Women Suffer Defeat to Stoke

By Peter Westwood

Wolves Women 1 (Jones 23)

Stoke City Ladies 4 (Asher 7, Hyde 16, Keryakoplis 45, McCoy 67)

After their County Cup exit last week, Wolves Women's return to league action saw them fall to a 4-1 defeat to Stoke City Ladies.

Stoke had a great early start when Kate Asher got on the end of a cross to head home past Laura Parsons in the Wolves goal and take the lead after just 7 minutes.

In the 13th minute Wolves had their first chance of the game after a floated corner found Captain Anna Price but her header went just over the bar.

Stoke doubled their lead 3 minutes later from a corner as Cassie Hyde headed home.

Wolves were awarded a free kick in the 23rd minute from just outside the box and Courtney Jones thundered the ball into the net to get them back into the game.

Wolves were energised by the goal and pushed on, but suffered a blow in the 28th minute as striker Jade Cross was forced off through injury, and was replaced by Charlotte Criddle.

In the 40th minute Wolves had a great chance to equalise as Emma Cross pounced after a mistake at the back by Stoke. She played the ball to Criddle, but her shot was saved by the keeper.

Stoke then got a third on the stroke of half time after Hannah Keryakoplis rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into an empty net to make it 3-1 to Stoke.

Wolves started the second half with more vigour and had an early chance after a free kick was floated in by Criddle, but despite several opportunities to put the ball into the net, Stoke managed to clear it.

Both teams were having spells of possession, but not creating any concrete chances. Then in the 67th minute Faye McCoy's shot from outside the box beat Parsons to make it 4-1.

Wolves looked for an instance response, but Criddle's shot went just wide.

Manager Dan McNamara then brought on Kirstie Bavington and Tammi George for Price and Criddle, but Wolves weren't able to create anything more as the game ended in a 4-1 defeat.

McNamara said: "We were good in spells; we played against a very good Stoke City side and it was a battling performance. The goals just came from set pieces and individual errors which we can cut out of our game, so we have to take that as a massive positive.

"We just have to keep going, keep on believing and stick together and we will come out on top".

WOLVES | Parsons, Meeson, Anslow, Price (Bavington), Widdal, Butler, Whetton, Jones, J.Cross (Criddle) (George), Williams, E.Cross

Subs not used: Hakeman, Haynes

PICTURE | Alex Meeson