Sherwood and Sievwright on target against Cardiff
Pompey Ladies finished the season on a high with a 2-1 victory over Cardiff at Privett Park.
The result ensured that outgoing manager Perry Northeast was able to bow out on a positive note.
Emma Sherwood came close to breaking the deadlock midway through the first half, only to see her shot flash inches past the post.
And Gemma Hillier’s neat chip then dipped narrowly over following some clever play from Sarah Kempson.
But Michelle Beazley was soon forced into action at the other end of the pitch, coming off her line to deny Hope Suominen.
The keeper also made sure the scores stayed level early in the second half, this time palming Suominen’s strike over the bar.
Both sides looked dangerous going forward, but it was Pompey who finally forged ahead on 68 minutes.
It was Sherwood who scored it, battling her way into the area before driving the ball into the far corner.
A Kempson goal was then ruled out after the referee spotted an infringement, but the hosts did double their advantage late on.
And it was an impressive strike from Shannon Sievwright, who superbly lobbed the ball over Alesha McGlynn and into the net.
Cardiff reduced the deficit with a fine free-kick deep into stoppage-time, but Pompey saw out the closing seconds to secure all three points.
Blues boss Northeast said: “It’s always nice to end the season with a win and it was a really solid performance from us.
“We were up against a top Cardiff side, but we beat them on the opening day and also in the cup, so it was good to cap things off with another victory.
“The game-plan was to stifle their attacks and look to find areas where we would be able to break them down.
“We just about edged the first half – it’s just that our decision making was a bit off when we got forward.
“Thankfully it was better after the break and we showed good patience to eventually secure a positive result.
“Overall, we haven’t been able to reach the heights of last season, but there have still been plenty of positive moments and a lot for the girls to be proud of.”
Pompey: Beazley; Taylor (Capel-Watson 90+2), Atkinson, Rutherford, Bazan; Kempson (Jeal 90), Sievwright, Clark; Quinn, Sherwood (Stephens 85), Hillier
Subs not used: Trodd, James