South West Women’s League
Premier Division
Ilminster Town 3, Exeter City 3

ON Easter Sunday, Ilminster Town Ladies hosted recently crowned league winners Exeter City, with the visitors looking to end their campaign with one final victory.

Kelly Snook was back in the Ilminster team but the hosts didn’t get off to the start that they wanted, going a goal behind after 10 minutes.

Ilminster created a couple of openings in the first half but couldn’t quite get themselves clean through on goal, and the score stayed at 1-0 going into half-time.

The second half got off to slow start but the final 20 minutes was perhaps the most up-and-down of the season.

Exeter doubled their advantage in the 70th minute when a good delivery from a free-kick found an unmarked Exeter player at the far post who put the chance away.

But the Blues got themselves back into the game just three minutes later, when a great ball over the top of the Exeter defence from Maisie Parker found Kelly Snook, who had timed her run perfectly, confidently controlled the ball and tucked it home.

However, Exeter restored their two-goal advantage just two minutes later, when a defensive mix-up allowed the striker to chip the ball into the net.

It was game on again in the 83rd minute, though, as the hosts pulled one back.

A mistake in the Exeter backline saw the ball fall to Snook, whose shot was saved, but Colette Martin anticipated the rebound and put the ball away.

Ilminster completed their comeback in the final minute from the penalty spot.

Snook got in behind again and was taken out by a defender; Martin stepped up to coolly place the ball into the bottom left-hand corner and level the scores.

The game finished 3-3 after a spirited performance from Ilminster in the heat to take a point off the champions, indicating how exciting the future could be for this Blues side.

Ilminster: Charlotte Johnson, Georgia Coward, Sammie Knight, Daisy Charles, Dana Andrews, Abbie Carslake, Sarah Miller (c), Charlie Pettinger, Colette Martin, Maisie Parker, Kelly Snook.

Substitutes: Poppy Hookings, Graziely Esperanca, Hannah Billing, Lesley Spearing.

Player of the match: Colette Martin

This Sunday, Ilminster travel to Callington Town Ladies.