West Women extended their winning run to six matches with victory away to a determined Stockport County Blues side.
The first chance fell on three minutes when a superb through ball from Sarah Penney released Hanifa Douglas who rounded the keeper before pulling back to Penney who was denied in front of goal by a terrific last ditch tackle. Two minutes later a raking cross field pass from Lyndsey Turner found Jami Hodges whose first time volley flashed wide of the post.
The West pressure continued and on 11 minutes Douglas twisted and turned in the box before laying possession off to Chaneece Reeves whose low effort was superbly turned round the post by the Stockport goalkeeper. A minute later West struck the woodwork as Hodges played in Penney, who drew the keeper only to see her low effort strike the inside of the post before it was desperately cleared by the Blues defence. Penney went close again, this time played in by Reeves, and was thwarted one-on-one by a terrific save from the County goalkeeper Fran Singleton.
Despite the intense West pressure it was 18 year old goalkeeper Katherine Ormerod who was called to West’s rescue as she was twice forced to deny Stockport from taking the lead with two big saves with the game still less than 20 minutes old.
Singleton again denied West as Penney’s no look pass across the penalty found the late arriving Vicky Kerr whose first time volley was met with an equally impressive save to tip it round the post. West finally broke the deadlock on 21minutes as Penney latched onto an under-hit backpass, running across the keeper before firing into the net from the narrowest of angles for her 7th goal of the season.
Suddenly West stepped up a gear and doubled their lead on 31 minutes when Stockport failed to clear a Kerr corner with Captain Shauna Edmondson firing a rocket into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Three minutes later it was 3-0 the impressive Jami Hodges picked out Hanifa Douglas, crossing in from the left, with the West striker heading in her fourth goal in two games from close range. West went into half time more than worthy of their three goal cushion following a terrific first half performance.
The second half started somewhat slower but Sophie Bracegirdle almost added a fourth on 52 minutes as she volleyed just wide from a Kerr corner. Stockport, to their credit, continued to search for a way back into the game and it took a superb save from Ormerod. West looked to kill the game off and Penney went close again firing a first time effort just over the bar after an Edmondson lofted pass over the County defence. Two minutes later a wonderful cross field pass from Penney put Bracegirdle through but she fired just wide in front of goal.
On 75 minutes the home side were rewarded for their perseverance as a perfect ball released Helen Molly who made no mistake to slip the ball passing the advancing Ormerod through the tightest of angles. West thought they’d restored their three goal advantage seconds later as Reeves was put through finishing with aplomb but was adjudged to have been offside. Almost from the restart Stockport reduced the deficit to one as Molly was again released through one-on-one and again slotted past the advancing Ormerod to bring Stockport back into the game.
Despite a nervy final 12 minutes, with the home side pushing for a leveller, West were able to hang on to all but secure their status as runners-up in Division One South.
