Ladies 3 Wallsend BC 1

One of the great Town Ladies team performances in recent history was witnessed at The CNG Stadium as Town looked to build on the recent 8-0 victory over South Shields.

Town  started the game well and within five minutes, Sophie Tinson was on hand to finish off a fine move down the right wing that included contributions from Beth Clayton, Beth Davies and Lindsey Whitton, whose inch perfect cross was met by Tinson, following an explosive run into the box.

However, the Town faithful were soon to see why Wallsend top the table as they responded with a number of promising moves – the game swung from end to end with Kelly Jackson rock solid behind her back four and the Whitton-Tinson dynamic duo up front causing constant problems for the Wallsend defence.

Chances came and went at both ends but it would be Wallsend who made the pressure pay – a long range effort was well saved by Jackson diving full length, but the resultant clearance fell conveniently at the foot of a Wallsend attacker - 1-1.

Town Ladies are made of resilient stuff, and they were straight back up to the other end forcing the Wallsend keeper to make a number of quality saves, but then came the crucial breakthrough.

Wallsend played a short ball out of defence, Tinson closed down the Wallsend defender in a flash, dispossessing her, evading two tackles then sliding the ball wide for Rosie Gill to drive home from ten yards.

Advantage Town and though Wallsend responded well, they found the Town back four of Georgia Marsden, Becky Wilson, Grace Foyer and Rach McDonald in imperious form, concentration levels at 100% for the entire 90 minutes.

The partnership between Foyer and McDonald looks to be improving game by game and Davies and Clayton worked hard to nullify the Wallsend threat in the midfield engine room.

Half time came and went with Town in the ascendency and they came out in the second half in similar mode to the 1^st half and the first 20 minutes was constant pressure at the Wallsend end with Gill a constant threat down the right flank – it was from a beautiful flighted cross from Gill that resulted in a stunning Whitton header that crashed against the upright, but 2-1 was always going to be knife edge territory and the next goal would prove to be crucial.

Then followed Wallsend’s best spell of the game, a 15 minute period where the Town goal game under real pressure but Jackson and her defence weathered the storm though the Town defence were happy to see a long range Wallsend shot rebound off the upright, with Foyer on hand to clear.

Hollie Smith, Tinson and Gill had run themselves into the ground and made way for Em Crispin, Elisha James and Grace Adams, substitutions that would have an impact on the game with Crispin providing fresh energy in midfield and Adams ready to hold the ball and look for that defence splitting pass.

The last 15 minutes saw Town back in the ascendency and it fell to the irrepressible Whitton to latch onto a precise through ball from Adams and place a crisp drive wide of the keeper.

3-1, game over and a victory that takes Town Ladies to 2^nd position in the NERWFL Premier League table, the highest position they have ever achieved.

The post-match atmosphere was one of quiet confidence as Town now face a double header against York City on consecutive Sundays with the opportunity to close the gap further on Wallsend.

Player of the match was awarded to Jackson, though it could have been awarded to any one of the 15 player squad – a memorable game and a great result for Town Ladies.