Wolves 2 (Merrick 15 & Hughes 44) Stoke City 1 (Cole 51)
Wolves Women secured another victory in the FAWNL as they held on to beat Stoke City Women 2-1 at SEAH Stadium.
Amber Hughes scored her 100th goal in Old Gold after setting up the opener for Beth Merrick to bundle home.
The result is a repeat of when the two sides met in August in the FAWNL Cup – Hughes scoring a winner on that occasion too.
The visitors started on the front foot with Merrick blocking Shannon Stamps’ free-kick before Alex Brooks was called into action, comfortably claiming a headed effort from Abby Clarke.
Dan McNamara’s side fashioned an early chance of their own in the 14th minute as Katie Johnson’s incisive pass found Louanne Worsey. The winger’s cut back found Hughes who narrowly fired wide of Harriet Grimshaw’s near post.
However, just one minute later, the Old Gold did find the back of the net through Merrick, who continued her superb scoring form.
Lyndsey Harkin drilled a pass down the right-hand side, finding Hughes, and the forward unselfishly fired the ball towards Merrick, who bundled the ball into the goal to put Wolves ahead.
The hosts threatened to double their advantage as the game reached the half-hour mark. Merrick’s 25-yard free kick thundered off the crossbar before being cleared by Dominique Cooper to relieve the pressure for the Potters.
However, Hughes netted her milestone goal just before half-time. a brilliant piece of Wolves play afforded her some space in which she unleashed a powerful shot past Grimshaw.
Jubilant scenes followed as the entire team gathered around the forward, celebrating her 100th goal in 113 matches.
Half-time | Wolves 2-0 Stoke
The Potters were the brighter side after the interval and were awarded a penalty in the 50th minute after Abbi Jenner was deemed to have fouled Stamps. Delphi Cole stepped up and fired past Brooks from the spot.
Evie Priestley was the next to test Brooks as Stamps played her teammate in behind, but the former was unable to beat the goalkeeper from 20 yards out.
The Old Gold tried to respond to the increased pressure applied to their lead, but a Wolves attacker did not meet Merrick’s pass into the area in the 57th minute.
A scrappy game followed as neither side could fashion a notable opportunity. Both teams introduced substitutes in order to change the outcome of the encounter at SEAH Stadium.
Stoke were dealt a blow as Priestley was sin-binned with just under ten minutes to go before Ruby Scott was sent off for handling the ball from Hughes’ shot.
However, Merrick’s resulting penalty was saved by Grimshaw – the Stoke goalkeeper correctly dived to her right-hand side.
Wolves did well to repel any further Stoke attacks and held on to the victory in Telford.
Full-time | Wolves 2-1 Stoke
Wolves | Brooks, Harkin, Marshall, Hughes, Greengrass (Williams 77), Johnson, Sims (Anderson 68), Roberts, Jenner, Merrick, Worsey (Quigley 77)
Unused subs | Thomas, Cross, Loydon, Hiscox
Stoke | Grimshaw, Molinari, Wilson, Cook (Reidford 51), Scott, Deering, Cole (Kennerly 77), Clarke (Wilkinson 69), Cooper, Priestley, Stamps
Unused subs | Farrell, Hughes
By Harry Cooper-Smith
