Huddersfield 0 Wolves 2 (Bramford 40, Hughes 58)
Wolves Women made it back-to-back wins as goals in each half from Sophie Bramford and Amber Hughes secured victory at Huddersfield Town on Easter Sunday.
Bramford opened the scoring five minutes before the half-time interval, before Hughes scored her fourth goal in three games to double the advantage shortly before the hour mark. The Terriers were forced to play the final 21 minutes with 10 players following Charlotte Gill’s red card for two bookings, while Anna Morphet struck wide from the penalty spot and missed the opportunity for a third.
Dan McNamara made two changes to the side that won their tenth successive Black Country derby at Molineux, with Bramford and Beth Roberts coming in for Merrick Will and Destiney Toussaint.
Jade Cross, who was making her third league start in a row, came close to opening the scoring after just seven minutes as a Roberts ball into the box found her at the back post, but the striker saw her shot come back off the crossbar.
Bramford then struck an effort narrowly wide of the post after some good initial work from Tammi George found her fellow midfielder in space inside the area.
But, Bramford didn’t have to wait too long until she took advantage and broke the deadlock for the Old Gold. Beth Merrick’s excellent ball into the box caused a scramble and Bramford was on hand to smash home, despite a number of defenders looking to block on the line.
Half-time | Huddersfield 0-1 Wolves
Wolves’ second came courtesy of a player in fine goal scoring form, as Hughes rose highest in the box to head home from Morphet’s pinpoint cross.
Shortly after that, McNamara made a triple change with Layla Banaras, Liv Fergusson and Lexie Harrison all afforded the final half an hour of proceedings.
Huddersfield were reduced to 10 with little over 20 minutes remaining when Gill was shown a second yellow card for a foul in the middle of the park.
And Wolves looked to capitalise, as substitute Harrison did well to win a penalty after being brought down in the box. However, the ever-reliable Morphet stepped up and dragged her spot-kick wide of the mark as the score remained at two.
The visitors navigated their way through the final exchanges of the game, with Meesha Dudley-Jones and Ellie Wilson also brought on, as they maintained their position in fourth in the Northern Premier Division table.
Full-time | Huddersfield 0-2 Wolves
NEXT FIVE
03/04/24 – Stourbridge (A)
07/04/24 – Halifax (H)
14/04/24 – Fylde (A)
21/04/24 – Nottingham Forest (H)
24/04/24 – Derby (H)
TEAMS
Huddersfield | Hazelton, Stanfield, Ibbotson, McMahon (Nsangou 69), John (Brown-Simpson 84), Fields, Montgomery (Tiripke 46), Beresford, Mason, Gill, Proctor.
Sub not used | Joyce.
Wolves | Thomas, Morphet, George (Dudley-Jones 72), J. Cross (Harrison 63), Hughes (Fergusson 63), Holmes (Banaras 63), Johnson, Fryer, Roberts (Wilson 72), Bramford, Merrick.
