[BFC SITE] Match Report | Barnsley FC Women v Cheadle Town Stingers

Barnsley FC Women were handed their first defeat of the season on the Oakwell Showcase Pitch, falling to a 2-1 loss to Cheadle Town Stingers in a performance which displayed plenty of attacking promise in spite of the outcome.

The Reds had their first chance of the game after five minutes, when Ruby Jex-Oldfield put an excellent cross into the box from a corner kick, however, Jodie Gregory could not reach the ball in time, and it was collected by the Cheadle ‘stopper. A similar corner kick two minutes later was headed away from the goalline before Gregory could head home.

The visitors were not without their own chances, however, and after nine minutes, Reds keeper Becky Flaherty was forced to dive for a long shot from Cheadle forward Porteous-Williams which was aimed well wide of the target. The Barnsley defensive line continued to hold firm, with the trio of Betty Cheetham, Steph Rigby and Melissa Turton-Burrell linking well to lock out any potential runs into the box.

Flaherty was forced to dive once more after 17 minutes, displaying outstanding reflexes to deny Cheadle winger Gillan in a one-on-one opportunity. This spurred a response from a resurgent Reds’ outfit, and Wilcock produced an goalbound cross from a subsequent counter attack which was blocked by an opposition defender. Wilcock came close again in the 34th minute, hitting a curling free kick from 35 yards out which the opposition stopper did well to collect under pressure.

Reds’ keeper Flaherty also dived well in the 41st minute to deny an advancing Cheadle counter-attack, diving at the feet of the incoming forward. Two minutes later, Freya Walton came close to an opener when her shot from just outside the area was caught by the opposition. The remainder of the half passed largely without incident, meaning that Barnsley FC Women went into half time with the score goalless, but with plenty of positives to draw on ahead of the second 45.

HALF TIME: Barnsley FC Women 0-0 Cheadle Town Stingers

The Reds came out of the blocks in the second half, pressing well in the final third and putting the Cheadle backline under severe pressure in the opening minutes. Madison Foye got the better of the opposition full back a minute into the half, but was dispossessed in the area before she could put in a shot.

Foye came close again two minutes later, responding to a long ball from defence by Cheetham, wrong-footing her marker and hitting a shot which deflected out for a corner kick. Gregory then had a great opportunity in the 53rd minute, beating the Cheadle defensive line with a run into the box, but was unable to properly control her shot, which was aimed wide of the target.

However, it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the 57th minute. Responding to a Reds’ forward move, Cheetham was dispossessed on the left hand side of defence, with Gillan making a run into the box and hitting a powerful shot which Flaherty could not do a great deal to prevent.

Following the restart, Barnsley pushed hard for an equaliser, and ten minutes after the restart in play, they had a great chance, when Lauryn Wilcock managed to win an aerial battle just inside the box, producing a header which was directed just over the bar. Cheetham also came close in the 75th minute, producing a shot within the box following a corner kick which was saved by the Cheadle stopper.

However, the visitors continued to press, and they managed to produce a second goal after 78 minutes, with the forward Houghton managing to get onto the end of a shot amidst an attacking melee in the area, placing her effort past Flaherty.

Barnsley FC Women continued to push in the closing minutes in an effort to reduce the visitors’ advantage, with Kim Brown coming close with four minutes left of normal time, with a curling shot on the right side of midfield from 30 yards, which forced a parry from the Cheadle Town ‘keeper.

And it was the forward Wilcock who found the breakthrough in stoppage time, picking up the ball in midfield and hitting a stunning effort from 20 yards out to pull one back from the Reds. And although the Reds continued to push in the closing minutes, employing a high press which saw the remainder of the game played in the opposition half, they were not able to find an equaliser, and they suffered their first loss of the season.

FULL TIME: Barnsley FC Women 1-2 Cheadle Town Stingers

Barnsley FC Women XI: Flaherty (GK), Evans (C), Rigby, Gregory, Foye (Biggins, 65), Wilcock, Cheetham, Jex-Oldfield, Walton (Brown, 79), Millard, Turton-Burrell

Subs not used: Ridsdel-Harrison (GK), Barraclough, Chincharo

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