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Match Report

30th January 2022

The FA Women's National League – Division One North

Broadhurst Park, 310 Lightbowne Road, Moston, Manchester, M40 0FJ


FC United of Manchester Women

1 - 4

Chester le Street Town Ladies

Flanagan 27
 
Harvey 5 pen, 12
Ellison 20
Taylor 48
Attendance: 122

FC United of Manchester Women 1

Flanagan 27

Chester le Street Town Ladies 4

Harvey 5 pen, 12
Ellison 20
Taylor 48

Attendance: 122


FC United of Manchester

1 Chloe Ainsworth
3 Emily Marsh
5 Chelsea Patient (capt)
6 Abby Hunt
12 Lauryn Wood
13 Ceri Ogdon
15 Chelsea Flanagan
16 Ellie Rigby
20 Katie O'Gara
24 Neve Birtwistle
25 Ellie Kelly

Subs.
2 Corie Mather (for 13, 46 mins)
7 Ash Hayes (for 16, 83 mins)
9 Olivia Smith (for 24, 46 mins)
22 Betty Hall
23 Holly Davenport (for 25, 59 mins)

Chester le Street Town Ladies

1 Natalie Parker

2 Kimberley Wild

3 Hope Taylor

4 Anna Winter (c)

5 Brogan Prudhoe

6 Megan Elliott

7 Rebecca Lovelace 

8 Katie Ellison

9 Nichole Harvey (Yellow Card 78 minutes)

10 Isla Maggs

11 Elizabeth Thompson-Clarke 

Subs.

12 Olivia Johnston (for no11, 55 minutes) 

14 Emily Tait (for no7, 84 minutes)

15 Lauren Henderson

16 Jennifer Haley (for no12, 77 minutes) 

17 Lily Clifton-Stringer


Disappointing Reds slump to Chester-le-Street defeat

FC United's run of disappointing results continued with a lacklustre home performance against Chester-le-Street Town at Broadhurst Park about which manager Tom Fitton didn't mince words or hide his disappointment in his post-match interview with FCUM Radio. 

The damage was done in the opening 20 minutes which saw the visitors open up what proved to be an unassailable 3-0 lead although a great strike from Chelsea Flanagan reduced the arrears and saw FC end the first half looking somewhat more confident. However an opportunist strike from Chester-le-Street's Hope Taylor to score with a long range free kick put the Reds back on the ropes, proving to be a blow from which there was no way back. 

It has to be said that things started badly for FC and quickly got worse. In only the second minute, Chester-le-Street opened the scoring through Nichole Harvey from the penalty spot. It became 2-0 to the visitors ten minutes later with Harvey’s second, this time a shot into the top right hand corner from outside the area.

The Reds had a couple of chances to strike back with Emily Marsh getting a header to a right wing corner that was well saved by Chester-le-Street keeper Natalie Parker just under the crossbar. Then Chelsea Flanagan weighed in with a shot from outside the area that dipped just over the bar.

However the game moved further out of FC’s reach on 20 minutes. A long ball from deep on the left saw indecision among the home defenders, allowing the ball to bounce and sit up perfectly for Katie Ellison to score with a header over Chloe Ainsworth in goal.

There was no let up from the visitors who shortly afterwards came raiding down the left wing with Thompson-Clarke sending over a cross that needed a smart reaction from Ainsworth to knock the ball away from Harvey in the area.

However the Chester-le-Street defence had shown signs of indecision and this was capitalised upon by Flanagan who found herself on the end of a long ball, in the clear and onside to score and reduce the arrears.

Following on from an impressive debut in the home draw against Stockport, Lauryn Wood was again putting in a lively shift and came close to putting her side just the one goal behind, making space to hit a shot over from just outside the area. Wood was again involved with a ball into the area that was touched back by Flanagan for Ellie Rigby who fired just wide.

Just before the break a corner for FC United was cleared but seized upon by Ceri Ogdon who let fly from some way out but without enough power to trouble the keeper.

A 3-1 deficit at the break still looked a tall order for FC to get anything from the game but the Reds were starting look much more confident and threatening in the latter part of the first half.

There were clearly going to be more goals in the game and who scored next would be crucial. Unfortunately that was Chester-le-Street and only three minutes after the restart. A harsh free kick awarded against FC saw Hope Taylor go for goal from a long way out but her looping shot was perfectly placed towards the top right hand corner where Ainsworth managed to get a touch but was unable to keep it out of the net.

The goal, making the score 4-1, seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of the Reds although they weren’t prepared to give up. Flanagan troubled the defence with a low right wing cross that needed a two-touch clearance from Chester=le-Street skipper Winter to put it behind for a corner. O’Gara and Hunt also had long range efforts comfortably saved by Parker as a growing air of desperation became apparent about FC’s play.

There was a moment of controversy when Olivia Smith appeared to have been brought down in the visitors’ area but, as the referee waved away penalty appeals, a quick break saw Harvey snatch at a shot from outside the area that was taken comfortably by Ainsworth.

FC United were seeing plenty of the ball but failing to make the best use of it. There was a flurry of efforts which saw Rigby drive wide from 25 yards or so while O’Gara’s effort was blocked by a defender. Perhaps the closest to goal was a shot from outside the box from Holly Davenport which Parker seemed to see late but nevertheless managed to stretch low to her right to knock clear.

There was a further penalty controversy when Rigby was clearly clipped by a defender in the area but, perhaps because she didn’t go down, drew no response from the referee.

A couple more late chances went begging as a free kick from downfield wasn’t cleared by the visitors and fell to Flanagan to shoot through a crowded area but Parker got behind the ball to save. Then in injury time, Wood found Smith with a ball into the area but an angled shot was again comfortably dealt with by the keeper.

 

FC United Women are in action again versus Chorley on Sunday February 6th at Broadhurst Park. Kick off 2pm as usual.

 

Report by Phil Bradbury

FC Player of the game: Lauryn Wood

 

Referee: Jack Lucas  Assistants: Michael Brannigan & Lucy MacCabe 

 

Stats - courtesy of Paul Hinson (FC United first)

Shots on target: 11-9

Shots off target: 18-2

Free kicks: 9-12

Corners: 6-0

Offsides: 1-3

Yellow Cards: 1-1

Red Cards: 0-0

Passes: 469-124

Possession: 79%-21%

Disappointing Reds slump to Chester-le-Street defeat

FC United's run of disappointing results continued with a lacklustre home performance against Chester-le-Street Town at Broadhurst Park about which manager Tom Fitton didn't mince words or hide his disappointment in his post-match interview with FCUM Radio. 

The damage was done in the opening 20 minutes which saw the visitors open up what proved to be an unassailable 3-0 lead although a great strike from Chelsea Flanagan reduced the arrears and saw FC end the first half looking somewhat more confident. However an opportunist strike from Chester-le-Street's Hope Taylor to score with a long range free kick put the Reds back on the ropes, proving to be a blow from which there was no way back. 

It has to be said that things started badly for FC and quickly got worse. In only the second minute, Chester-le-Street opened the scoring through Nichole Harvey from the penalty spot. It became 2-0 to the visitors ten minutes later with Harvey’s second, this time a shot into the top right hand corner from outside the area.

The Reds had a couple of chances to strike back with Emily Marsh getting a header to a right wing corner that was well saved by Chester-le-Street keeper Natalie Parker just under the crossbar. Then Chelsea Flanagan weighed in with a shot from outside the area that dipped just over the bar.

However the game moved further out of FC’s reach on 20 minutes. A long ball from deep on the left saw indecision among the home defenders, allowing the ball to bounce and sit up perfectly for Katie Ellison to score with a header over Chloe Ainsworth in goal.

There was no let up from the visitors who shortly afterwards came raiding down the left wing with Thompson-Clarke sending over a cross that needed a smart reaction from Ainsworth to knock the ball away from Harvey in the area.

However the Chester-le-Street defence had shown signs of indecision and this was capitalised upon by Flanagan who found herself on the end of a long ball, in the clear and onside to score and reduce the arrears.

Following on from an impressive debut in the home draw against Stockport, Lauryn Wood was again putting in a lively shift and came close to putting her side just the one goal behind, making space to hit a shot over from just outside the area. Wood was again involved with a ball into the area that was touched back by Flanagan for Ellie Rigby who fired just wide.

Just before the break a corner for FC United was cleared but seized upon by Ceri Ogdon who let fly from some way out but without enough power to trouble the keeper.

A 3-1 deficit at the break still looked a tall order for FC to get anything from the game but the Reds were starting look much more confident and threatening in the latter part of the first half.

There were clearly going to be more goals in the game and who scored next would be crucial. Unfortunately that was Chester-le-Street and only three minutes after the restart. A harsh free kick awarded against FC saw Hope Taylor go for goal from a long way out but her looping shot was perfectly placed towards the top right hand corner where Ainsworth managed to get a touch but was unable to keep it out of the net.

The goal, making the score 4-1, seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of the Reds although they weren’t prepared to give up. Flanagan troubled the defence with a low right wing cross that needed a two-touch clearance from Chester=le-Street skipper Winter to put it behind for a corner. O’Gara and Hunt also had long range efforts comfortably saved by Parker as a growing air of desperation became apparent about FC’s play.

There was a moment of controversy when Olivia Smith appeared to have been brought down in the visitors’ area but, as the referee waved away penalty appeals, a quick break saw Harvey snatch at a shot from outside the area that was taken comfortably by Ainsworth.

FC United were seeing plenty of the ball but failing to make the best use of it. There was a flurry of efforts which saw Rigby drive wide from 25 yards or so while O’Gara’s effort was blocked by a defender. Perhaps the closest to goal was a shot from outside the box from Holly Davenport which Parker seemed to see late but nevertheless managed to stretch low to her right to knock clear.

There was a further penalty controversy when Rigby was clearly clipped by a defender in the area but, perhaps because she didn’t go down, drew no response from the referee.

A couple more late chances went begging as a free kick from downfield wasn’t cleared by the visitors and fell to Flanagan to shoot through a crowded area but Parker got behind the ball to save. Then in injury time, Wood found Smith with a ball into the area but an angled shot was again comfortably dealt with by the keeper.

 

FC United Women are in action again versus Chorley on Sunday February 6th at Broadhurst Park. Kick off 2pm as usual.

 

Report by Phil Bradbury

FC Player of the game: Lauryn Wood

 

Referee: Jack Lucas  Assistants: Michael Brannigan & Lucy MacCabe 

 

Stats - courtesy of Paul Hinson (FC United first)

Shots on target: 11-9

Shots off target: 18-2

Free kicks: 9-12

Corners: 6-0

Offsides: 1-3

Yellow Cards: 1-1

Red Cards: 0-0

Passes: 469-124

Possession: 79%-21%


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