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FC United Women break consecutive clean sheet record in win at Mossley Hill

FC United Women break consecutive clean sheet record in win at Mossley HillFC United Women made club history on Sunday by recording six clean sheets in a row, for the first ever time, following a 1-0 league win at Mossley Hill LFC.

Captain Kirsty Chambers’ strike on 39 minutes was the only difference between the two sides, after a closely-fought encounter on a spring-like afternoon on Merseyside.

It was United who had the better of the early exchanges, with both Kirsty Chambers and Rebecca Foster both mounting unrewarding efforts at the Mossley goal, as they searched for an early lead.

Captain Kirsty Chambers was looking to follow on from an eight-goal haul in the previous weekend’s win over Accrington Girls & Ladies by attempting to be the first on the scoresheet again, but her shot was drilled wide of the near post after doing well to get past the defender.

New signing Yvette Loukes was now in the second game of her second spell at the club, having made her debut in the win over Accrington, but the winger couldn’t add to her debut goal on 23 minutes having found the side-netting with her low shot.

The best move of the game then came just before the half-hour mark after Cara Fields and Rebecca Foster combined to play in Kirsty Chambers, but the skipper’s strike was wide of the mark.

With an almost identical move just over ten minutes later, FC went into the lead. Fields helped Foster’s ball on to Kirsty Chambers who took a touch before firing home from the left. Chambers now has 11 goals in just five games since the turn of the year.

The final notable event of the first half may have come in attack for Luke Podmore’s side, but the second started with the Reds displaying their defensive qualities. Inside the first 40 seconds, Chloe Ainsworth pulled off a big save having closed down the Mossley attacker.

United winger Yvette Loukes then tried to capitalise on Ainsworth’s fine save but couldn’t double the lead after seeing her shot cannon back off the near post, after some good footwork on the right-hand side of the box.

Just before the hour, FCUMW manager Luke Podmore made his first, and what would turn out to be his only change of the afternoon due to an injury to winger Corie Mather in the warm-up. Shaunna Jein replaced Yvette Loukes for FC.

United, who were wearing their white change strip for the afternoon, were then kept ahead by another fine Chloe Ainsworth save. The goalkeeper sprung to her left to stop a fiercely-hit Mossley free-kick finding the roof of the net.

Good pieces of goalkeeping were being made at both ends of the pitch, with Danielle Camp of Mossley Hill doing well to tip Kirsty Chambers’ goal-bound volley round the far post, after she was well-picked out by Kate O’Gara’s cross-field ball.

FC were required to stay concentrated in the closing stages with Mossley looking for an equaliser and the stoppage time adding up. Abbie Carrington made an important tackle to halt a dangerous hosts’ attack, moments before Mossley flashed a strike just wide of Ainsworth’s post in a last-ditch attempt to rescue something from the game.

It wasn’t to be for the hosts on the day as United held out to pick up a club record sixth clean sheet in a row and stretch their unbeaten run away from home that dates back to October. The Reds will look to build on that next Sunday (3 March), with a trip to UCLAN Sports Arena to face Sir Tom Finney LFC in the league; 2pm KO.

FCUMW Player of the Match: Olivia Greenhalgh – The central midfielder put in a tireless shift on a difficult pitch to help United hold on to its first 1-0 win in a competitive game since January 2017. Greenhalgh was ever-present in the middle of the park, playing key roles in both attack and defence as United picked up a huge three points away from home. A performance worthy of winning any Player of the Match award.

Mossley Hill LFC 0 (0): Camp, Fisher, King, Valentine, Loughlin, Hunt, Doyle, Lynsons, Ainscow, Davison, Slade

Subs: Ellinson, Ogden, Garratt

FC United of Manchester Women 1 (1): Ainsworth, McCarrick, Davies (Yellow card 61 mins), Carrington, Loukes, Greenhalgh(Yellow card 90+2 mins), Foster, Chambers (c) (Goal 39 mins), O’Gara, Fields, Battle

Subs: Jein (On for Loukes 59 mins), Mather, Dale

Match stats from Paul Hinson (FC first column):
Goals: 0…..1
Shots: 7…..12
Shots on target: 2…..5
Completed passes: 179…..254
Possession: 41%.....59%

Venue: Sudley Lodge, Mossley Hill Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L18 8BX
Competition: NWWRL Premier Division
Referee: Ray McLaughlin
Attendance: 49

Report by Mikey Partington



First Posted ~ 20:59 Mon 25 Feb 2019
News ID ~ 8280
Last Updated ~ 16:00 Fri 19 Feb 2021