Magnificent seven sees confidence rise for Ladies
CHESTER CITY LADIES ...................... 2 RUNCORN LINNETS LADIES ............. 7
RUNCORN Linnets Ladies, newly promoted to the North West RegionalmLeague, continued their impressive pre-season with another resounding win.
On the receiving end this time were Chester City Ladies of the Cheshire Women’s & Youth League Premier Division, the competition Runcorn have just left behind.
Such a big winning margin away from home would be satisfying for any team, it would have been even larger but for exceptional goalkeeping and wayward Runcorn finishing.
Manager John Pickering could easily have opted for a near full-strength side but instead gave some younger players valuable game including centre backs Molly Cawley and Carys Beech.
With captain Becky Barker starting on the bench, Chelsea Gillies took the armband.
Molly Hewitt, after recent injury issues, was fit to start on the right against her old club, in a muchchanged line-up to those selected in confidence-boosting warm-up wins over Northwich Vixens and Pilkington Ladies.
Runcorn started the game brightly, Gillies with a header just wide from a Beth Middleton free kick as early as the second minute.
At the other end, Chester, adopting a more direct approach, saw a shot go just wide of Pickering’s left post.
Runcorn didn’t have to wait too long for the opening goal.
The impressive Beth Graham fed Ellie Dyson in the sixth minute, the striker calmly slotting the ball past the advancing keeper to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Play centered around the Chester penalty area, despite a sporadic attack or two from the home side to which Cawley and Beech were more than equal. Caitlin Gibbons, at left-back, had her best game for a long time since returning from injury
Linnets doubled the lead on 21 minutes, Pickering’s long clearance being flicked on by Bazley for Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz to control instinctively, playing in Dyson for her second.
Hewitt hit the bar from distance in the 34th minute before Beth Graham, with a “worldie” from outside the penalty box, made it 3-0.
Credit to Gillies for her strength and determination to win the ball and set up Graham.
In a prominent spell for her, Hewitt sent over a cross from the right that evaded the last Chester defender, allowing Demi Rogers to take advantage – stroking the ball past the unfortunate keeper for goal number four in the 42nd minute.
Hewitt, on the stroke of half time, saw another powerful effort beat the keeper only to again see the ball rebound off the bar.
Runcorn, leading 4-0 at half-time, made a number of changes.
Recent signing Emma McLarney, returning to the club, came on with Lily Clifton-Stringer and Beth Middleton.
The visitors moved to a back three, Wieland replaced Rogers on the left, with young Ella Clifton-Stringer taking up the right wing-back position replacing Hewitt.
Captain Barker came on for twogoal Dyson and Lile Ashley was summoned to partner Jones-Sacharewicz.
Runcorn now had the wind behind them but Chester City were more prominent, pushing the Runcorn defence into a series of mistakes.
This also had much to do with the defenders needing to settle into a new formation, with the wing backs tracking back.
In the 51st minute, Chester reduced the arrears. A simple ball into the box should have been cleared but the Chester forward had a simple finish.
Runcorn started to master the tactical alterations and confidence grew.
Clifton-Stringer on the right was outstanding, Beth Middleton using her wing back at every opportunity to push the Linnets forward.
In the 65th minute, Runcorn were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box after a foul on Jess Bazley.
Up stepped the youngest member of the squad Clifton-Stringer, whose effort flew into the top corner for a well-deserved goal and a 5-1 lead.
Ashley thought she had scored in the 76th minute but the referee adjudged the striker to have been offside but a minute later she had her goal, a neat turn and strike inside the box being assisted by Becky Barker.
Jones-Sacharewicz was withdrawn with 12 minutes left, Dyson returning to complete her hat-trick, Barker once again with the decisive pass.
In the final 10 minutes, fitness was a major factor.
The home crossbar saved Chester for a third time, Ashley foiled.
In the final piece of action, Chester grabbed a second again with a big helping hand from Runcorn.
Manager Pickering said: “I thought our first-half performance was pleasing and some of our football was a joy to watch. The second half we took time to settle but we have to remember we’ve brought in two new central defenders, moved a full back to central defence and played a new formation – so it all takes time to gel.
“Our younger players are learning all the time and I’m particularly pleased with Molly Cawley, Carys Beech and both Lilly and Ella CliftonStringer; all had very good games.
“But they can’t do this without the great team spirit we have within this squad and that’s a compliment to each and every player.”