Winsford ladies team were ready to do battle on Sunday against AFC Liverpool and they didn't dissappoint.
The ladies started brightly and looked the stronger side right from the start. Winsford were in fantastic form and completely dominated the first half, with Hanna Hewitson and Vicky Jones on the wings, and Emma Hazel and Ashley Kerr up front, they caused the Liverpool side all manner of problems. But the Liverpool side were resilient and it took Winsford 20 minutes before they broke the deadlock.
The opening goal came from Hanna Hewitson, following an inch perfect through ball from Sarah Lee. Hewitsons pace had been causing the Liverpool defence major problems throughout the first half, but this time Hewitson's perfectly timed run down the right wing, left her through and clear, with just the keeper to beat. As Hewitson ran into the Liverpool box, the keeper came out to meet her run, but Hewitson slid the ball home, right underneath the Liverpool keeper.
Winsford's second goal was very similar to the first, and came just a few minutes later, except this time the captain Emma Johnson was the provider and Lee was the scorer, following a superbly weighted through ball from Johnson, who was in fantastic form. Johnson tackled a Liverpool player and won the ball, she then ran forward with the ball and threaded the ball through the Liverpool defence. Lee was already at full pace and picked the ball up and left the defenders standing flat footed. It was just a case of beating the keeper, which Lee did with confidence and expert precision, putting the ball past the Liverpool keeper.
The ladies weren't finished there and with just a couple of minutes left of the first half, it was Danielle Lydiate's turn to beat the keeper, which she did with amazing skill and power. Lydiate picked the ball up in the Winsford half and just as she crossed the half way line, she looked up and unleashed an unstoppable shot, which just dipped under the bar to beat the Liverpool keeper.
The second half was just the same for Winsford, with the exception of only scoring one other goal. The Liverpool side made it very difficult for Winsford to break them down, by keeping everyone behind the ball.
The Liverpool strikers were kept very quiet throughout the match, with them only managing three shots between them. This was due to a great deal of effort from the Winsford mid-fielders in the centre, Danny Lydiate and Sarah Lee. But lets not forget the Winsford back four, of Leanne Hudson, Elizabeth Asken, Emma Johnson and Kathryn Hulme, who were undoubtly in amazing form.
The fourth and final goal of the game came from a corner, which Hewitson delivered perfectly. Following a fumble from the Liverpool keeper, it was a bit of a scamble for the ball, as the Liverpool defenders tried desparately to clear the ball from their goal line, but unfortunatley it wasn't to be. Jones tried a cheeky back heal to beat the keepr, but the last touch fell to Asken, who tapped the ball home.