Match Report | AFC Telford United Women 0-0 Port Vale FC Women

The Valiants drew in a hard-fought contest against Telford United and gained their first point of the New Year.

The opening six minutes saw the Valiants work the best opportunities of the first half as Macy Isherwood was denied by the Telford keeper from close range.

A minute later Olivia Grocott had the chance to open the scoring but her effort from within the penalty area was just wide of the post.

The Valiants were let off in the 8th minute when keeper Connie Watts misjudged the ball played through to Telford’s right winger and was beaten but the effort found the side netting from a tight angle.

Chances came thick and fast early on as Tara Harrison found the ball from Isherwood’s drive toward goal but blasted the ball over the bar.

Naomi Sale-Hancock who had defended well for the Valiants in the early stages almost added the clinical touch for the opening goal but her header from a corner was beyond the Telford goal.

In the 53rd minute, there were appeals for a penalty after Grocott fell between two Telford players in the box, but the referee was unmoved. 

There was some great link-up play between Isherwood and Grocott four minutes later as Grocott’s through ball was held up well by Isherwood who returned the ball back to her strike partner whose shot from outside the area went wide. 

It seemed that Telford had broken the deadlock in the 60th minute when a chaotic corner had the ball heading toward the Vale goal but Jess Smith cleared off the line to keep the score level. 

Watts was the saviour for Vale five minutes before the 90 as she made herself big and did enough to deflect a shot onto the post, stopping an almost certain goal. 

Port Vale | Connie Watts, Lucy Moss, Naomi Sale-Hancock, Jess Smith, Mollie Prime (67’ Daisy Anderson-Wright), Sian McHugh, Sophie Garratt, Cassie Davies, Olivia Grocott (58’ Elissa Dockerty), Tara Harrison (73’ Amelia Whitehouse), Macy Isherwood (76’ Olivia Grocott).