Pride were at Moorways on Wednesday night for their first home match of the season, with as challenging a fixture as there could be as they faced last season’s League Champions Borrowash Victoria.

Pride made a good start to the game, moving the ball well and getting a shot on target in the first minute, although it was comfortably held by the keeper. Pride made an early breakthrough, however, when a corner taken by Tash Allderidge was delivered to the far post and finished by Aimee Healy-Raynor after 4 minutes.

Another corner from Allderidge resulted in a scramble after the keeper got a hand to the initial ball but was unable to get a clean fist to it, but it was scrambled away from inside the six yard box

There were more potential opportunities for Pride but often the final ball was overhit and straight, running through to the keeper. It was, nevertheless, an open game as Borrowash responded to going behind with a number of shots, although those on target were collected without too much trouble by Jodie Hill.

Beth Jones stung the hands of the keeper who turned her shot around the post. The resulting corner was initially headed away from goal, and in a race to retrieve it Beth Jones was caught by a defender as she went to ground and slid for the ball; the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty – calmly despatched by Tash Allderidge after 26 minutes [2-0].

Only a minute later, quick thinking and a clever throw into space by Ella Kew put Beth Jones in, and under pressure from a defender she hit her shot beyond the keeper [3-0].

Clinical finishes had given Pride an advantage but the game had been fairly even and was far from over. Borrowash were awarded a free kick on halfway which was launched towards the penalty area, a headed clearance was collected by Vics and sent back in towards the corner of the penalty area - an attempted clearance was missed, leaving a player free to play the ball into the centre for a close range finish [3-1] after 36 minutes. Vics pulled a second back two minutes later, when the ball was crossed from the Vics right and found a player free on the far post to head in off the post [3-2].

As half-time approached, Tash Allderidge’s corner was met by Bella Dormer, but she was just too wide of the goal to be able to divert her header on target and it went wide of the near post so at half-time it remained 3-2

It had been a relatively even first half with Pride capitalising on their opportunities before the two late goals scored by Vics gave them added momentum going into the break. From half-time things started to go progressively downhill for Pride, as first Emma Gittins had to come off feeling (and looking) unwell, but went from bad to worse shortly after the restart as Beth Jones pulled up with a hamstring injury and was unable to continue, Ella Kew - still on her way back from knee surgery - came off with discomfort in the knee, and to cap it off Bella Dormer came off worst in a sickening clash of heads – which was completely accidental – and had to come off with concussion.

How much this series of unfortunate events contributed is impossible to say, but it certainly didn’t help Pride’s cause as Vics dominated the second half, making all the running, as Pride struggled to keep possession, or to create anything. Vics equalised on 52 minutes and gradually wore Pride down to score a fourth and take the lead after 77 minutes, before putting it beyond doubt with a couple of minutes left to play.

It proved to be a costly game for The Pride beyond the three points that were at stake, as they will now be deprived of players for the games coming up, starting with Sunday’s trip to Draycott Victoria (ko 13.30).

Eliot Sayavong was named Player of the Match for a solid performance at the centre of defence making crucial interventions and interceptions.