[B]oth Penrith AFC Ladies and Bury Ladies entered this with their unbeaten league records intact. Previous encounters between the two teams had been tight affairs with goals hard to comeby however todays game proved to be an entertaining end to end game with many goals aplenty to keep the sizable crowd warm on a bitterly cold day at Frenchfields.
Penrith started on the front foot and were pressuring Bury into mistakes. Penrith squandered early chances before being caught out on the counter attack by a clinical Bury attack (0-1).
Penrith regrouped and set about turning the game around. Their hard work and persistence paid off with 2 goals before half time. Firstly in the 35th min, Georgia Campbell followed up on a Penrith attack and as the loose ball rolled out to her she slotted the ball home. Then on 41 mins Sophie Nutter followed in on Nat Broad’s angled shot to force the ball home.
Ht 2-1
In to the 2nd half Penrith were pushed deeper and deeper as Bury gradually force them backwards.
Penrith were defending well and remained dangerous on the counter attack. Eventually in the 72nd min Penrith profited from a counter attack when Heather Fawkes rolled the ball through to Nat Broad who picked her place to score.
Almost immediately Bury hit back and made it 3-2 .
The game was now very open with both teams attacking freely and the game going from end to end.
Nat Broad restored Penrith’s 2 goal advantage on 80 mins when her free kick eluded the Bury keeper who was distracted by Penrith attackers in her eyeline.
Penrith made it 5-2 in the 88th minute and effectively sealed the win when Sarah Smith pinched the ball off a Bury defender and slotted the ball home.
Bury did score a further late goal but Penrith were well satisfied with the performance, win and a vital 3 points.
Ft 5-3
Next Sunday Penrith travel to face Preston NE Ladies.
Penrith : Lawson, Nelson, J.Williams(Han Fawkes), C.Smith, McCormick, Campbell(Hea Fawkes), Nutter(Johnston), Coulthard(Scott), Broad, Hopton, S.Smith.