A brace from Ebony Wiseman and goals from Georgia Roberts and Yasmin Mosby saw Derby County Women suffer a 4-0 defeat to Rugby Borough Women on the road on Sunday afternoon.
Despite showing signs of improvement from last weekend’s home defeat to Liverpool Feds, Borough’s intensity was too much to handle for the Ewes as the home side picked up all three points in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division.
Derby were without the unavailable Megan Tinsley, Charlotte Steggles, Chene Muir, Kate Oakley, Becky Hogg and Becky May for the clash with the high-flying hosts.
Rugby Borough started the quicker of the two sides, as Lily Greenslade’s lay-off to Mosby was struck goalwards from outside the area, but goalkeeper Lucy Jones was equal to it by stopping the shot from finding the bottom corner
Midfielder Paris Dalton had an opportunity to break the deadlock in the 11th minute for Derby as her driven effort from a free kick stung the palms of Nyla Peterkin in the home goal, but the rebound was cleared away from danger.
Despite the Ewes finding their way into the contest, they were caught in possession on the halfway line in the 28th minute by Wiseman who drove all the way into the area and slotted calmly past Jones to give Rugby the advantage.
Rugby continued to be dominant and applied more pressure to the Ewes’ backline and, in the 37th minute, the second for the hosts was fired home on the half volley from inside the area by former Derby forward Mosby to double the advantage.
The home side’s intensity continued to be a reoccurring theme in the second half too, and in the 54th minute the Ewes conceded a controversial corner. The well worked routine was whipped in by Jess Camwell for Roberts to rise highest to head in the third goal of the game.
The hosts continued their dominant spell and in the 66th minute killed the game as Wiseman picked up the ball and ran into an empty pocket of space before letting fly from distance. Her effort nestled into the bottom corner to seal the match for the hosts.
Head Coach Sam Griffiths’ side will look to regroup quickly ahead of their return to action at the Don Amott Arena on Wednesday evening when they host Stoke City (7:45pm kick-off) as they look to get back to winning ways.
Derby County Women: Jones (GK), Jenkins, Burt (Skeldon 65), Jackson, Wilson, Rai (Cotton 69), Dalton, Joyce (C), Ward, Hillard, Miller (Meadows 78).
Unused Substitutes: Morgan (GK), McGowan.
Head Coach Sam Griffiths offered her reaction to the Ewes’ defeat on the road.
Club Captain Hannah Ward provided her verdict shortly after the final whistle.
Words: Max Stairs.
