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United's women end pre-season with emphatic victory over Curzon Ashton

Three weeks from the big kick off in their new league, FC’s women enjoyed an emphatic 9-0 victory over near neighbours, Curzon Ashton, in their final pre season fixture as the focus now shifts to the training ground for final preparations for the coming campaign.

The game proved the ideal opportunity for the reintroduction of Beth Tattersall, in her first outing (in the number 10 shirt she has made her own) since a horrific ankle injury, sustained in May 2014 against Middleton Athletic in the league cup final. With excellent support in her 15 month convalescence from physio Sue O’Brien and the club’s medical team; encouragement from family, friends, team mates, coaches and supporters and Beth’s own reserves of strength and determination, the occasion was poignant for all privileged to bear witness.

Curzon, playing in orange bibs due to a clash of kit, got the game underway but FC were on the front foot from the opening minute as Georgie Tindell and Charlie Evans threatened down the right flank. In the fifth minute keeper Demi Daniel thwarted Chloe Wild and Feiruz Abdullahi but the ball kept coming back and Shauna Ward broke the deadlock latching onto a clever through ball from Beth Scholey. Scholey herself doubled United’s lead on the quarter hour after a superb forward ball over the top from Chelsea Patient into the path of Abdullahi who squared to Scholey to blast home from eight yards.

Curzon’s first real effort on goal came half way through the half but was fired wide of Chloe Williams’ goal with the keeper launching United’s next attack leading to Abdullahi attacking down the left, cutting along the bye line and firing past Daniels from an impossible angle.

After good work down the left from Jess Tonge, the prolific number 14 had her brace and FC’s fourth on the half hour with an almost exact replica of her first goal seven minutes earlier.

The dangerous Chloe Wild, who had struck the bar earlier in the half, had her just reward scoring United’s fifth ten minutes from the break as she cut in from the left, bore down on goal and fired low past Daniel giving the excellent keeper no chance. Wild added a sixth just before the break as Kirsty Chambers slid a superb ball through for the striker to race onto and unleash a powerful strike, again giving the exposed Daniel no chance.

The start of the second half saw wholesale changes including the long awaited return of Beth Tattersall on the right wing. The number 10 rolled back the clock and was straight into the action penetrating effectively at pace down the right and feeding Shellby Wolstencroft whose shot was well saved by Daniel in the Curzon goal. Daniel was to prove Wolstencroft’s nemesis all half denying the striker with brilliant saves on numerous occasions for the remainder of the afternoon.

Meanwhile, ten minutes into the half, Tattersall surged down the right from her own half, riding three challenges and drawing a foul in the area from the keeper with referee Warner pointing straight to the spot. After some debate, Beth Hayes stepped up and slotted the ball coolly into the bottom left corner wrong footing the keeper.

Chambers wrapped up the afternoon’s scoring with goals in the 67th and 78th minutes; the former being a powerful 25 yard strike that Daniel could only help into her own net at full stretch and the latter being a searing eight-yard effort after carrying the ball 20 yards from midfield with a typically decisive, direct turn of pace.

Report by Rob Fullen

Players of the game: Chloe Wild - new to the squad and pacey out wide and down the middle, linking well with team mates and causing problems for Curzon’s defence; scoring a first half brace in the bargain. Jess Tonge - enjoyed one of her best displays at left back and proved effective in defence whilst using the ball to good effect when prompting attacks.

Teams 16 August 2015: Attendance: 102

FC United of Manchester Women: 9 (6)
1. Chloe Williams (Goalkeeper)
8. Georgie Tindell (right back)
2. Fran Davies (centre half)
5. Chelsea Patient (centre half & Captain 1st half)
12. Jess Tonge (left back)
6. Shauna Ward (centre midfield) (Goal 5 mins)
18. Leah Hartshorne (centre midfield)
3. Beth Scholey (centre midfield) (Goal 15mins)
16. Charlie Evans (right midfield)
15. Chloe Wild (left midfield) (Goals 35 & 44mins)
14. Feiruz Abdullahi (centre forward) (Goals 23 & 30mins)
Subs:
4. Hannah Dobie (for No18, 46mins)
7. Beth Hayes (for No3 46mins) (Goal 54mins [Pen])
8. Olivia Gannon (for No8 46mins)
9. Shellby Wolstencroft (for No14 46mins)
10. Beth Tattersall (for No15 46mins)
11. Kirsty Chambers (for No16 38mins & Captain 2nd half) (Goals 67 & 78mins)
17. Jess McCarrick (for No11 46mins)
Roll on Roll off:
On No15 for No10 67mins
On No3 for No6 70 mins
On No18 for No4 76mins

Curzon Ashton Ladies: 0 (0)
1. Demi Daniel (Curzon’s player of the game)
(Full team sheet not obtained)

Referee: Graham Warner
Venue: Broadhurst Park, Moston, Manchester



First Posted ~ 13:49 Mon 17 Aug 2015
News ID ~ 6327
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021