Town Ladies hit by late leveller as rivals pounce

HUDDERSFIELD Town Ladies were held to a 2-2 draw by Fylde, who equalised six minutes into stoppage time.

Fylde took the lead midway through the first-half after Town lost possession on the edge of their own area.

Fylde forward Chloe Adams’ scored, bending her shot past Charlie Kenyon, who had no chance.

Huddersfield’s pressure did pay off five minutes before the break as they drew level through Kate Mallin, netting from an Emily Heckler cross.

Town found themselves ahead just six minutes after the break with a rather fortuitous goal.

Heckler closed down the Fylde goalkeeper and her clearance rebounded off Heckler’s thigh and into the net.

The hosts found themselves under increasing pressure in the final stages with Fylde having a goal ruled out for offside.

However, the home side couldn’t hold on as the clock ticked down, Jenna Carroll latching onto a loose ball to score.

Town Ladies host Stoke City at home this weekend (2pm). Town Ladies Development won 1-0 at Fylde Reserves. The victory means Huddersfield are now level on points with Fylde, trailing them only on goal difference with a game in hand.

Raegen Cartledge’s penalty was the difference between the sides. The Development side have no fixture this weekend. The Academy were without a game last weekend, so are looking forward to hosting Dronfield Town on Sunday (2pm).

Jodie Lodge scored the winner as nine-player Town Under 18s won 5-4 at home against Wickersley Youth.

Town opened up a 2-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes with Ellie Womersley’s cross being turned into the net by a Wickersley defender, then Womersley firing home a powerful left-foot strike following good work from Faye Allen and Lodge.

Wickersley pulled a goal back from a near-post corner after 16 minutes.

Town’s lead was restored just before the break as Womersley’s cross was met by Allen at the back post.

Huddersfield continued where they had left off in the first-half when Rose Priestley finished well from the edge of the area.

Wickersley again got themselves back into the game with a looping effort, which stand-in goalkeeper Nicky Whitehead couldn’t stop.

The visitors scored a free-kick eight minutes later to close the gap further.

But Jodie Lodge finished a well-worked move involving Womersley and Laura Walker to seal victory for Town, Wickersley scoring a fourth late on. The Under 18s have no game next weekend. Town Under 15s travel to Chesterfield on Saturday (11am).

The Under 13s travel to Rotherham Hornets on Saturday (11am). Richard Holmes of Scholes (right) gets in a challenge during the District FA Challenge Cup clash with Holmbridge, which was abandoned when the referee suffered an injury. Pictures: Simon Morley