A four-some start for women’s side
LIVERPOOL COUNTY FA WOMEN’S LEAGUE
SOUTHPORT FC Women opened their league campaign with a trip to the team who were technically reigning League champions. BRNESC, based in Aintree, won the 2018/19 Liverpool County FA Women’s League and with last season’s competition being annulled, still hold that title.
Games between the two sides in the past have always been competitive but the Yellows have previously never got the better of today’s hosts. An exciting friendly a few weeks ago saw the two sides record a 5-5 draw so this was never likely to be a bore draw.
It was a hot day in the shadow of Aintree Racecourse, and Women’s manager Noel Warham handed starting debuts to Katie Edwards, Emily Norcross and Ashleigh Bibby, while Alex Capp was primed to make her first appearance from the bench. Sophie Birnie captained the side at the start of her 18th season with the group.
The visitors made a fast start and took an early lead when a corner from Norcross wasn’t cleared and Jess Ashe-Wright poked the ball in at the far post after only four minutes.
Only a couple of minutes later and the lead was doubled through the same combination but this was a far better goal. Ashe-Wright’s run met the dead ball delivery on the half-volley and it flew into the net.
The home side were stunned into action by this quick-fire double salvo and were unfortunate not to half the arrears, when a free kick from the left hit the post with Tamika Hunter-Barnett in the visitors’ goal beaten. However, she showed great agility and reactions to save the follow up from the home side’s stand out player, Ella Thwaites and preserve her clean sheet.
BRNESC continued to press the visitors in an attempt to get back into the game and the defence had to be particularly alert, although Norcross was unlucky not to extend the visitors’ lead after a flowing move saw her power a shot against the crossbar. The Yellows were not to be denied, and they scored their third goal on the half hour. Rebecca Redford did brilliantly to win possession in midfield, and she fed the ball into Hannah Brookfield. She clipped an inch-perfect ball into the path of Bibby who kept her composure to hold off the defender and calmly finish with aplomb for her first goal for the club.
There were no further goals in the first half and the start of the second half saw the home side put the visitors under pressure. Hunter-Barnett did particularly well to push the ball onto her post when stopping a close-range effort. On a hot day, the Yellows rang the changes with the fresh legs proving particularly valuable against a young and energetic side who used their own subs well. Bibby probably had the visitors’ best chance after the restart with a low shot beaten away by the home keeper.
The next goal was always going to be crucial and when it came it was a Southport goal which probably sealed the victory. Georgia Davies swept a pass out to Norcross, who beat her marker to the ball with a strong tackle, before advancing into the area and firing a powerful shot into the corner.
BRNESC got the goal which their play deserved when they fired low into the net after a ball from a throw in had for once not been promptly cleared, and there was still time for Charlotte Ross to narrowly power a shot wide after excellent work from Edwards, Davies and Sophie Speariett. However, the final whistle signalled an excellent first win of the season – and a first competitive win against a competitive and spirited side.
A positive start to the season and a strong performance by the “Yellow Women”, but they don’t have time to rest on their laurels as the tough games keep coming as they open their home campaign with the visit of Tranmere Rovers to Halsall’s Memorial Ground next Sunday.
SOUTHPORT: Hunter-Barnett, Edwards, Leadbetter, Sharrock, Birchall, Redford, Birnie (c), Ashe-Wright, Brookfield, Norcross, Bibby, Davies, Speariett, Leedham, Ross, Capp.
FA CUP 1ST QUALIFYING ROUND
A SELL-OUT crowd at the JMO Sports Park witnessed a thrilling FA Cup encounter that in the true traditions of the competition was in the balance until the very last kick.
Skelmersdale had taken the lead just before the interval, then their local rivals from up the M58 fought back and just when you thought a well organised Skem defence had done enough Bootle levelled with only eight minutes remaining on the clock. But it was Skelmersdale that had the edge and restored their advantage four minutes from the end, leaving the last minutes a tense wait for both sets of supporters.
As you would expect from a derby game between two evenly matched teams the opening exchanges were closely fought out but it was Skem that went closest to drawing blood when after Mike Grogan had lofted the ball into the penalty area Mini Adegbenro put a header low towards the corner of the net, but goalkeeper Ryan Jones made a terrific save at the foot of his post.
From there the game see-sawed and defences were on top.
For Bootle a John Connolly free kick went close but Skem goalkeeper Ben Barnes tipped the 20 yard shot over his crossbar, before a Ben Hodkinson shot was turned away for a corner by Barnes. For Skem Callum Preston made a surging run that resulted in a shot 25 yards that whistled past the Bootle post.
Bootle had a good chance on 28 minutes when a cross to the far post found
Hodkinson but his header went wide.
However five minutes from half-time Skelmersdale found the key to unlock the Bootle backline. Jack Grimshaw got away down the right hand side and pulled the ball back from the goal line, the ball going right into the heart of the penalty area, Jason Carey crashed in and with his chest put the ball into the net.
The winning post started to appear in the distance for Skem with only eight minutes to go but a determined Bootle had other ideas. Barnes made a tremendous save but could only parry the ball away and it fell to a former Skelmersdale player to seemingly kill off Skem’s dreams, Hodkinson pouncing to equalise from inside the six yard box. To their utmost credit Skelmersdale weren’t killed off though, they bounced straight back onto the attack.
On 86 minutes Alex Griffiths overlapped down the right wing and hoisted the ball to the far post, Grimshaw had lost his marker and faced with keeper Jones kept his cool to drive the ball inside the post. The rest saw Bootle laying siege but it was too late, Skelmersdale were not going to let them back into the game again.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Barnes, Herbert Preston, Murphy, Grogan, Peet, Grimshaw, Carey, Mitchley, Griffiths, Adegbenro Subs Brodie, Glennon, Wainwright, Ellams, Croughan, Ellis, O’Neill
REFEREE: Aran Hodgkinson
ATTENDANCE: 250