West Didbsury & Chorlton Women’s team recorded an empathic victory in their first ever home fixture with a 5-1 win over Wythenshawe Amateurs.  Wearing their new away kit thanks to their sponsors Chorlton Reds, West started brightly and almost led inside the first minute when Jami Hodges burst down the left, beat the full back before pulling back her cross to Leigh McFadyen whose first-time effort whistled just past the post.

Five minutes later West came close again when Ellie Caddick’s corner found Leanne Joyce at the near post with her volley flashing just wide of the near post.  The game was still just 10 minutes old when Wythenshawe goalkeeper Stephanie Melia was called into action as she tipped a hard shot from Elizabeth Livesey over the bar; the first of a string of excellent saves.

On 17 minutes, Melia again came to the Ams rescue again as Livesey was again denied when she lifted the ball over her marker before the Wythenshawe goalkeeper was able to parry away the West forwards effort.  The visitors were unable to contain Livesey however, who was again denied by Melia when her volley was tipped onto the crossbar on 22 minutes.

West weren’t to be denied and it was Hodges who carved the way for the first goal as she drove down the left before pulling the ball back to Livesey whose effort was drilled into the bottom left hand corner. Livesey continued to produce the best from the Ams goalkeeper and on 33 minutes she latched onto the end of a Sophie Bracegirdle cross but her dink beyond the keeper was cleared off the line despite much protestations for a goal from the 60 plus in attendance.

West doubled their lead on 39 minutes when Leigh McFadyen was put through on goal before her shot was saved by the legs of the Ams goalkeeper; following intervention from Livesey, McFadyen was presented with a second chance and promptly placed her second effort into the bottom left hand corner.  McFadyen almost made it 3-0 on the stroke of half time as her rocket of an effort from the edge of the area was superbly tipped round the post.

The second half was just two minutes old when Bracegirdle hit the outside of the post with an effort from a narrow angle on the right.  Despite the pressure it was the visitors who earned the next goal when a superb cross from the right found the head of Lucy Bonnor who finished from close range on 63 minutes.

Just two minutes later West restored their two-goal lead when substitute Emma Lyonett picked out Livesey who laid the ball off to Hodges and her first time lobbed evaded the substitute Ams goalkeeper before dropping into the net. Hodges had a great chance to double her lead moments later when Lyonett released the West winger with a superb pass but she fired over one-on-one.

West finished strongly as Amayah Hanley was denied by a strong save with an effort from a narrow angle before Georgia Vernardakis added a fifth on 75 minutes with a sensational 30-yard effort.

A strong West performance was almost capped off with a sixth when Hanley fired into the bottom left hand corner only to be denied by the offside flag. Otherwise it was a superb first home performance from Wests women’s team.

West: 1. Jefferson, 10. Caddick, 16. Vernardakis, 11. Friel, 2. Price, 14. Joyce, 4. Bracegirdle, 18. Hodges, 17. Edmondson, 6. Livesey, 20. McFadyen. Subs: 12. Hanley 19. Lyonett

Goalscorers: Livesey (2), McFadyen, Hodges, Vernardakis.