West Bromwich Albion Women 2 (Davies 37, Murray 49)
Wolves Women 0
Report by Callum Doughty, photograph by Simon Faulkner.
In what was a feisty top-of-the-table clash, Wolves were unable to take their chances in a defeat which came courtesy of goals from Keeley Davies and Natalie Murray.
Despite the hosts having yet to lose a league game this season, it was Wolves who started the brightest.
The first real chance of the game fell to Jade Cross, who struck well from distance only to see her effort parried away by Scarlett Field in the West Brom goal, while Billie Haynes went close to connecting with the rebound.
Wolves then had a golden chance as Anna Morphet whipped in a free-kick which Tammi George was able to get her head to, but the ball flashed just wide.
West Brom began to grow into the game and had a good chance of their own through Harriet James. Her effort came crashing back off the post.
The hosts eventually got the first breakthrough of the game. Wolves failed to deal with a free-kick into the box, resulting in a penalty area scramble, before the ball fell to Davies who fired it home on the half volley.
George had another good chance to score just before the half-time break, but again she could only head over the bar.
Just minutes into the second-half West Brom doubled their lead. Gabbie Reid’s ball into the box found James; she turned and passed to Natalie Murray who slotted home past Katie Clarke in the Wolves goal.
Wolves began to pile on the pressure as they looked to get themselves back in the game but were denied several times by Field and were unable to find a breakthrough.
The result sees Wolves remain second in the table, while West Brom stretch their lead at the top to six points.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Wolves had started the brightest and with a bit more luck they could have taken the lead themselves, but it wasn’t to be and Davies’ opener for West Brom was the key moment in the game as it meant Wolves were put on the backfoot.
QUOTES
Manager Dan McNamara was disappointed with the result and said: “I thought it was a game of two halves; massively disappointing to come away with nothing, especially with how we started the game.
“I thought we were fantastic and causing them real problems in the first half, and then credit to Albion, we’ve said it all year, we’ve got to take our chances. When you don’t take chances, you always give the opposition an opportunity to score goals, and credit to them, they’ve had four opportunities I think and scored two of them.
“We were gaining confidence as the game went on and I think it was just a case of breaking the deadlock, and had we scored, I think the game would have gone in a totally different direction.
“But they’ve stayed in the game when we’ve had our 20-minute spells and they’ve come out on top, so no complaints, we’ve just got to learn from the mistakes and move forward.”
COMING UP
Wolves Women now return home for a match with Birmingham & West Midlands Ladies in the FA Women’s Premier League Division One.
NEXT FIVE
- 10/02 - Birmingham & West Midlands Ladies (H)
- 17/02 - Burton Albion Ladies (H)
- 27/02 - Sporting Khalsa Women (H)
- 10/03 - Nettleham (A)
- 13/03 - The New Saints (A)
TEAMS
West Brom Women | Field, Jewitt, George, Harper, Orthodoxou, Baines, Murray, Davies, James (Price), L Davies, Reid.
Subs | Sinclair, Johnson, Bevan, J Davies.
Wolves | Clarke, Widdal (Criddle), E Cross, Butler, Jones (Jennings) Barnett, George (Walker), Williams, Haynes, Morphet, J Cross.
Subs | Price, Wilkie.
