Blues hit five of the best this evening at the Wolf Competitions Stadium, with a brace from Veatriki Sarri and goals from Wilma Leidhammar, vice-captain Chelsea Cornet and former Durham player Lily Crosthwaite securing Blues’ first points of the Subway Players Cup and, more importantly, their first win of the season.
However, this was also a night to remember for three of our Under-21s, as Roni Molendo-Payne, Molly Weaver and Lily Jaynes were all named in the first-team squad for the first time. Two of them, Molly and Lily, also made their competitive debuts, marking a fantastic moment for both players.
Amy made eight changes from the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, with Neve Herron, Suzu Amano and Marie Lavasseur the only survivors from Saturday’s game at the Emirates. Roni Molendo-Payne, Molly Weaver and Lily Jaynes also earned spots on the bench, a proud moment for them and their families.
FIRST HALF
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The first chance of the game came for Blues in the fourth minute when a Veatriki Sarri cross into the six-yard box narrowly missed Wilma Leidhammar.
In the 10th minute, a shot from Wilma Leidhammar was well saved by Cat Sheppard, who got down to her bottom left-hand corner.
Four minutes later, Marie Lavasseur’s flicked header went just wide of the far post.
Durham’s first chance of the game came in the 18th minute when Grace Collinson’s effort dropped just over the bar.
In the 25th minute, Veatriki Sarri fired her shot just wide of the right-hand post.
However, in the 29th minute, Blues took the lead when Leidhammar found Sarri with a clever backheel. Sarri’s shot from outside the box flew past Cat Sheppard to give Blues the advantage.
In the 34th minute, Blues doubled their lead when Marie Lavasseur found the dangerous Leidhammar, who slotted the ball past Cat Sheppard to make it 2-0 to Amy Merricks’ side.
In the 38th minute, it was almost 3-0 when Wilma Leidhammar’s header from close range rattled the underside of the crossbar. She was so unlucky not to get her second goal of the evening.
In the 41st minute, Durham broke away when Sarah Wilson’s ball found Ede, but her effort was blocked by the Blues defence.
A minute later, Martha Harris fired a shot over the bar.
Blues continued to pile on the pressure, and in the 45th minute, a brilliant effort from Veatriki Sarri was well saved by Cat Sheppard.
**HALF-TIME: DURHAM WOMEN 0-2 BLUES WOMEN**
SECOND HALF
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Amy made a triple substitution at half-time, bringing on Lily Crosthwaite, who was returning to Durham, Shannon Cooke and Lily Jaynes, who made her competitive debut. It was a proud moment for Lily and her family.
The first notable moment of the second half came in the 53rd minute when Martha Harris produced a brilliant piece of defending. After some good play from Watson to find Lowe, Harris made a fantastic, no-nonsense tackle to put the ball out for a corner.
The first shot of the second half came in the 63rd minute when former Blues player Jade Pennock and Angela Addison combined to find Amber Stobbs, whose driven effort was blocked by the Blues defence.
Blues’ first attempt of the second half came in the 70th minute when Martha Harris fired her shot over the bar.
In the 77th minute, Blues made it 3-0 when a corner from Veatriki Sarri was headed home by vice-captain Chelsea Cornet. Blues were closing in on their first victory in the Subway Players Cup.
However, the goal of the game came in the 80th minute when former Durham favourite Lily Crosthwaite fired the ball into the top corner from a difficult angle. It was a goal of real quality!
In the 85th minute, there was another debut for one of our Under-21s as Molly Weaver came on for Wilma Leidhammar to make her competitive debut. Another proud moment for her and her family. Congratulations, Molly!
In the 90th minute, Blues completed their five-star performance when Veatriki Sarri grabbed her second goal of the evening. Her brilliant shot flew into the top corner to complete her brace. A quality goal from a quality player, and that’s how it finished!
**FULL-TIME: DURHAM WOMEN 0-5 BLUES WOMEN**
MY THOUGHTS ON THE GAME
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A fantastic first win of the season, giving us plenty of confidence heading into Sunday’s huge six-pointer against Charlton.
What a night it was for three of our Under-21s, Roni Molendo-Payne, Molly Weaver and Lily Jaynes, with Molly and Lily both making their competitive debuts. It was a night that all three of them will never forget.
It was great to see the confidence growing within the side after we went 1-0 up. We needed a win like this to build confidence throughout the squad and, more importantly, to finally get our first victory of the season.
Sarri and Leidhammar were back to their best, and it was also brilliant to see Chelsea back on the pitch, captaining the side and scoring her first goal of the season.
Now we head into Sunday’s game against Charlton full of confidence. Let’s hope we can secure our second win of the season and, more importantly, our first WSL victory since our return to the top flight!
MY PLAYER OF THE MATCH
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**Veatriki Sarri** – She was outstanding this evening and looked back to her very best. Her two goals were thoroughly deserved, and she played a huge part in securing the victory.
Also, a big shout-out to Wilma Leidhammar, who was back to her best tonight. It was fantastic to see her back on the scoresheet with a well-taken goal.
UP NEXT
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We’re back home at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park on Sunday for a huge six-pointer against Charlton.
**Kick-off is at 2pm.**