WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 6-0 AFC FYLDE

Clarets book place in LFA Women’s Senior Cup final

Burnley Women booked their place in next month’s Lancashire FA Women’s Senior Cup final with a 6-0 victory over AFC Fylde on Sunday afternoon.

Amaya opened the scoring in the first half and Dom Cooper doubled the advantage, before four goals in the last 11 minutes sealed a fine win on a wet and windy day at Darwen’s Anchor Ground.

Rebecca Sawiuk made seven changes from the starting XI against Birmingham City in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup last weekend, with Lucy Farrell replacing Kirstie Levell in goal and Gracie Prior, Danielle Deehan and Dom Cooper coming into the defence.

Bella Reidford started in centre-midfield, with Evie Priestley starting to the right of Ginny Lackey in attack.

First Half

A measured start to the game saw the first chance of note arrive in the ninth minute. Making her first start for the Clarets, Lackey fired the ball across the box but Priestley couldn’t quite arrive in time to make contact.

The breakthrough came just six minutes later, when Amaya curled the ball over Fylde keeper Liz Craven and into the top right corner from the left edge of the box.

Farrell was called into action for the first time on the half hour, getting down quickly to her left to stop a cross deflected off Deehan going into the bottom corner and, from the resulting corner, Lois Moore headed over.

The last action of the half came with 42 minutes on the clock. Farrell parried a shot from range but Prior produced a fine last ditch-tackle to preserve the lead.

Second Half

It was 2-0 seven minutes after the restart when Cooper’s wide free-kick found its way through the packed penalty are and into the net with the help of a Fylde defender.  

Leah Embley, Millie Ravening, Tilly Wilkes and Laura Elford were all introduced on the hour and with 79 on the clock the goals started to flow, starting with halftime substitute Brenna McPartlan who reacted quickest to tap in from six yards.

Embley then cut the ball back from the byline for Elford to find the roof of the net and Burnley’s number 10 turned provider for Priestley to finish in similar fashion three minutes later.

The scoring concluded on the stroke of full-time when McPartlan grabbed her second of the game, doing well to beat the Fylde ‘keeper low to her right.

The Clarets will now face West Didsbury and Chorlton in the final, with the aim of retaining the trophy having beaten Darwen Ladies 9-0 in last year’s decider.

Next up is a trip to Nottingham Forest in the Northern Premier Division of the Women’s National League on Sunday 28th January. Kick-off is 2pm.

Burnley: Farrell, Prior, Marshall, Deehan (Wilkes 62’), Cooper, Hamer (Embley 62’), Reidford, Priestley, Lord-Mears (Ravening 62’), Amaya (McPartlan 45’), Lackey (Elford 62’)

Unused Subs: Levell

AFC Fylde: Craven, Thomas, Hammill, Strutton, Davies, Rowe, Siddell, Binks, Samson, Moore, Devereaux

Subs: James, Taylor

Goals: Amaya 15’, Cooper 52’, McPartlan 79’, Elford 84’, Priestley 87’, McPartlan 90’