrapped up two minutes from time when Dean, who had replaced Saints’ first goalscorer, added the second with a calm one-on-one finish.

A perfectly weighted pass from Rowe set the substitute striker through on goal and she followed suit with a composed finish into the bottom corner.

The deserved return to winning ways puts Saints on seven points from their first four games, as attention briefly moves to the Women’s League Cup group stages for the group stage opener next week.

Saints: Stenson, Collett (Brown 90+2), Mott (Peake 60), Bourne, Purfield (c), Griffiths, Palmer, Kendall, Gregory (Dean 73), Rowe, Pike.

Subs not used: Rendell, Haaland, Nohasiarisoa, Peplow, Thompson.

Goals: Gregory 63, Dean 88.

Sheffield United: Rogers (c), Cowan, Lafayette, Kinzett, Wardlaw, Farrugia, Robinson (Phillips 89), Wilding, Butler, Foy (Bailey 62), Edwards (Hand 46).

Subs not used: Davies, Page, Connolly-Jackson.

Yellow Cards: Farrugia 85.

Referee: Chloe-Ann Small.

Attendance: 1528.