West Women made it eight wins in a row with a hard fought victory at Brookburn Road against a determined Northwich Vixens side.

West made one change to the starting line-up as Emily Croasdale replaced the absent Vicky Kerr whilst they welcomed Lauren O’Neill back into the sixteen following a hip injury.

Despite the conditions West began on the front foot and led after just five minutes as Jami Hodges wrestled back possession on the left wing before cutting a low ball inside to Hanifa Douglas who finished exquisitely into the bottom right hand corner.

It was 2-0 after just 10 minutes as a perfectly lofted pass from Chaneece Reeves released Sarah Penney who, doing well to hold off their onrushing defender, fired her effort under the Northwich Vixens goalkeeper.

Given West’s recent form they the Vixens might have prepared themselves for an onslaught but instead it was West who were reliant on goalkeeper Katherine Ormerod as she twice produced excellent saves when one-on-one as the visitors looked for a way back into the match.

West might have had a third before half time as a perfect cross from Sophie Bracegirdle found Penney unmarked in the six yard box, her collision with the keeper saw the ball fall loose to Croasdale who fired home the rebound but the referee adjudged the West forward to have infringed the opposition number one.  West went close twice more before half time as Croasdale’s flick on found Penney who laid it off to Douglas whose curled effort just evaded the crossbar.  On the stroke of half time Shauna Edmondson saw a free kick from a narrow angle pushed away with the impressive Lyndsey Turner firing the rebound just wide.

The second half began much slower with the Vixens creating the half’s first chance as a long range effort just evaded the West crossbar on 48 minutes.  At the other end a West free-kick was deflected into the path of Penney but she was denied by a great save from goalkeeper Katie Jones.  From the resultant corner Lyndsey Turner went close again, this time kneeing over after a scramble inside the area.

West went closer still on 58 minutes when Bracegirdle was given room on the right only for her hard effort to cannon off the crossbar from the edge of the area.  Vixens took full advantage of this let off four minutes later as a perfectly curled free kick reached Paige Hewitt at the far post who turned it home.

West invigorated themselves and restored their two goal lead on 67 minutes with the best move of the match on the counter attack through Reeves. The West number 8 drove forward through midfield before picking out Bracegirdle on the right whose low angled ball to the far post was turned in by Penney after a lung bursting run to reach it.

There was no way back for Vixens with the home side growing in confidence they rang the changes. The fourth came with four minutes remaining as Jess Hartley’s corner found Nat Callaghan who took a touch before confidently firing into the roof of the net.  In stoppage time Callaghan added her second and ninth of the season, when she headed home at the far post from Edmondson’s pull back on the goal-line with the last kick of the game.

Team: Ormerod, Friel, Edmondson, J.Turner, Bracegirdle, Hodges, L.Turner, Croasdale, Reeves, Douglas, Penney.

Subs: O’Neill, Callghan, McFadyen, Carson-Parker, Hartley.

Goalscorers: Dogulas, Penney (2), Callaghan (2).

Player of the Match: Chaneece Reeves