Sunday 17th November 2024
FA Women’s National League Division One North
Photo: John Shirras
AFC Fylde Women fell to a 2-0 defeat on Sunday afternoon against Cheadle Town Stingers.
Newly appointed Head Coach Marc Joyce looked ahead to his second match in charge of the Coasters after a 4-0 away defeat last weekend, whilst Cheadle Town Stingers came into the game off the back of a 0-0 draw with Huddersfield Town Women.
In chilly and wet conditions, Dylan Wimbury's Cheadle side got off to a flying start as they took the lead directly from a corner with just over five minutes played. Harriet Houghton capitalised on a loose ball inside the box and bundled in from close range to give the Stingers an early advantage.
Cheadle did well to control the play and limit Fylde to any chances whatsoever. And with 25 minutes on the clock, they almost doubled their lead, but Rachael Dunlop's strike in the penalty area was superbly blocked by Teal Dunion.
The first half saw the Coasters struggle to create any clear-cut chances, but just before half time, Holly Kelsh-Ridge’s half volley on the edge of the penalty area flew just wide of the post.
Half-Time: AFC Fylde Women 0-1 Cheadle Town Stingers
Trailing by a goal to nil at the interval, Marc Joyce made a change at the start of the second period with Grace Osvath replacing Imogen Borrowdale to try to get back into the game.
Around 20 minutes into the second half, a free-kick from the far side halfway line was whipped into the Cheadle penalty area and almost caught out the Stingers goalkeeper, but Emma Bradley recovered to palm the ball away for a corner.
Just after the 70th-minute mark, Cheadle thought that they had doubled their lead when Issy Dean managed to finish past Fylde goalkeeper Skye Kirkham, but the offside flag was raised.
A couple of minutes later, Fylde made their second change of the afternoon with a welcome return for Demi Devereaux, who came on in place of Millie Tindall.
With 15 minutes remaining, Cheadle were doing everything right to defend their lead, and in the 89th minute, they sealed the victory when Dean managed to get on the end of a free-kick to finish past Kirkham.
That was pretty much that as the referee blew his whistle for full-time minutes later, with Cheadle taking all three points in a win that sees them move to the top of the table after ten games played.
Full-Time: AFC Fylde Women 0-2 Cheadle Town Stingers
AFC Fylde Women: Kirkham, Dunion, Holt, James, Tindall (73' Devereaux), Hyland, Kelsh-Ridge, Chan, Borrowdale (46' Osvath), Bowers Folan, Carabott (83' Whitaker)
Unused substitutes: Hamer, Duffell
Cheadle Town Stingers: Bradley, Ahmed, Shepley, John, Gillin (90' Coe), Birtwistle, Dunlop (82' Ruddock), Porteous-Williams, Dean, Houghton, Gindra (66' Freeman)
Unused substitute: Duce
Words By Morgan Bennion & Scott Jones
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