Wolves Women 2 (Anslow 23, Criddle 89)
Guiseley Vixens 1 (Shepherd 11)
By Callum Doughty
The win means Wolves extend their run to four games unbeaten, after drawing their last three, and gives them a lifeline for survival in the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division.
Despite starting the game on the front foot, Wolves saw themselves fall behind as they failed to clear their lines. After a scramble in their box the ball eventually fell to Guiseley attacker Emily Heckler who prodded home to give the visitors the lead.
Wolves continued to have the upper hand after they went behind and had two penalty appeals waved away by the referee.
Billie Haynes then went close but her shot was saved by Lauren Joyce in the Guiseley goal before Courtney Jones’ free kick from distance whistled just wide of the post.
The hosts were soon level, Jen Anslow’s cross from the left looked to pick out Jade Cross but instead looped up over the goalkeeper and into the net to give Wolves the goal their play had deserved.
Guiseley almost retook the lead straight away as they swung a corner in and it clipped off the top of the crossbar before going behind. Wolves then began to pile on the pressure once again, two Anslow corners went close and a Haynes strike from the edge of the area was tipped wide.
The second half began in the complete opposite fashion to the first; Wolves started on the backfoot but were able to ride the Guiseley pressure. Chloe Williams and Charlotte Criddle then went close as Wolves looked to find a winner.
With just a minute of normal play to go, Wolves won a free kick from around 35 yards out. Criddle stepped up and fired the ball over the Guiseley goalkeeper to give the hosts all three points.
Wolves Women manager Dan McNamara said: "I thought we were very good in the first half, second half I don’t think we were as good but I don’t care about any of that today. The girls deserve that.
"We’ve just got to keep this momentum going. That ‘impossible’ is now slowly turning into the possible.’’
*Next Sunday sees Wolves Women entertain Derby County Ladies at Bilston Town FC (2pm kick-off).
WOLVES | Clarke, Anslow, E.Cross, Price (C), Butler, Whetton, Jones (Meeson), J.Cross, Williams, George, Haynes (Criddle) SUBS: Whitehouse, Davies, Howard
PICTURE | Simon Faulkner
