SOPHIA Pharoah scored as Saints beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in the Barclays Women's Championship. 

The first half finished goalless, but after the break, Pharoah found the back of the net to give The Saints the lead. 

The hosts had the better chances during the early stages. 

Blackburn keeper Alexandra Brooks produced a fantastic double save to deny Katie Wilkinson from point-blank range before Jade Richards cleared the ball away.

Wilkinson fired another shot at goal two minutes later, but it curled agonisingly wide. 

Down the other end, Megan Hornby caused Chaos in the Saints box with a delightfully weighted corner, but Kayla Rendell was able to smother the ball. 

However, the Saints were back in the ascendency just moments later, winning a flurry of corners after Millie Chandarana did well to stop them from scoring on the break. 

Just before half-time, Molly Pike produced an elusive turn inside the box to get a shot away, but it drifted just wide of Brooks' post. 

After half-time, Pharoah latched onto a brilliant ball over the top and dinked it over the onrushing keeper to give Southampton a deserved lead.

Blackburn struggled to create any clearcut chances as Southampton controlled possession in the second half. 

And they pushed for a second goal to kill the game in the closing stages, with Pike seeing an effort cleared off the line with two minutes of normal time left to play. 

Lucia Charlotte Kendall fired an effort in off the post in stoppage time to wrap up a 2-0 win.

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