PNEWFC 2 ROCHDALE AFC LADIES 1

The two teams met for the second time in a week having played midweek in the League Cup competition. This fixture had resulted in a 4-2 victory for North End with Ali Hastie scoring for Dale, their other goal being courtesy of an opposition defender.

Gemma Watson, Jenna Carroll and Alice Forshaw with a brace had been on target for the Lilywhites.

In this league encounter North End got off to the best possible start with striker Sam Cadwallader opening the scoring with just 8 minutes on the clock. Emily Hutton extended the lead early in the second half with Steph Bell obtaining a late consolation goal for Dale.

The game started evenly but North End soon had the upper hand when right winger Melissa Ball crossed for Cadwallader to fire home. Steph Bell then fired on target and wide with a Taberner free kick for the home side being cleared by Dale. On 23 minutes Emily Hutton forced Dale keeper Entwistle to tip clear for a corner which was headed wide by the North End captain Berry. At half time the home side therefore maintained their 1-0 advantage.

At the interval Wendy Booth replaced the injured Bailey. With only 3 minutes gone Hutton extended the lead running some distance with the ball before firing across Entwistle.

On 52 minutes Riley’s free kick was safely gathered by Le Gros in the home goal. A Dale corner was then cleared by the home defence after somewhat of a scramble.

Just after the hour mark Stacey Daniels took to the field of play replacing Siobhan McElhinney,. The team then went to a 4-4-2 formation in search of a goal to get back into the game with Daniels joining the hard working Shirley up front, Bell and Walsh working the central midfield area. A Vicky Charnley header went wide of the mark from a Jones corner with a Burtonwood free kick being cleared. Despite now pressurising the North End backline Dale could not find a breakthrough but came close on 75 minutes when Riley’s free kick hit the crossbar then bounced to safety. Daniels then headed wide. Hamer and Traynor both tested Le Gros but it was five minutes before time when she was beaten with Bell’s shot from distance finding the net. Dale searched for an equaliser and a share of the points with Hamer’s cross being met by Jones who saw her effort go over. With the referee blowing the final whistle Dale were left disappointed not to have got something from the game and must now look towards the bottom of the table clash next weekend against Rotherham.

Preston North End WFC – Sophie Le Gros, Jenny Wooton, Vikki Eastwood, Alison Taberner, Jenna Carroll, Melissa Ball, Emily Hutton, Carla Cleworth, Sam Cadwallader, Hannah Bailey, Sarah Berry.

Subs – Wendy Booth, Becci McGrath, Olivia Millington, Kerry Nickson.

Rochdale AFC Ladies – Naomi Entwistle, Joanne Traynor, Vicky Charnley, Sophie Riley, Lyndsey Burtonwood, Siobhan McElhinney, Michelle Walsh, Steph Bell, Sarah Jones, Patrice Shirley, Lizzie Hamer

Subs – Kim Seddon, Ashley Grindrod, Stacey Daniels.