Chorley Women FC end record-breaking season with another win

Chorley Women travelled to the North East hoping to end the season on a high after being unable to find a win in their previous two fixtures. Chorley manager, Carmelo Ruggieri, made three changes to the starting eleven that lost away to Leeds United Women last time out. Two defensive changes saw Hannah Derbyshire came in at left back for Dids Parish and Isabelle Wade in for Ellie Cook at centre back. Chorley top goal scorer Molly Wood made way for Sophie Coward in attack.

There were warning signs early on for Chorley with league top goal scorer Bianca Owens finding herself through on goal in the opening minute. There were shouts for offside from the Chorley backline but the normally clinical Owens shot wide of the post anyway. Norton followed this pressure up a minute later with a free kick. It was Owens again who stood over the ball, but her shot was well held by Mollie Finch in goal. The opening 15 minutes evened out, with both sides experiencing decent spells of possession and some half chances.

Chorley’s best chance of the opening twenty minutes fell to Faye Stanhope after some promising build-up play. Safron Newhouse down the Chorley right lofted an inch-perfect cross into the centre of the Norton box that found Stanhope in space and able to get away an unchallenged header. Placed anywhere else it would surely have been a goal, but Stanhope’s header was aimed straight into the hands of Rachel Chisnall in the Norton goal.

Stanhope wasn’t ruing that missed chance for long though as she became the Chorley player to break the deadlock only five minutes later. A ball in from Iszy Binks found Stanhope in a great position in the centre of the Norton box. With time to bring the ball down and manoeuvre into a better shooting position, the young winger composed herself and smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Chorley grew in confidence after the opening goal with several chances falling their way. A Nic Worthington free kick fired in with some velocity was well saved by the Norton ‘keeper who was able to get down to her near post at speed to deny Chorley a second.

Although Norton did not see much of the possession after Chorley’s goal, when they did have the ball they were able to make use of it. A chance for Norton five minutes before half time kept Chorley on their toes, calling Finch into action. A long ball into the box was chased down by Norton with Finch running out courageously to claim the ball.

Stanhope’s goal was all that separated the two teams at half time with Chorley just 45 minutes away from securing their highest points tally in the FAWNL Division One North.

Chorley were slow out the blocks in the second half, with some sloppy play and misplaced passes causing them problems. Some careless passing from a quickly taken free kick and some good pressure from Norton to intercept saw Owens powering into the Chorley box, battling off Isabelle Wade chasing back. With Eve Marshall waiting in the box in space it seemed as if a well-placed cross would put it on a plate for the Norton number 21. Owens’s cross into the box however somehow went through Marshall’s legs and Chorley received a let off.

Chorley began to gain back some control after that Norton miss with both Stanhope and Worthington firing wide of the post within seconds of each other. Worthington had the ball in the back of the net twenty minutes later, but it was flagged for offside. An indirect free kick to Chorley on the edge of the eighteen yard box was lifted into the back post by Sanah Mehdi (on for Megan Parker), only to be cleared by Norton. The clearance however reached Iszy Binks who passed back to Mehdi who lifted another great cross into the far post. Worthington was there to meet it and the net billowed again, only for the referee to blow her whistle for offside.

It was two other substitutes who sparked some further chances on goal. Molly Wood and Taylor Gunn, replacing Stanhope and Coward, connected well to progress the ball into the box. Two near identical chances were created by Wood running at pace down the left and finding Worthington in the box. Worthington’s two shots however went over the ‘bar and past the post. Gunn meanwhile connected with Binks moments later, holding up the ball well and laying it off to Binks who shot from distance, her effort also going over the ‘bar.

Pressure from the substitutes eventually paid off with Chorley tying up the match with a second goal on the 90 minute mark. A ball out from Rachel Unsworth on the half way line was chased by Newhouse who beat her player and rounded Chisnall in goal who had come out to clear. Her cross into the box found Gunn who was momentarily dispossessed but regained possession after a short pass from Worthington to recover. Gunn’s attempted shot was smothered by Norton but the striker showed great battling to regain the ball and lay off to Wood who fired a shot high over the ‘keeper and into the back of the net.

As the referee blew the full time whistle, celebrations began with Chorley having secured a third placed finish in the FAWNL Division One North, seeing off a late challenge from Leeds United Women who finished in fourth. Two goals and a clean sheet rounded off a great team performance, summing up Chorley’s impressive season. Chorley Women FC finish the season on 43 points, bettering last season’s points tally by 18 points.

Chorley Women FC: Finch, Derbyshire (Parish, 66), Searson, Wade (Cook, 74), Parker (Mehdi, 60), Newhouse, Worthington, Unsworth, Stanhope (Wood, 80), Binks, Coward (Gunn, 74)

Subs: Parish, Cook, Wood, Mehdi, Gunn

Norton & Stockton Ancients FC Ladies: Chisnall, Coyle, Boyle, McGuire, Rae (Jamieson, 46), Burton (Cooke, 46), Tierney, Reed (West, 60), Owens, Atkinson (Dacombe, 65), Marshall (Brown, 65)

Subs: West, Brown, Dacombe, Jamieson, Cooke