AFC Fylde Women earned a valuable point on Sunday after a thrilling 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion Women at Kellamergh Park.
In the first of three successive home games, the Coasters picked up their first point of the season following an enthralling contest that featured some spectacular finishing by both sides.
Jack Garside’s ever-improving team could have claimed all three points if they had been able to convert more of their chances in front of goal. Ultimately, the Coasters had to settle for a share of the spoils against Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s Albion side.
Fylde started on the front foot as skipper Sasha Rowe tested Albion goalkeeper Lucy Jones with a low drive that Jones managed to palm away.
The visiting Baggies tried to work an opening from a set-piece in the 18th minute when Lucy Newell teed up Steph Watson, who saw her initial effort blocked before her rebound was skied over.
Moments later, Fylde threatened again when Ginny Lackey swept the ball out wide to Lily Murphy, who darted inside from the left and fired towards the near post, only to be denied by a smart save from Jones in the visiting goal.
Murphy made no mistake with her next attempt as she gave the Coasters the lead in the 21st minute. Racing onto Rowe’s defence-splitting through ball, Murphy coolly finished past Jones with a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net.
Finding more joy down the left, Murphy fashioned another chance in the 25th minute when she sprinted past several Albion defenders, drove into the area, and fired a shot narrowly over the crossbar.
After an impressive first-half showing, the Coasters went into the break with a one-goal advantage.
Half-Time: AFC Fylde Women 1-0 West Bromwich Albion Women
The Baggies were rejuvenated in the second half and drew level within minutes after the restart. Receiving a pass on the right, Olivia Rabjohn turned neatly inside the box and bent an exquisite shot into the top corner. It was a sublime finish by Rabjohn to beat Liz Craven in the Fylde goal.
With just over a quarter of an hour remaining, the Baggies went ahead when substitute Jannelle Straker took aim from the edge of the area and arrowed an unstoppable strike into the top right corner for what seemed to be the winner.
The Coasters had other ideas, however, as Lackey scored a sensational equaliser minutes later to make it 2-2 in the dying embers of the game. Collecting the ball inside the centre circle, Lackey produced a moment of magic with an audacious lob from the halfway line that sailed over the retreating goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
On the cusp of full-time, Fylde survived a late scare when the Baggies were awarded a penalty after Phoebe Warner tumbled under a challenge just inside the area.
Fran Orthodoxou’s resulting penalty kick cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar before Orthodoxou converted the rebound with her second touch of the ball. The referee correctly disallowed the goal and awarded an indirect free-kick to Fylde as a result.
The Coasters managed to see out the draw and will now look to build upon this positive result with back-to-back home games in the coming weeks.
Full-Time: AFC Fylde Women 2-2 West Bromwich Albion Women
Next up, the Coasters are preparing for a midweek fixture under the lights at Kellamergh Park when they host Liverpool Feds WFC on Thursday, 12th October, with kick-off at 7.45 pm.
AFC Fylde Women: Craven, Binks, Hamill, Strutton, Thomas, Siddall, Rowe, Heria (55’ Beresford), Samson (60’ Bickett), Lackey, Murphy
Unused substitutes: Dunn, Devereaux
West Bromwich Albion Women: Jones, Bennett-Steele (61’ Brown), Green, Newell, George, Evans, Orthodoxou, Rabjohn (71’ Dudley-Jones), Warner, Mahmood (61’ Straker), Weston (61’ Cole)
Unused substitute: Miller
Report by Scott Jones.
