CAFC Women

Tara Bourne’s 80th minute goal saw Southampton beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 in the Women’s Championship on Sunday.

The defeat sees the Addicks go four games without a win in the league whilst this was the Saints first victory over the London side at the fifth attempt in the second tier.

There was a presentation to Beth Roe before the match to mark her 100th appearance for Charlton on what was also her birthday.

An early corner from the visitors was stopped on the line by home goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse.

The Addicks first opportunity came in the 18th minute but Jodie Hutton blasted over following a corner.

In the 22nd minute, Aimee Palmer headed a Saints free kick onto the roof of the net.  At the other end, Ellie Brazil saw her low shot blocked three minutes later.

The Southampton fans were making themselves heard at The Valley on what was a cool, cloudy south east London afternoon.

Kayleigh Barton won the ball in midfield for the hosts and passed to Brazil whose low shot was claimed at the near post by Fran Stenson.

Charlton went close to taking the lead in the 43rd minute when, after some nice build up play down the right-hand side of the pitch, Charlotte Newsham saw her shot from 12-yards superbly tipped onto the crossbar by Stenson.

The Addicks finished the half the better with the visitors defence doing well to stop them getting any shots away.

Rachel Brown headed an early second half Charlton effort off the line before Kiera Skeels shot over from the resulting corner.  A dangerous inswinging corner from Hutton was punched away by Stenson.

In the 63rd minute, Hutton sent a free kick from 25-yards over the crossbar for the home side.  At the other end three minutes later, Palmer’s shot from outside the area went straight at Whitehouse.

With 10 minutes remaining, the visitors saw an effort blocked following a corner.  The ball went back into the area with Bourne finishing from close range to score her first Southampton goal and their first ever one in the Championship against the Addicks.

No one could finish a Charlton corner in the 85th minute as the ball bounced across the 6-yard box.

In the sixth and final minute of the signalled stoppage time, Princess Ademiluyi’s deflected shot was tipped wide by Saints goalkeeper Stenson, who had made some big saves throughout the match. 

Even though another three minutes were played, that proved to be the final chance as Southampton claimed the three points and moved up a place to sixth in the league.

Line ups

Charlton Athletic (3-4-1-2): Whitehouse, N’Dow, Skeels (c), Roe (O’Rourke 72’), Newsham, Filis (Siber 89’), Bashford (Ademiluyi 83’), Hutton (Pearse 72’), Bradley, Barton (Muya 46’), Brazil

Unused substitute: Gray

Booked - Bashford

Southampton (4-1-4-1): Stenson, Brown (Mott 83’), Bourne, Purfield (c), Collett, Peplow (Griffiths 64’), Pike, Kendall, Palmer (Peake 90’+5), Gregory, Dean (Rowe 46’)

Unused substitutes: Nohastarisca, Rendell, Haaland, Watson, Thompson

Goal – Bourne 80’

Booked – Peplow, Purfield, Bourne, Palmer

Referee – Aaron Ford