WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 9-0 STOURBRIDGE

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Clarets earn three points with dominant display

2025-01-26T16:57:38.462Z

WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 9-0 STOURBRIDGE

Clarets earn three points with dominant display

2025-01-26T16:57:38.462Z

Clarets earn three points with dominant display

Burnley Women ended their 70-day wait for a league match in style with an emphatic 9-0 victory over Stourbridge on Sunday afternoon.

Four first-half goals were followed by five more after the break on a wet and windy day at the County Ground, Leyland, with Anna Grey netting a brace as part of an action-packed display.

There were three changes to the side that started last week’s 5-0 victory over AFC Fylde in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup, with Kirstie Levell returning in goal.

Having come off the bench at half-time last week Rhema Lord-Mears was given a starting berth here, while Grey started to the left of striker Claudia Walker.

It took just nine minutes for Lord-Mears to open the scoring with a spectacularly curled finish into the top right corner from the left edge of the box.

Burnley dominated the ball and pushed forward at every opportunity, with Grey and Heidi Logan proving threatening on the left and right wings respectively.

WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 9-0 STOURBRIDGE - Image 1

Two goals in three minutes then gave Rebecca Sawiuk’s side full control and, following her brace at Fylde last week, it was Walker who made it 2-0 with 21 minutes on the clock.

Lovely link up play between Tilly Wilkes and Grey allowed the latter to cross for the number nine to sweep in from around the penalty spot.

Amelia Hazard was next to strike, reacting first to a loose ball in the area to take a touch and fire into the bottom left corner.

Stourbridge rallied and Georgia Marshall produced a strong block to deny a powerful effort from Olivia Ashfield, but Burnley were able to add a fourth before half-time.

After Logan was brought down, Wilkes fired the resulting free kick powerfully over the head of ‘keeper Harriet Grimshaw.

A planned change at the break saw Richards make way for Naomi Hartley and the Clarets started the second period in similarly dominant fashion.

Grey looked particularly threatening on the left, producing a lovely piece of skill to tee up Walker for a blocked shot before working Grimshaw with a well-struck close-range effort.

Logan then cut in from the right and grazed the top off the crossbar in what turned out to be her last involvement as she made way for Reanna Blades shortly before the hour mark.

WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: BURNLEY 9-0 STOURBRIDGE - Image 2

Grey then struck twice in less than two minutes to put the gloss on a classy display.

Her first saw her latch onto Brenna McPartlan’s through ball and pick out the bottom left corner, before being perfectly placed to tap in a Charley Docherty cross from six yards.

The second goal, which was Burnley’s sixth of the afternoon, was her last kick as she made way for Aimee Kelly and Bella Reidford later replaced Hazard in the middle of the park.

Kelly scored the seventh with a fantastic volley into the bottom right corner and it took top scorer Laura Elford just two minutes to make an impact after she replaced Walker.

Burnley’s number 29 owed a lot to Kelly, who made the composed decision to square the ball and allow her a tap in from close range.

The Clarets weren’t done there and added a ninth goal from the penalty spot with a minute to play. After Blades’ skill bamboozled the Stourbridge left-back, McPartlan swept the ball home from 12 yards.

Sawiuk’s side stay 3rd in the table but now have 28 points from 11 matches, with two games in hand on league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Burnley: Levell, Docherty, McPartlan, Marshall, Logan (Blades 58), Walker (Elford 75), Grey (Kelly 66), Lord-Mears, Richards (Hartley 46), Hazard (Reidford 71), Wilkes

Unused Substitutes: McAloon, Siddall

Stourbridge: Grimshaw, Harris, Tague, Walker, Griffiths, Clements (Bennett-Steele 71), Horgan, Hood (Clark 52), Embley, Ashfield, Cartwright (Maia 71)

Unused Substitutes: Ashton, Clearkin

Goals: Lord-Mears 9’, Walker 21’, Hazard 23’, Wilkes 45’, Grey 64’, 65’, Kelly 74’, Elford 78’, McPartlan 89’