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FC's Women close gap on top spot with victory over Heyside

With leaders Beechfield United and third placed Chorltonians unable to play their respective games due to waterlogging, FC United’s women, on the 3G at the Abraham Moss Centre, closed the gap to just a point and significantly boosted their goal difference with a 19-0 home victory over Heyside FC Ladies. The Reds still have a game in hand on leaders Beechfield United and go into the winter break in good spirits knowing that the destiny of the title is still in their hands.

Feiruz Abdullahi began the goalscoring spree in the third minute and notched a personal haul of seven in her 55 minutes of game time; setting a new ‘individual goals in a game record’ for FC United. Beth Hayes scored a hat-trick, Ainsley Strickland and birthday girl Shellby Wolstencroft bagged a brace each with single strikes coming from Amy Battel, Jess McCarrick, Charlie Evans and captain Kirsty Chambers on a rain-soaked afternoon in Crumpsall.

Heyside, having a limited squad available, played much of the game with nine players and had no more than ten on the pitch at any one time. Despite the deluge of goals against, they never gave up, played good football when in possession and in striker Lucy Shaylor had a goal threat of their own that was only thwarted by some resolute FC United defending. In all, Heyside Ladies were a credit to their club.

After a combined team photograph commemorating the centenary of the 1914 World War 1 Christmas Truce, United got the game underway but the nine of Heyside looked assured in possession in the opening exchanges. However, on three minutes Abdullahi broke the deadlock with the first of her seven goals and the first of the game as FC broke from the back through McCarrick. Abdullahi gathered possession and surged into the area firing a low powerful shot beyond Natalie Gregory in the Heyside goal.

On ten minutes Hayes combined well with Chambers, took a return pass and advanced on the area scuffing a shot from 20 yards which deceived Gregory and nestled in the net. After smashing an effort onto the bar Abdullahi had her brace on thirteen minutes and completed her hat-trick heading in a superb Chambers cross on the quarter hour. Shauna Ward, after earlier stabbing wide from a yard out, chipped Gregory with a goal of delightful finesse from 18 yards in the 19thminute.

Captain Chambers made it six on 22 minutes after a spell of pin-ball in the Heyside area. The ball spun outside the box and on the half volley with the outside of her boot Chambers fired into the top corner. Abdullahi bagged her fourth and the game’s seventh just before the half hour after a powerful run from Battel presented the striker with a close range effort that went in off the keeper.

Heyside striker, Lucy Shaylor, a late arrival and making the opposition’s numbers up to ten, settled into her stride quickly and found herself beyond the United backline only for centre half Nicole Worthington to deny her with an excellent recovering tackle. On the half hour, four-goal Abdullahi made way for birthday girl, Shellby Wolstencroft as United went three at the back pushing Strickland up front alongside Wolstencroft. However it was Shaylor who again threatened the United goal with Worthington thwarting the danger once more in their own personal dual.

Two goals in the last few minutes of the half, the first from winger Evans, cutting in from the right and slotting home comfortably and the next from Hayes, turning three defenders in close quarters in the ’D’ before caressing a shot over Gregory and in off the underside of the bar gave the Reds a 9-0 lead at the break.

Heyside were back down to nine players at the start of the second half and for the remainder of the game and it was United who began on the offensive with Strickland adding two goals to the tally shortly after the restart. Her first, a toe ended effort beyond Gregory from close range as she stretched first to the ball and her second a beautifully stunned chip with the outside of her foot from the edge of the area after latching onto a great through ball from Jess Tonge.

Hayes scored arguably the best of her three on 57 minutes curling a superb shot home from wide on the right and on the hour Wolstencroft made it 13 with a sublime scooped chip over the advancing Gregory. Shaylor tried two long range, speculative attempts on the FC goal without causing too much concern to the red’s custodian Mary Priestner.

Goal machine Abdullahi was reintroduced on 65 minutes and immediately back in action scoring her fifth, sixth and seventh goals in just a twelve-minute period with Wolstencroft also doubling her tally in the same blistering spell. Goals 18 and 19 were scored inside the last five minutes by defenders Battel, who deceived all scoring unconventionally off her left hip from a corner and McCarrick who slotted home three minutes from time. There was still time for Adora Yau to head narrowly wide and Leah Hartshorne to have a goal ruled out for offside and in the driving drizzle referee Slinger brought the afternoon’s action to a close.

A significant result on a number of levels for FC’s women and a fantastic fillip to the squad, staff and all supporters as we head into the winter break.

Report by Rob Fullen

Player of the game: Feiruz Abdullahi – in a game where all played their part, Feiruz, with a new club record for individual goals in a game, displayed a master class in close range finishing with intelligent runs in behind the defence all afternoon. With one effort hitting the bar and two others going narrowly wide, Feiruz could conceivably have made double figures on another day.

Teams 14th December 2014: Attendance: 34


FC United of Manchester Women: 19(9)


1. Mary Priestner (Goal Keeper)
2. Amy Battel (right back) (goal 85mins)
17. Jess McCarrick (centre half) (goal 87mins)
3. Nicole Worthington (centre half)
12. Jess Tonge (left back)
6. Shauna Ward (centre midfield) (goal 19mins)
7. Beth Hayes (centre midfield) (goals 10, 43, 57mins)
15. Ainsley Strickland (centre midfield) (goals 47 &49mins)
16. Charlie Evans (right midfield) (goal 40mins)
11. Kirsty Chambers (Captain, left midfield) (goal 22mins)
14. Feiruz Abdullahi (centre forward) (goals 3, 13, 15, 26, 69, 71, 77)
Subs:
9. Shellby Wolstencroft (for No14 30mins) (goals 60 & 76mins)
8. Adora Yau (for No11 46mins)
18. Leah Hartshorne (for No6 52mins)
Roll On Roll Off Changes:
No14 on for No15 65mins
No11 on for No16 73mins
No6 on for No7 73mins

Heyside FC Ladies: 0 (0)


1. Natalie Gregory
2. Hannah Wilson (Captain)
3. Katie Jones
5. Phoebe Dunn
7. Sarah Hardman
8. Ashleigh Beverley
15. Sophie Chester
18. Lauren Patterson
19. Beth Green
24. Lucy Shaylor
No 11th player available
Subs:
Non Available

Match Stats Courtesy of Paul Hinson:
Shots on Target: FCUM 31 Heyside 3
Shots off Target:FCUM 19 Heyside 2
Corners:FCUM 9 Heyside 0
Possession:FCUM 59% Heyside 41%

Referee: William Slinger
Venue: Abraham Moss Centre, Crumpsall.


First Posted ~ 23:30 Sun 14 Dec 2014
News ID ~ 5886
Last Updated ~ 01:52 Tue 16 Feb 2021