Gwalia win first home game after late penalty miss

Gwalia United secured their first home win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth Sports in the FA Women's National League Division One South. Molly Kehoe's second-half goal proved decisive, despite Bournemouth having a chance to draw level with a late penalty miss. Gwalia entered the match with confidence following their impressive 6-0 opening-day win, while Bournemouth kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 victory against Keynsham Town.

Both teams struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in the first half, with Ana Machado, Liane Folkenstern, and Freya Jennings failing to capitalize on Bournemouth's defensive lapses. After the break, Gwalia's Esme Kilburn-Thompson came close to scoring before Kehoe eventually broke the deadlock with a long-range effort that was narrowly wide of the target.

Kehoe's strike came after she reacted quickest to a parry by Bournemouth's goalkeeper, Kayleigh Prout. Gwalia pushed for a second goal, with Kehoe and Kylie Nolan both going close, but Bournemouth were gifted a late chance to equalize when Callie Jones was fouled in the box. Eden's penalty attempt fell short, ensuring Gwalia held onto their three points.

The Gwalia side will face Cheltenham Town in the League Cup on Thursday, 27 August (19:45 BST) and then travel to Torquay in the league next weekend.