By Huzaifa Yousafzai from St Mary’s Stadium
Kayla Rendell produces a Goalkeeping Masterclass to keep Southampton Ladies within three points of Sunderland Women who sit in top spot in the Women’s Championship.
The current England U23 international and Saint’s academy graduate, Kayla Rendell, showcased her all round capabilities as a modern goalkeeper to ensure her side bounced back from their one-nil defeat in London two week ago.
Rendell was extremely comfortable with the ball at her feet as she routinely played passes out from the back and on many occasions doing so whilst being positioned closer to the centre circle than her own net.
This meant her side dominated the initial phases of the game with the lion’s share of possession and allowed the Saint’s full backs, Milly Mott and Jemma Purfield, to advance well into Sheffield United’s half.
Sheffield struggled to get near Southampton’s net in the first 10 minutes of the game as a direct result of the relentless pressure caused by Rendell’s proficiency with the ball and her defence’s high line.
The breakthrough finally came as Saint’s right-back Mott floated in a right footed cross from the right flank into the back post where Sophia Pharoah headed back across goal to give Southampton a well-deserved lead.
However, only minutes later Rendell conceded her only goal of the game as Sheffield’s first attack led to a corner from the right side where the ball eventually rolled back out to the initial corner taker Jodie Hutton.
The Sheffield United left back found herself unmarked on the corner of the box and proceeded to bend it into the top left corner with a first-time shot from 30 yards out on her favoured left foot. A goal that the Saint’s number one could do nothing to prevent.
However, almost immediately after the restart, Katie Wilkinson broke through on the left flank as her attempted left-footed cross was miscued but looped over the helpless Fran Stenson and into the far corner.
The Saint’s number nine and ex-Sheffield United striker scored what turned out to be the winning goal and restored Southampton’s lead on her very own birthday.
Later in the second half, Rendell continued her faultless performance as Sheffield striker Bex Rayner had her strong shot from the edge of the box saved and caught by Rendell down to her right-hand side.
A pair of quality saves from the Sheffield keeper Fran Stenson at the end of the half kept the Blades’ deficit to only one goal, allowing them to walk in at the break with a flattering 2-1 scoreline.
Kayla Rendell’s epic performance could have been cut short as she went down clutching her hamstring early in the second half. However, it was nothing more than a minor scare for herself and her side as she immediately returned to action after receiving medical attention.
Sheffield then dominated the second half but save after save from Rendell, including three in the space of five minutes, prevented the away side from getting the equaliser that they truly deserved.
Her best save on the night came in the 72nd minute when Jess Sigsworth beat her defender on the edge of the box before shooting low into the bottom left corner where Rendell made another outstanding stop diving across to her right.
Despite a much stronger 2nd half from the Blades, the Saint’s had their blushes saved from several missed chances and not closing out the game in the first half may have cost them if not for Rendell’s ‘Player of the Match’ performance.
The 22-year-old youth international has now only one game in her last six where she has conceded more than once. Her good form will be crucial to the Saint’s hopes of promotion into the Women’s Super League come the end of the season.
