Posh Women beaten 3-1 by QPR Women in pre-season friendly fixture.
A depleted Peterborough United Women side were condemned to a 3-1 defeat to QPR Women at the Imperial College Sports Ground on Wednesday evening as Dan Lawlor’s side continue their pre-season preparations.
Jess Driscoll, who starred throughout the game, opened the scoring in the first half with some brilliant skill and composure inside the box, but three second-half goals from The Hoops saw them claim victory in West London as Posh could only name 11 players in the squad due to injuries and unavailability.
Neive Corry produced an outstanding save on 10 minutes to push over an effort from inside the box which looked to be heading into the top right corner, while Cassie Steward tried an ambitious effort on the outside of her foot, but it failed to trouble the keeper.
The hosts should have opened the scoring on 27 minutes as the ball fell to the feet of their number nine inside the box, who didn’t show any composure and fired over from close-range. Driscoll couldn’t keep her effort down on the half-volley after Destiny Makanjuola's corner was only half-cleared by the keeper.
Dan Lawlor’s side had the ball in the back of the net after a small scramble inside the box, which was eventually fired home from Niamh Connor, but the referee somehow disallowed the goal for a handball in the build-up. However, the deadlock was broken on the stroke of half-time and it was an unbelievable goal from Driscoll. Steward played a superb ball into the path of Driscoll, who showed some outrageous close ball control to leave two defenders and the goalkeeper on the floor before tapping home from close-range.
The Hoops pushed for an equaliser in the early stages of the second as QPR’s number 16 guided an effort wide of the post before sending a curling effort into the side-netting after working the ball onto her right-foot. The hosts found the equaliser on 54 minutes as a low-drilled effort found the bottom corner after Posh gave the ball away in the middle of the park.
QPR took the lead six minutes later after the ball fell kindly to their forward inside the box, who converted home from close-range. Posh were close to bringing the scores level shortly after as Steward saw an effort superbly blocked by a recovering defender before Driscoll’s low ball across goal was missed by the on-rushing Makanjuola at the back-post.
However, the hosts extended their advantage on 83 minutes after Posh gave the ball away cheaply in midfield and were punished as their forward broke through on-goal and fired past Corry. Maknajuola had the opportunity to cut the deficit as a lofted ball by Steward spotted her run into the box, but her effort was straight into the hands of the keeper.
Posh XI: Corry, Connor, Copson, Driscoll-King, Mugridge, Hendrick, Makanjuola, Horner, Evans, Driscoll, Steward.