Lichfield City Ladies Reserves 2-5 Port Vale FC Women

The Valiants put five passed Lichfield City Ladies Reserves making it three wins from their first three matches of the season.

The match did not start well for the Vale as they found themselves a goal down after five minutes when a Lichfield corner was converted at the near post.

But there was an instant response a minute later from the Valiants as Macy Isherwood was put through on goal and she slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.

At this point, the squad was galvanised as they got their second two minutes later from a corner with defender Naomi Sale-Hancock heading in from close range.

The Valiants didn’t let up the pressure as in the 17th minute Sophie Garratt’s ball through split the defence and the oncoming Isherwood was able to convert with a first-time finish into the bottom left corner.

The sustained pressure from the Vale was their downfall in the 30th minute as Lichfield broke away with the ball and after quick combinations down the right flank found a spare player in the box who put the ball passed keeper Connie Watts.

Isherwood was hunting for her hat-trick which almost came in the 34th minute when a cross from the right found its way to her in the six-yard box but her shot was blocked by the Lichfield keeper.

The half ended with the Vale ahead with a one-goal advantage, which did not accurately reflect the performance.

The first of the action of the second half came after 15 minutes when substitute and forward Elissa Dockerty outmuscled the Lichfield defender putting her through on goal, but her effort was straight at the keeper.

There was drama involving the forward two minutes later as she was seemingly sandwiched by two Lichfield players trying to get through on goal.

However, the referee did not give a foul for the incident and rather Dockerty was booked, and sin-binned for dissent towards them leaving the Valiants a player down for ten minutes. 

The crucial goal that the Vale was looking for came in the 69th minute when a free kick by Garratt from the right-hand side just outside the box was floated to the back post and captain Sian McHugh leapt highest heading the ball home.

McHugh almost had a moment of brilliance in the 80th minute when her first-time, outside-of-the-boot effort from outside the penalty area had the keeper scrambling across her goal but it was just wide of the post.

The contest was wrapped up in the 84th minute when Dockerty had the presence of mind to lay off strike partner Olivia Grocott whose first-time finish was glanced into the bottom right-hand corner.

More opportunities came in the game's closing stages to add to the Valiants goal tally, but none of them were converted and the full-time whistle saw Vale win their third game in three matches. 

Port Vale | Connie Watts, Lucy Moss (40’ Cassie Davies (45’ Daisy Anderson-Wright)), Jess Smith, Naomi Sale-Hancock (83’ Lucy Moss), Rosie Tomkinson (75’ Freya Jackson), Sian McHugh (85’ Amelia Whitehouse), Mollie Prime (75’ Cassie Davies), Sophie Garratt, Macy Isherwood (72’ Olivia Grocott), Amelia Whitehouse (40’ Tara Harrison), Olivia Grocott (40’ Elissa Dockerty)

(All subs used – roll on roll off for league games)