Wolves 2 (Hughes 44, George 77) West Bromwich Albion 0
Goals from Amber Hughes and Tammi George secured Wolves Women their tenth win in a row over Black Country rivals West Bromwich Albion on Friday night under the lights at Molineux.
After both sides pushed hard to craft chances in the opening half, the Old Gold found the opener a minute before the interval through Hughes, who powered the ball into the bottom corner to score in successive appearances.
Wolves doubled their lead with just over 10 minutes remaining through George, who very determinedly converted from close range. The visitors went close in both halves, but Dan McNamara’s side secured all three hard-fought points on a special evening in front of 2,725 fans at the golden palace.
West Brom worked a good move down the right flank just before the 15-minute mark, with the ball arriving at the feet of Ashlee Brown, who floated a cross to Olivia Rabjohn at the back post, but the midfielder failed to capitalise, and the Wolves backline cleared up the danger.
Beth Merrick then picked the ball up out wide in the 20th minute before driving into the box. With fans urging her to shoot, the winger obliged, but the goalward effort whistled over.
Midway through the opening half, Brown floated in another deep cross into the box for the visitors, and Simran Jhamat was at the back post to meet the ball, but her headed effort went wide of the post.
Just past the half-hour mark, the Old Gold went close to breaking the deadlock. George nodded the ball into Merrick's path in the box, but her volley went over the bar.
With only a minute remaining in the first half, George went on a superb powerful run through the heart of the Baggies midfield before laying it off to Hughes, who took a touch and drove a low shot into the bottom corner from inside the penalty area to gain control of the fixture before half-time.
⚡️ Power from Tammi George
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) March 23, 2024
🎯 Precision from Amber Hughes
Breaking the deadlock at Molineux 😍 pic.twitter.com/LR7Bi1s5n6
Half-time | Wolves 1-0 West Brom
The Baggies had the first opportunity of the second half when Delphi Cole was fed through on goal before unleashing an effort from close range, but Bec Thomas was equal to the chance.
Just past the hour mark, the Old Gold went within a whisker of doubling their advantage. The move originated from an Anna Morphet free-kick, which reached Katie Johnson, who from close range tried her luck, but the volley flew over the bar.
The visitors pushed for a leveller and went close with over 25 minutes remaining. Cole, was played through on goal and went one-on-one with Thomas, but she rushed out and kept the Old Gold's lead intact.
Wolves went close to a second in the latter stages of the tie when Merrick received a ball from Merrick Will in the middle of the park before driving to the edge of the box and getting a shot away, but the effort didn't trouble Anna Miller.
The Old Gold got their just rewards in the 78th minute when George doubled Wolves' advantage after a scramble in the box. The midfielder's first attempt was blocked, but after some perseverance, she found the ball again and, from close range, smashed it into the back of the net.
TG7 🤩 pic.twitter.com/TKIlM1p8Ng
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) March 22, 2024
The goal sealed all three points for Wolves at the golden palace and meant that Dan McNamara's side continued their winning run over West Brom, which has now reached double figures.
Full-time | Wolves 2-0 West Brom
NEXT FIVE
31/03/24 – Huddersfield (A)
03/04/24 – Stourbridge (A)
07/04/24 – Halifax (H)
21/04/24 – Nottingham Forest (H)
24/04/24 – Derby (H)
TEAMS
Wolves | Thomas, Morphet, George (Bramford 89), Will, J. Cross, Hughes (Fergusson 82), Holmes (Banaras 82), Johnson, Fryer (E. Cross 76), Toussaint (Dudley-Jones 61), Merrick.
West Brom | Miller, Brown, George, Orthodoxou, Newell, Loyden (Evans 76), Rabjohn (Crackle 90), Warner, Cole, Jhamat (Mahmood 45), Reavill.
Unused subs | Jones, Reynolds.
Report by Jordan Preece
