Willenhall Town 2 Tamworth 0
 
Willenhall Town got back to winning ways with a comfortable 2~0 victory over Tamworth.

Willenhall played in their all Navy away kit, due to Tamworth having to play in red.

They gave home debuts to four new players; Leila Hopkins, Paula Farley, Lesley White & Tara Martin all starting with Lizzie Plant, Rachel Kinsis & the out of form Di Baker relegated to the subs bench.

 

On five minutes Abi Riley went on a mazy run & the defender put the ball behind for a corner as Abi went to shoot, she had another chance on 9 minutes when she poked wide a Tracey Culloty cross.

The maverick Tracey Culloty who was having her best game since she joined the club had an audacious attempt, but fired over the bar from 35 yards.
Leila Hopkins shot wide on 21 minutes as Willenhall piled on the pressure & we should have taken the lead on 27 minutes, but Abi Riley scooped over the bar. Ex Wolves player Lesley White then went on a run on 33 minutes, but fired wide.

The sensational Sherrylee Boon brought down a Tamworth lady on 37 minutes on the edge of the penalty area & from the resulting free-kick, keeper Farley released Abi Riley who raced down the pitch & crossed to Lauren Jones who fired home a rasping volley into the roof of the net.

Tamworth headed their only real attempt over the bar in first half injury time.

 

Abi Riley set up Lesley White whose shot was pushed away on 46 minutes & Abi then had a shot kicked away by the keeper after some sloppy play by the Tamworth defence.

Rachel Kinsis replaced the below par Lauren Jones on 62 minutes & gave some fresh energy to the Willenhall midfield.

 

Abi Riley had a couple of chances to put the game beyond doubt but she fired wide & then saw a lob saved by the keeper. She then saw a shot saved on 78 minutes & fired the rebound wide.

 

Abi Riley soon made amends on 85 minutes when she rifled home past the visiting keeper to make it 2~0.

In the 7th minute of injury-time (largely due to the manager/linesman keep running on the pitch to disrupt the game) Abi Riley was taken out by the keeper in the penalty area & to the bemusement of everybody in the stadium referee Mr Churm failed to award a blatant penalty.

 
He admitted straight after the final whistle that although it was a definite penalty he did not want to give it as there was only 10 seconds of the game left.

Line Up-
Paula Farley, Stacey Parkes, Tara Martin, Sheerylee Boon, Lindsay Clews, Lesley White, Jo Byrne, Lauren Jones (c), Tracey Culloty, Leila Hopkins, Abi Rley.
Subs: Rachel Kinsis, Lizzie Plant, Di Baker

Subs Used: - Kinsis- Jones 62   Plant-White 90

Star Red: Leila Hopkins