Fylde Ladies kicked off their Premier League campaign in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 victory over promoted Leicester City at Mill Farm.

Two goals either side of the break ensured a winning start for Luke Swindlehurst’s side in their first ever competitive match as part of the AFC Fylde family.

The first chance of the afternoon fell to Lagan Makin when she met Danielle Young’s right wing cross at the back post however her drilled left footed effort was narrowly off target.

Fylde number nine Emily Heckler header goalwards moments later but it was comfortable for Vanessa Kinnerly in the Leicester goal.

There was a moment of panic for the visitors when Makin challenged for a loose ball in the area with the goalkeeper stranded. Thankfully for Leicester, Chan Robinson was there to clear off the line.

Fylde were piling on the pressure in the early stages and captain Charlotte Farrell nodded just over from Makin’s dangerous corner. Beth Stanfield hit a rasping drive on 12 minutes in that hit the side netting as the Coasters searched for an opener.

Leicester had their first sight of goal when Kim Farrow found space in the box but her shot was easily held by Danielle Brown.

Despite enjoying the lion’s share of the chances, the first goal was proving elusive for Fylde and the unmarked Heckler really should have turned home Stanfield’s deep cross.

The deadlock was deservedly broken on 20 minutes when Fylde winger Makin controlled the ball just inside the Foxes box and lashed home past a helpless Kinnerly.

Makin spurned a glorious chance to double the advantage on the half-hour mark when she was played clean through on goal but fluffed her lines and fired wide.

The Coasters had the ball in the back of the net five minutes later when Heckler poked the ball underneath the goalkeeper from Eve Kennerley’s delightful throughball but the summer signing from Huddersfield was adjudged to be offside.

Fylde added a second goal with the last kick of the first-half, Natasha Flint finding a yard of space on the edge of the area before coolly slotting into the bottom right hand corner.

The hosts took just four second-half minutes to add a third goal when Farrell powered a header from Makin’s inswinging set-piece into the bottom corner.

Fylde were completely in control as the clock ticked on, with England star Flint dictating play, but they were struggled to create many further chances to add to their healthy lead. Makin fired a speculative effort from 20 yards but Kinnerly held well.

Leicester fashioned a rare scoring opportunity with ten minutes to play when a deep cross found Jade Benford however she was thwarted by stopper Danielle Brown on the line.

Flint almost added her second in the final few minutes of the match and was unlucky to see her stinging strike fly narrowly over the bar.

The midfielder went closer still when she was slipped in by Makin and only a fantastic save prevented a fourth goal.

However Flint wasn’t to be kept at bay for much longer. The ball fell kindly to her 20 yards out and her fine first-time strike flew into the bottom left hand corner to seal the three points.

 

Fylde Ladies: Brown, Wilkes, Farrell, Stanfield, Young (Adams 74), Kennerley (Tynan 69), Heckler, Flint, Makin, Forster (Walker 84), Carroll.

Att: 310