SEASON REVIEW: WOMEN PART TWO

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Part two of our season review of Burnley FC Women's 2022 campaign...

2022-06-01T13:21:01.056Z

SEASON REVIEW: WOMEN PART TWO

Part two of our season review of Burnley FC Women's 2022 campaign...

2022-06-01T13:21:01.056Z

Part two of our season review of Burnley FC Women's 2022 campaign...

JANUARY

Having played out just two league games in two months to end the previous year, the Claret women began 2022 with an action-packed January.

Refreshed and re-energised, the team meant business in the New Year and made that clear from the get-go with a strong 3-1 win up in the North East against Middlesbrough.

Then came a 6-1 victory against Sheffield FC Ladies at the County Ground in Leyland, propelling them up the scoring charts. After the turn of the year, Burnley averaged 3.83 goals per game across their 12 FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division outings.

Between the league fixtures in January, there was also time for the Clarets to enter the Lancashire FA Women’s Challenge Cup. Having received a bye in the first round and walkovers in both the second and third, Burnley entered at the quarter-final stage.

Chorley provided a stronger test than some may have expected, racing into a two-goal lead, before the Claret women fought back with four unanswered goals to progress to the last four.

Only a disputable penalty in the dying embers denied the women a win at home to AFC Fylde in midweek, ending in a 2-2 draw, though a statement three points at home to then league-leaders Derby County with a 1-0 win a few days later was the perfect tonic.

One of the most memorable moments of the season for the result alone, Hollie Kelsh getting the winning goal added extra value having returned from numerous heart surgeries to get back on the pitch.

FEBRUARY

Contrastingly to the previous month, February brought zero game time for the Claret Women, who had a full month without any matches.

MARCH

There were no signs of rustiness when the action resumed on March 2 though, just the nine goals scored against Fleetwood Town Wrens Ladies without reply to reach the final of the LFA Women’s Challenge Cup.

The goals continued to flow and even eventual league winners Wolves couldn’t stop the train when they came to town. A 3-0 win and three points put them to the sword for the only time in the regular league season, an achievement in itself.

A midweek trip to Brighouse Town ended in a 3-1 defeat, though that was the only loss suffered by Burnley after the turn of the year, another highly impressive statistic.

Defender Olivia Wilson was the sole scorer for the Clarets on the night, and after a weekend off, she played her part along with the rest of the side in bouncing back as best as they could do…by winning the LFA Women’s Challenge Cup trophy.

AFC Fylde were the opponents at the County Ground, a side above Burnley in the league at the time. Striker Evie Priestley added another two to her collection in a 4-1 win as the Club won that piece of silverware for the first time.

Four days later, it was back to league action in Leyland with Stoke City the visitors and again, Priestley got on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win this time.

APRIL

Continuing their fine form, the side - now under the care of ex-Everton Head of Academy Coaching Sean Lundon until the end of the season - thumped Hull City Ladies 7-0 at home.

On the road, they also stuck six past Loughborough Lightning in a 6-2 victory with Meg Dykes getting the ball rolling as she headed home her sole goal of the campaign.

The only goalless draw of the season then came away at Huddersfield Town in another midweek affair where captain - and goalkeeper - Lauren Bracewell pulled off some fantastic saves.

Ten days later in the Midlands though, it’s fair to say that the credit would have to go to her outfield teammates who stuck eight without reply past West Brom, a side who had beat them in the reverse fixture on Halloween.

Millie Ravening hit a hat-trick at Sutton Coldfield Town FC’s Central Ground while Sarah Greenhalgh, Nic Worthington, Lizzy Hamer, Evie Priestley, and Olivia Wilson also all scored one each.

That also meant that of the nine single digits (1-9), only one (five) hadn’t been hit by the Claret women across the course of the season.

MAY

It could well have come in the final game of the season as Burnley played host to an already-relegated Middlesbrough side, 5-1 up with three minutes left after Dom Cooper had got herself on the scoresheet early on and Priestley hit a hat-trick in addition to another stunning strike from Worthington.

Free scoring and relentless right until the end however, striker Thomas popped up with a goal off the bench to make it 6-1 and 70 league goals for the season between the squad.

Those three points secured a fourth-place finish in the Northern Premier Division of the FA Women’s National League in the Claret women’s third season at this level. That also backed up by the addition of the Lancashire FA Women’s Challenge Cup picked up for the first time in the Club’s history.

With the appointment of Jonathan Morgan as the team’s new Head Coach now also confirmed ahead of next season, the future looks bright for Burnley FC Women both on and off the pitch.