West Women hit double digits for the second time this season, and the first time ever in the NWWRFL, as they beat bottom club Wythenshawe Amateurs 10-0 under the Hollyhedge Park lights.
Before kick-off both teams posed for a photo wearing odd socks in support of Downs Syndrome Awareness. West made four changes from their 2-2 draw with Northwich Vixens and were able to welcome back goalkeeper Claire Jefferson, defender Katy Wilman along with midfielders Vicky Frisby and Jami Hodges. Chloe Spencer returned to the bench following injury whilst there was a first selection for 17-year-old Paige Chalmers; a new arrival from GMWFL side Urmston Meadowside.
The game’s first effort fell to the returning Hodges whose right footed effort was saved by the Wythenshawe goalkeeper on five minutes. West went should have opened the scoring on eight minutes as a beautiful cross field diagonal from Captain Shauna Edmondson picked out Sophie Bracegirdle on the right wing who beat her marker before cutting back to Rachael Dunlop whose near post effort flew just over the bar. Five minutes later Dunlop atoned for her miss as Bracegirdle was again released down the right, this time by Vicky Kerr’s diagonal, and the West number 9 made no mistake finishing first time from a central position.
The second goal arrived from the most direct of routes on 15 minutes as Jefferson’s long kick evaded the head of the Wythenshawe defender allowing Dunlop to race through and coolly placed her finish into the bottom right hand corner. A glut of goals followed as Shauna Edmondson turned home a Kerr corner at the far post on 22 minutes before Hodges made it 4-0 with a right footed effort across the keeper from the edge of the box after nice work in the box from the ever industrious Orla Conlon. The fifth arrived on 27 minutes as Dunlop found space on the right to cross in with Elizabeth Livesey on hand to force a hard effort home at the far post.
Wythenshawe were afforded some respite but Dunlop might have completed a first half hat-trick on 40 minutes when the number nine was denied by the outstanding Wythenshawe goalkeeper one-on-one. A sixth arrived just before half time as Hodges rounded off an impressive first half display by bursting down the left and pulling the ball back for Livesey to flick into the net for her second.
As the second half began the hosts did well to remain compact and limit West’s chances and created a couple of their own but couldn’t force Claire Jefferson into a save. The seventh took until the hour mark to arrive as Chloe Spencer cannoned a free kick in off the underside of the cross bar from the edge of the area.
West rang the changes introducing Vicky Lomas, Abi Littler and Paige Chalmers into the attack. Dunlop notched her fourth hat-trick of the season, as well as her 10th in the last five games, as Wythenshawe failed to clear a Kerr free kick and the West striker drilled in her 28th goal of the season. Jefferson was called into action to make a great save one-one-one to ensure a 11th clean sheet of the season.
The ninth came with two minutes remaining as Conlon released Littler down the right who burst down the right before pulling the ball back into the path of Chalmers who turned her marker before coolly slotting into the bottom corner. The 10th came with virtually the last kick of the game as Livesey converted a penalty having been tripped in the area. It was the strikers fourth hat-trick of the season as well as her 20th goal ensuring West returned to the top of the table on goal difference.
Team: Jefferson, Caddick, Wilman, Edmondson, Bracegirdle, Hodges, Kerr, Conlon, Frisby, Livesey, Dunlop. Subs: Spencer, Lomas, Littler, Chalmers. Subs Not Used: Fish.
Goalscorers: Dunlop (13, 15, 76), Edmondson (22), Hodges (24), Livesey (27, 45, 89p), Spencer (61), Chalmers (88).
Player of the Match: Rachael Dunlops
