Wythenshawe Women 1 (Johnson 58) Wolves 7 (Quigley 4 & 52, Loydon 9, Worsey 32, Greengrass 35, Willams 85, Hughes 88)
Wolves Women advanced to the knockout stages of the Women’s National League Cup, after a comprehensive victory Wythenshawe Women saw Dan McNamara’s side finish the group stage with a perfect record.
A relentless performance in Greater Manchester saw Wolves score seven times, with six different goal scorers, to confirm top spot and an opportunity to winning the knockout stage cup.
Racheal Quigley and Abi Loydon both found the net in the opening ten minutes before Louanne Worsey and Charlotte Greengrass chipped in with their efforts in the latter stages of the first half.
Quigley tapped in her second of the afternoon before Wythenshawe’s Alicia Johnson grabbed a consolation. In response to conceding, Chloe Williams found the bottom corner before Amber Hughes netted her 99th goal for Wolves.
It took McNamara’s four minutes to find their first goal of the afternoon; Anna Grey surpassed her marker before Quigley tapped in from close range.
Loydon then doubled Wolves’ advantage in the ninth minute when she picked up a loose pass from Chelsea Patient and tapped the ball into an unguarded net, with Allison Cress rooted away from her goal.
Wythenshawe attempted to reduce the deficit when Katie O’Gara’s long-range effort struck the crossbar, but Wolves managed to clear the danger and on the following turnover Greengrass struck the outside of the post.
McNamara’s side were constantly hunting for a third goal and it goal came when Worsey’s powerful strike found the top-right corner from inside the area.
Momentum was completely in favour of the Old Gold and Greengrass’ clinical finish into the bottom corner added another goal to her tally and Wolves had four.
Half-time | Wythenshawe 0-4 Wolves
Despite the scoreline, Wythenshawe showed resilience when Jasmin Limb’s header cleared the target from point-blank range.
Then, Quigley secured her second of the afternoon when Chloe Williams’ low-driven cross found the Australian two yards from goal to tap the ball home – a mirror image of her first strike.
Alicia Johnson reduced the deficit with an audacious effort from the centre-circle, but Williams quickly responded on the turn to add a sixth goal for Wolves, with her delicate strike hitting the side-netting.
Minutes later, substitute Amber Hughes added an eighth and final goal after dancing past her marker and finishing clinically.
Full-time | Wythenshawe 1-7 Wolves
Wolves | Thomas, Harkin (MacPhail 60), Marshall, Grey (Sims 85), Loydon, Greengrass, Quigley (Hughes 75), Johnson (Matthews 60), Roberts, Williams, Worsey (Merrick 46).
Unused subs | Brooks, Jenner.
Wythenshawe | Cress, Boulan, Patient, Johnson, Chambers (Ritchie 53), Bradley (Higginson 17), Osvath, Limb (Pracy 53), O’Gara, Rowntree, Halligan.
By Thomas Gibson
