West’s Women concluded their pre-season campaign with a routine 5-1 win at home to GMWFL Didsbury.
West were out of the blocks quickest and Elizabeth Livesey saw an effort cleared off the line following an Ellie Caddick corner inside the first minute. On seven minutes a long ball over the defence from Sophie Bracegirdle picked out Leigh McFadyen one-on-one but she could only fire into the goalkeepers hands. The deadlock was broken on 14 minutes when a Livesey effort at the far post was blocked and following a deflection was coolly drilled into the bottom left hand corner from McFayden. Moments later Livesey went close again as she saw a curled effort from 20 yards clip the underside of the bar.
Didsbury were level on 17 minutes however when Claire Jefferson was adjudged to have handled the ball outside the area whilst kicking out her hands. Didsbury made no mistake from the indirect free kick and drilled it into the top corner inside the far post.
West reasserted themselves and a good move down the left saw the Didsbury goalkeeper make a hard stop from the boot of Chaneece Reeves from a tight angle. Seconds later Reeves went close again as the Didsbury keeper stopped another hard effort at the second attempt. West re-took the lead on 28 minutes when Caddick’s corner found Livesey at the far post and she tapped in on the line.
West never looked back and added a third on 34 minutes with a splendid counter attacking move. McFadyen did superbly to hold a clearance and take it past her marker on the half way line before driving down the right crossing to Livesey who took a touch and rolled it coolly into the bottom right hand corner.
Didsbury almost halved the deficit before half time when a Jefferson clearance fell straight to a Didsbury player but Caddick was on hand to head the curled effort off the line.
The second half saw West ring the changes as, now playing in the centre of midfled, Bracegirdle drilled an effort just wide on 54 minutes. Substitute Nat Callaghan then saw her point blank range effort deflected wide of the post on the hour mark. From the corner Bracegirdle notched her first goal since joining West in the summer as she placed an effort from the edge of the area into the bottom left hand corner.
On 64 minutes it was 5-1 when Chaneece Reeves continued her recent run of scoring by drilling a 30 yard effort into the top corner. West continued to create chances as Emily Croasdale saw a teasing effort bounce just wide of the post on 76 mintutes. Amayah Hanley followed that up with an effort coming off the back of the post from a Debbie Price corner.
Bracegirdle almost added a second in the dying moments forcing the substitute Didsbury goalkeeper into an excellent save but West were deserving of their third win on the bounce and their sixth win of pre-season.
West: Jefferson, Caddick, J.Turner, O’Neil, L.Turner, Bracegirdle, Hodges, Kerr, Livesey, Reeves, McFadyen.
Subs: Callaghan, Croasdale, Price, Friel, Hartley, Hanley, Carson-Parker.
Goalscorers: McFadyen, Livesey (2), Bracegirdle, Reeves
Attendance: 28
