A dominant display on the ball yielded no FA Cup joy on the road for The Pride yesterday, as a clinical Netherton United dealt our side a gut-wrenching 2–1 defeat.

Despite playing some attractive football, controlling long stretches of the contest and carving out a flurry of opportunities, an inability to turn territorial dominance into goals ultimately proved fatal.

Captain Tash Collyer and Hannah Roberts, playing her last game for ThePride before relocating, pulled the strings as the team dictated the tempo early on. Coming off consecutive warm-up draws in pre-season games, the visitors looked every bit a side finding their rhythm, patient in possession and eager to assert themselves on foreign turf. Despite this, Netherton, who had to make three first half changes, hit the woodwork twice through shots from distance late on.

In the second half the hosts were pinned into their own territory, as The Pride racked up an impressive 20 total attempts on goal and won 10 corners. Yet, for all the sustained pressure and neat play, the final touch proved elusive. Promising attacks dissolved inside the penalty area without a killer blow, with a high proportion of shots being hit straight at the Netherton keeper, leaving the Netherton defence under heavy strain but stubbornly unbreached.

Instead, it was the hosts who demonstrated ruthless efficiency. Netherton absorbed the pressure and struck twice against the run of play after the break—capitalising on limited chances, taking the lead after 59 minutes with a speculative but well executed shot from 40 metres that crept over Jade Howell.

A moment of individual brilliance from Ellie Coleman levelled the tie eleven minutes later. Hannah Roberts did well to round a challenge and slip the ball wide for Ellie, who drove into the area and drilled a low shot inside the near post from outside the six yard box.

However, it proved to be a mere consolation, as an inswinging Netherton corner after 86 minutes eluded everyone to put the hosts back in front.

There was still twelve minutes left to play, due to a lengthy stoppage midway through the half, but the clock ran down on a frustrating afternoon where control of the football yielded nothing more than a premature exit from the competition.

While the sting of the cup defeat will linger, the foundation of ball control and fight shown throughout the squad offers plenty to build on as focus shifts back to the campaign ahead.

Manager Kyle Nicholson said: “It was a really strong performance. The result doesn’t reflect how well we played. We created plenty of chances and, on another day, a few of those go our way and we’re looking at a different result.

There were loads of positives — the way we competed, moved the ball and worked for each other was really encouraging. Regardless of the score, that was a strong team performance and one that bodes really well for the season ahead”

POTM goes to Ellie-Mae Coleman; non-stop work rate, some great moments, and a goal to cap off a top-tier performance!

The Pride now return to preparing for the start of the League campaign on 13th September.