Wakefield Owls FC Ladies 0-19 Knaresborough Town Women

The sun was out for Knaresborough Town Women’s third away game of the season; a visit to Wakefield Owls FC Ladies’ home at the Stanley Rodillians RUFC ground.

The squad is in good shape after the opening games of the league campaign, with only a small unavailable list due to illness, injury, and other commitments.

It only took five minutes for Knaresborough Town Women to get on the scoresheet. Beth Padgett shooting over the Owl’s keeper from the edge of the D to make it 1-0.

Boro’ continued to press, having settled into the game the quicker of the two teams.

Chances came quick and fast; Fatimah Lapin headed over the bar; Maddie Ashby forced a corner from a shot from within the box; Sarah Parkes headed wide; and Fatimah Lapin had another shot go over the goal.

In the eleventh minute, Rachel Carmichael shot from 25 yards out, up over the keeper and into the far corner to make it two to Knaresborough. (2-0)

Town were playing well, passing and moving around the pitch, probing the home defence to see what weaknesses they could exploit.

In the fifteenth minute a wonderful through ball to Fatimah Lapin, saw the lively attacker run in on goal and score the third of the afternoon. (3-0)

Chances continued to present themselves and the Wakefield stopper was making some brilliant saves to keep the visitors out. Over the next five minutes, Rachel Carmichael, Beth Padgett, and Lydia Corner had a number of chances each to increase the tally.

In the 22nd minute a decisive cross in from Maddie Ashby found its way to Fatimah Lapin, who crafted a chance from nothing to get a shot away on goal, forcing a brilliant save from the Owl’s keeper who pushed the ball around the post for a corner.

Indecision by the defenders from the resulting corner saw the ball pushed out of the box with Fatimah picking up the possession. She glided around the central defender and slotted the ball in past the keeper to make it 4-0.

It took until the 35th minute for the next goal to arrive. A throw-in to Town saw the ball played through to Fatimah, who evaded a defender, ran in on goal and calmly placed it past the advancing keeper to earn her a stunning hattrick. (5-0)

There was no respite for Wakefield as straight from the kick off, Eva Jenkins’ run took out two defenders and she slipped the ball through to Maddie Ashby who wasn’t going to miss her opportunity to score. 6-0 on 37 minutes.

Eva was on fire at this point, crafting a number of chances over the next few minutes but was unable to find the target.

In the 43rd minute, it was Lydia Corner’s turn to hit the back of the net. A run down the right wing and subsequent cross found Lydia on the left. She controlled the ball first time, looked up and curled it around the advancing keeper to make it 7-0.

There was still time for Eva and Hattie Robson to carve out half chances to score, however it was the number four, Jess Flynn who got on the scoresheet next. Hattie crossed from the right side of the penalty box to Jess, who guided her shot in from the edge of the box past the defenders and keeper to make it 8-0.

That goal was the last action of the first half. 8-0 to Town.

The home team had an enforced change at half time, with their keeper being forced off with a leg injury. A real shame as she had made some fantastic saves and certainly kept the score down.

If anyone thought that there would be any relaxing of the pressure by Boro’ in the second half, then this was immediately dispelled in the opening minutes as Town pressed forward and were awarded a penalty for handball.

Hattie Robson stepped up to take the spot kick. Placing it to the stopper’s right, the new keeper made a fantastic save to deny Knaresborough’s ninth of the game.

In the 54th minute, great play by Hattie down the wing led to a pass through to Emily Crispin. Emily controlled the ball with her right foot, turned and fired in past the keeper to make it 9-0.

Three minutes later Hattie was turning the home defenders inside out once more and her shot was parried away by the keeper to Chloe Hickson, who made no mistake, converting to make it 10-0.

It was Hattie and Chloe’s turn to menace the Owl’s defence, both running in behind the defenders to create chances. If that wasn’t bad enough for the home team, Eva and Fatimah were also having huge success on the ball.

In the 64th minute, panic as Eva chased down the defender, saw the ball put out for a corner kick. Rachel Carmichael took the corner and Eva forced the ball over the line from within the crowded penalty box. (11-0)

Eva then quickly made it 12-0 on 68 minutes with a flowing move started at the back by Ella Ritchie in the Town goal.

It was Wakefield’s turn to have a chance on goal, narrowly firing wide after winning a throw in on the left and passing the ball up into the penalty box.

From the resulting goal kick, Rachel Carmichael put in a fantastic through ball that either Hattie or Eva could have run on to. Hattie unselfishly left it for Eva, who ran through in on goal. Looking up once, the deadly striker slotted the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 13-0. A wonderful hattrick.

At this point, numerous chances were being created by the Town front players. But it took until the 78th minute for the next goal to arrive. Another great combination between Hattie and Chloe Hickson.

From a throw in, Hattie feinted past the defender and passed to Chloe who instinctively controlled the ball, looked up and placed it past the keeper to make it 14-0.

Eva added her fourth of the game in the 81st minute after a great cross by Maddie Ashby to make it 15-0.

Lucy Taylor added to the goal-haul in the 84th minute with a shot from the edge of the box to make it 16-0.

Hattie Robson got the goal her performance richly deserved in the 87th minute, gliding past a couple of defenders before placing the ball into the net past the keeper. (17-0)

Rachel then scored another outstanding goal in the 88th minute from well outside the box to make it 18-0 and in the final minute Eva scored her fifth goal, to cap off an outstanding performance and make it 19-0 to the visitors.

A thoroughly deserved result for Town as a dominant display is rewarded by some fantastic finishing.

The home team didn’t disgrace themselves, as they never gave up and continued to press forward when they could, and had several chances, including one that was put just past the post. At the final whistle, despite the score line the Owls still had smiles on their faces and we look forward to welcoming them to Manse Lane in the return fixture.

POTM Rachel Carmichael; GOTM Rachel Carmichael.

Goals: Maddie Ashby 1; Rachel Carmichael 2; Lydia Corner 1; Emily Crispin 1; Jess Flynn 1; Chloe Hickson 2; Eva Jenkins 5; Fatimah Lapin 3; Beth Padgett 1; Hattie Robson 1;
Lucy Taylor 1.

Match Report by Connor Doherty