Kempson goal secures victory
Pompey Ladies kept their Premier League Southern Division title challenge on course with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Plymouth at Cams Alders.
Sarah Kempson grabbed the only goal of the game early in the second half with a strike from the edge of the box that flew into the bottom corner.
Charley Wilson then had an effort controversially ruled out for offside as the hosts tried to forge further ahead.
But they had already done enough to secure all three points and remain level on points with Cardiff at the top of the table.
Blues boss Perry Northeast said: “It was a really attritional encounter and probably not the most pleasant game for those watching.
“Plymouth ensured it was a very physical contest and a few of their challenges were rather suspect, to put it mildly.
“They tried to stop our rhythm whenever they could, but our girls kept their cool and refused to react to that.
“We were putting them under quite a bit of pressure and finally made it count when Sarah did what she does best by scoring from a long-range attempt.
“We had a few other chances that might have gone in on another day, while Charley looked to have a goal ruled out rather unfairly.
“Sadie Blakely made one decent save in the first half, but was largely untroubled after that and was almost playing as a sweeper to start our attacking moves.
“In the end we had to grind out the result and I was pleased with the character we displayed to get three points and a clean sheet.
“We got the job done and hopefully the fans will have seen that when the going gets tough, we’re more than a match for that.”
Pompey: Blakely; Frampton, Rutherford, Currie, Bazan; Quinn (Umotong 46), Sievwright (Bloomfield 62), Kempson, Clark (Dark 73); Wilson, Hillier
Photo: Jordan Hampton
Photo: Jordan Hampton