Reds break winless streak
FC United women managed to break a sequence of 10 league games without a win (6 in all competitions) with a battling away performance to beat Alnwick Town Ladies 4-1. Following on from first appearances after injury in the midweek defeat to Bradford City, there was a chance of more game time for both Jordan Bailey and the captain Kirsty Chambers. For Chambers there were encouraging signs of a return to form as well as fitness with two spectacularly taken goals.
Alnwick may sit adrift at the bottom of the FA Women's National League Division One North but a recent win over Leeds United in the League Plate competition showed that they're not a team to be taken lightly and the Reds needed to battle hard in testing conditions to come away with the three points. Player of the match has to be Chloe Ainsworth who, at times, seemed to be playing as a keeper/sweeper with regular forays out of the penalty area to break up opposition attacks but nevertheless managed to get herself between ball, opponent and goal on enough occasions to wear down the home side and give her side a platform for the win.
The visitors got things off to a lively start when Jordon Bailey, making her first competitive start of the season following a second half substitute appearance against Bradford City on Thursday, made a run down the right and put over a dangerous looking cross that Alnwick keeper Katy Stark did well to grab.
And Stark wasn’t out of the action for long, shortly afterwards Emily Marsh joined the attack and let fly a shot from around 30 yards that initially proved too hot for Stark to hold but the keeper managed to grab it at the second attempt. The keeper was then involved in a goalmouth collision that saw her clatter into Olivia Smith prompting virtually unanimous penalty appeals from FC players, staff and travelling support which the referee waved away but the incident left Stark needing attention from the physio before continuing and she appeared to be hampered by injury at numerous points during the remainder of the game.
Action then switched to the other end with Chloe Ainsworth coming out of the penalty area to tackle the runaway Michelle Stewart and somewhat harshly being adjudged to have fouled the Alnwick no. 9 despite having clearly played the ball. Stewart stepped up to take the resulting free kick and went for goal, only being denied by a superb save from Ainsworth diving to her right to turn the shot away.
While the Reds were feeling aggrieved to have had a couple of potentially important decisions go against them, it’s fair to say a bullet was dodged when the referee declined home penalty appeals after Chelsea Patient appeared to have taken down Stewart with an attempted sliding tackle in the area.
The deadlock was broken on the half hour when another injury returnee, FC captain Kirsty Chambers was back to her old tricks and curled a right wing corner directly into the net. Alnwick looked to hit back quickly though as Stewart raced clear to angle a shot on the run from the right side of the area which Ainsworth positioned herself perfectly to save. Shortly afterwards Ainsworth found herself in another one-on-one situation outside the penalty area against Orla Callaghan and managed to block the Alnwick player’s attempted shot.
FC doubled the lead two minutes before the break with Marsh putting a ball into the area. Stark was off her line smartly to block a shot from Bailey but it was Smith, following in, who latched onto the rebound and found the net.
There was a chance for Smith to add to her tally in first half injury time as she pounced on a loose back pass but the shot was blocked and then grabbed by Stark.
Six minutes into the second half, the Reds stretched the lead to 3-0 after being awarded a free kick just outside the area for a foul that saw Callaghan of Alnwick yellow carded. Chambers stepped up and fired a low shot straight into the net, giving the keeper no chance.
Chambers was withdrawn shortly afterwards to allow Anya Donelan into the game and it was the substitute who made it 4-0 after Corie Mather got away down the right and whipped over a low cross that Donelan was in the right spot to tap in on the run.
The score at that point didn’t really do justice to Alnwick’s contribution to the game but Stewart finally got the better of Ainsworth to get her team on the scoresheet with a well placed right foot shot out of the FC keeper’s reach from just inside the area.
Ash Hayes came on to make a late contribution to the game with a mazy run and shot which Stark saved. Then playing a superb ball into the area from which Ellie Rigby hit the inside of the far post with a shot from the right hand side of the area.
There were a couple of very late chances for the home side to reduce the margin. Lucy Bowman, on as a second half substitute got clear and went round Ainsworth to the right but ran out of room for a shot. Then Lucy McConnell got clear down the middle and tried to go round the advancing Ainsworth to the left. Patient chased back to force her further wide, allowing Ainsworth to recover her ground to save the angled shot when it came.
FC United Women will look to keep the winning momentum this coming Sunday February 20th in a re-arranged home game against Chorley at Broadhurst Park. Kick off is at 2pm.
Report by Phil Bradbury
FC Player of the game: Chloe Ainsworth
Referee: Victoria Davidson Assistants: Ben Higgot & Ian Carr
Reds break winless streak
FC United women managed to break a sequence of 10 league games without a win (6 in all competitions) with a battling away performance to beat Alnwick Town Ladies 4-1. Following on from first appearances after injury in the midweek defeat to Bradford City, there was a chance of more game time for both Jordan Bailey and the captain Kirsty Chambers. For Chambers there were encouraging signs of a return to form as well as fitness with two spectacularly taken goals.
Alnwick may sit adrift at the bottom of the FA Women's National League Division One North but a recent win over Leeds United in the League Plate competition showed that they're not a team to be taken lightly and the Reds needed to battle hard in testing conditions to come away with the three points. Player of the match has to be Chloe Ainsworth who, at times, seemed to be playing as a keeper/sweeper with regular forays out of the penalty area to break up opposition attacks but nevertheless managed to get herself between ball, opponent and goal on enough occasions to wear down the home side and give her side a platform for the win.
The visitors got things off to a lively start when Jordon Bailey, making her first competitive start of the season following a second half substitute appearance against Bradford City on Thursday, made a run down the right and put over a dangerous looking cross that Alnwick keeper Katy Stark did well to grab.
And Stark wasn’t out of the action for long, shortly afterwards Emily Marsh joined the attack and let fly a shot from around 30 yards that initially proved too hot for Stark to hold but the keeper managed to grab it at the second attempt. The keeper was then involved in a goalmouth collision that saw her clatter into Olivia Smith prompting virtually unanimous penalty appeals from FC players, staff and travelling support which the referee waved away but the incident left Stark needing attention from the physio before continuing and she appeared to be hampered by injury at numerous points during the remainder of the game.
Action then switched to the other end with Chloe Ainsworth coming out of the penalty area to tackle the runaway Michelle Stewart and somewhat harshly being adjudged to have fouled the Alnwick no. 9 despite having clearly played the ball. Stewart stepped up to take the resulting free kick and went for goal, only being denied by a superb save from Ainsworth diving to her right to turn the shot away.
While the Reds were feeling aggrieved to have had a couple of potentially important decisions go against them, it’s fair to say a bullet was dodged when the referee declined home penalty appeals after Chelsea Patient appeared to have taken down Stewart with an attempted sliding tackle in the area.
The deadlock was broken on the half hour when another injury returnee, FC captain Kirsty Chambers was back to her old tricks and curled a right wing corner directly into the net. Alnwick looked to hit back quickly though as Stewart raced clear to angle a shot on the run from the right side of the area which Ainsworth positioned herself perfectly to save. Shortly afterwards Ainsworth found herself in another one-on-one situation outside the penalty area against Orla Callaghan and managed to block the Alnwick player’s attempted shot.
FC doubled the lead two minutes before the break with Marsh putting a ball into the area. Stark was off her line smartly to block a shot from Bailey but it was Smith, following in, who latched onto the rebound and found the net.
There was a chance for Smith to add to her tally in first half injury time as she pounced on a loose back pass but the shot was blocked and then grabbed by Stark.
Six minutes into the second half, the Reds stretched the lead to 3-0 after being awarded a free kick just outside the area for a foul that saw Callaghan of Alnwick yellow carded. Chambers stepped up and fired a low shot straight into the net, giving the keeper no chance.
Chambers was withdrawn shortly afterwards to allow Anya Donelan into the game and it was the substitute who made it 4-0 after Corie Mather got away down the right and whipped over a low cross that Donelan was in the right spot to tap in on the run.
The score at that point didn’t really do justice to Alnwick’s contribution to the game but Stewart finally got the better of Ainsworth to get her team on the scoresheet with a well placed right foot shot out of the FC keeper’s reach from just inside the area.
Ash Hayes came on to make a late contribution to the game with a mazy run and shot which Stark saved. Then playing a superb ball into the area from which Ellie Rigby hit the inside of the far post with a shot from the right hand side of the area.
There were a couple of very late chances for the home side to reduce the margin. Lucy Bowman, on as a second half substitute got clear and went round Ainsworth to the right but ran out of room for a shot. Then Lucy McConnell got clear down the middle and tried to go round the advancing Ainsworth to the left. Patient chased back to force her further wide, allowing Ainsworth to recover her ground to save the angled shot when it came.
FC United Women will look to keep the winning momentum this coming Sunday February 20th in a re-arranged home game against Chorley at Broadhurst Park. Kick off is at 2pm.
Report by Phil Bradbury
FC Player of the game: Chloe Ainsworth
Referee: Victoria Davidson Assistants: Ben Higgot & Ian Carr
