Wolves 3 (Merrick 33 Greengrass 67 Hughes 90+4) Loughborough 2 (Greenwood 45 & 45+4)
Wolves Women left it late to earn all three points at home to Loughborough Lightning on Sunday afternoon.
Beth Merrick struck first with a superb low-driven half volley giving Wolves the lead, before a late first-half double from Doris Greenwood gave the visitors the lead heading into the break.
Charlotte Greengrass equalised with just over 20 minutes on the clock, before a dramatic last-gasp winner from Amber Hughes earnt the victory, sending staff and players rushing down the touchline in jubilation.
Wolves threatened from the off and Merrick was at the heart of the early pressure. First, whipping a low ball aimed for Greengrass who failed to convert with a tame effort.
Moments later, Alicia Grimmond prevented her side from going behind, producing a superb double-save to first deny Amy Sims who latched onto Merrick’s delivery, before stopping Greengrass’ close-range effort.
The visitors provided a threat despite the Wolves pressure, coming close through Ella-Mai Coutts, firing over the upright. Alex Brooks was later called into action to deny Charlotte Steggles from a tight angle.
Merrick’s afternoon was constantly on the ascend and she came close to the opener when her delivery crashed off the crossbar. However, she would not be denied a second time as she controlled a loose ball inside the penalty area and finished low and hard past Grimmond.
Against the run of play, Loughborough equalised on the stroke of half-time. Greenwood advanced down the right flank and caught Brooks off guard with an early strike, beating the Wolves goalkeeper in the process.
Wolves were further stunned heading into the break when Greenwood doubled her tally for the afternoon. The midfielder finished off a neat move with a low effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Half-Time | Wolves 1-2 Loughborough
Dan McNamara rang a double change at the break, introducing both Anna Morphet and Milly Robertson in hope for an instant response. However, it was Loughborough showing their might, continually frustrating the Wolves attack.
With Loughborough proving difficult to break down for large parts of the second interval, clear chances were few and far between for Wolves.
However, with just over 20 minutes on the clock, Hughes and Greengrass linked up well to provide Wolves’ way back into the game. Hughes beat her marker down the left flank and squared a ball across goal for Greengrass to prod home.
Greengrass had a sight of goal again, after neat work on the right side from Hughes and Lyndsey Harkin allowed the latter to deliver into the box. Greengrass met the cross with a glancing header, only for Grimmond to gather.
Merrick was next to try her luck, this time from range when she dropped a shoulder to beat her marker, but her fierce effort was met by Grimmond’s right glove to turn over the crossbar.
With stoppage time expiring, Hughes stepped up - as usual - and found the winning goal. A superb backheel from substitute Racheal Quigley played Hughes through on goal, with the forward coolly dispatching into the far corner to earn her side all three points at the death.
Full-Time | Wolves 3-2 Loughborough
LINEUPS
Wolves | Brooks, Harkin, Jenner (Morphet 46), Marshall, Roberts (Robertson 46), Anderson (Johnson 90+3), Sims, Worsey (Quigley 82), Merrick, Hughes, Greengrass (Cross 90+10).
Unused Subs | Thomas, Williams.
Loughborough | Grimmond, Hewitt (Ring 90+10), Cotton, Langford, Powell (Hogg 64), Collyer, Jacobs, Coutts (Szczech 83), Greenwood (Arber 90+5), Steggles, Mitchell (Wright 83).
Unused Subs | Naismith, Harris.
