Millwall Lionesses claim first league win after incredible Clarke double

Millwall Lionesses won their first league game of the season as they beat London rivals London Bees 3-1 at Princes Park, courtesy of a spectacular double from Evie Clarke.

The Bees had taken the lead after Daisy McLachlan got on the end of a failed clearance, volleying it past Rhiannon Stewart.

Though a fightback which started just before the end of the first half saw the hosts get there first three points of the season, Annie Rossiter scored a wonder goal before a double from stand-in captain Evie Clarke her second was an overhead kick sealed the victory.

Chris Phillips named three changes to his side that lost 2-0 to Liverpool on Sunday, as Chloe Sansom dropped to the bench, she was replaced by Rhiannon Stewart, usual club captain Leanne Cowan also was part of the casualties as she was replaced by Chantelle Mackie. Lastly, Annie Rossiter started instead of Georgie Giddings.

Racheal Yankley also decided to make changes after watching her side lose 3-0 to second placed Manchester United as Tricia Gould and Nicola Gibson both dropped to the bench being replaced by Taylor O’Leary and Daisy McLachlan.

London Bees started the better of the two as they dictated the play early on creating a couple of chances, it led to the side taking the lead in the eighth minute as McLachlan pounced on a failed clearance to make it 1-0.

Katie Wilkinson produced a couple of chances for the away side and early on she was one of the Bees most influence players.

The Lionesses came back into the game and kept the ball more to foster opportunities, but the back-line of Yankley’s side kept breaking down each attack.

The Lionesses were struggling to make their mark on the game. For large parts of the first half Clarke had to step out of position to create opportunities that would consistently get dealt with after a small spell of possession.

Though after the 30^th minute Chris Phillips’ side managed to side some life in the game with a range of close chances which almost ended with Clarke getting on the scoresheet.

The first came when her cross tested goalkeeper Sarah Quintrill, though it did take until 34 minutes for that to happen. the second came as Beth Lumsden crossed the ball in from a free-kick but the striker failed to get herself on the ball, any touch would have equalled the score.

Lauren Pickett got the winner when the two-last met and was greeted with an opportunity of her own. However, her shot while on target never troubled Stewart.

Just as fans were expecting the Bees to go into the second half with the lead the Lionesses equalised through a first professional Millwall goal by Rossiter. A goal made even more special by it’s brilliance. The 17-year-old took aim from the edge of the box and unleashed a spectacular and rifled it past Quintrill.

Her ability to win the ball back and drive forward was a key element of the hosts getting back into the game as she offered an intelligent option out wide and threw the middle, in the first half everything good came through the midfielder.

The goal before the break gave the Lionesses a fresh breath of confidence as they came out the stronger side in the early stages of the second half.

Bees might have found themselves unlucky not to have taken the lead in the 55^th minute as defender Ellie Wilson’s header bounced off the post and was eventually cleared away.

Clarke again found herself frustrated when she just missed out on getting on the end of a loose ball as the 22-year-old was a pace slower than Quintrill who cleared it away.

Again, the Lionesses found themselves having to defend more and this meant that Stewart was forced into making a crucial save as she got down low to deny McLachlan a second of the match in the 62^nd minute.

Though counter attack become a key part of the hosts play and in the 70^th minute an attack resulted in taking the led as captain Evie Clarke gets on the end of a through ball, she tricks her way into the box before slotting the ball between the Bees number one’s legs.

Away side London Bees made their final substitute in the 76^th minute which saw Lucy Loomes replace earlier goal scorer McLachlan.

Just moments later the Lionesses made it 3-1 effectively winning the game as Clarke doubled her tally in the match with an overhead kick that flew into the back of the net following a Beth Lumsden cross.

Late pressure from the London Bees didn’t amount to anything and the Lionesses claimed a very important win.

Teams-

Millwall Lionesses– Rhiannon Stewart, Chantelle Mackie, Freya Bailes (OFF 64’), Ylenia Priest, Beth Lumsden, Lia Cataldo, Evie Clarke ©, Lucy Fitzgerald, Michelle Young (OFF 81’), Annie Rossiter (OFF 56’), Grace Neville

Subs– Bethany Harford (ON 56’), Eden Bailey (ON 81’), Fran Ali (ON 64’)

Unused subs– Gabby Ravenscroft, Leanne Cowan, Sofia Stovold, Chloe Sansom

London Bees– Sarah Quintrill, Annabel Johnson, Ellie Wilson, Katie Wilkinson ©, Ruesha Littlejohn (OFF 64’), Lauren Pickett (OFF 64’), Taylor O’Leary, Ocean Rolandsen, Daisy McLachlan (OFF 76’), Brooke Nunn, Hannah Wheeler

Subs– Lucy Loomes (ON 76’), Mollie Dench (ON 64’), Merrick Will (ON 64’)

Unused subs– Destiney Toussaint, Tricia Gould, Nicola Gibson