WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: STOKE CITY 1-5 BURNLEY

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Ruthless Clarets dispatch the Potters

2024-09-01T16:51:44.908Z

WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT: STOKE CITY 1-5 BURNLEY

Ruthless Clarets dispatch the Potters

2024-09-01T16:51:44.908Z

Ruthless Clarets dispatch the Potters

A fine team performance saw Burnley Women maintain their perfect start to the season with a 5-1 victory over Stoke City on Sunday afternoon.

Laura Elford continued her fine start to the season with another two goals, while Anna Grey, Charley Docherty and Aimee Kelly were also on target at Clayton Wood Training Ground.

Head Coach Rebecca Sawiuk made three changes to the team that started our last league game against Stourbridge, with Jade Richards replacing Georgia Marshall at the heart of the defence.

Tilly Wilkes was introduced at left-back, while Elford’s League Cup hat-trick against AFC Fylde during the week was enough to earn her a start.

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK: A GUIDE TO THE WEEK AHEAD - Image 2

Elford continued that form from into this one, opening the scoring just seven minutes in after great work from Anna Grey down the left.

The striker then turned provider for Docherty, who picked out the bottom right corner for her third goal of the season with 16 on the clock.

Stoke grew into the game and halved the deficit through a Roisin Kivel shot that found the net with the help of a deflection just after the half hour.

The hosts were reduced to 10 shortly after, though, with Sophie Thompson dismissed for violent conduct and Burnley made them pay with a third goal before halftime.

Two summer additions linked up as Grace Palmer crossed for Grey to score her first Burnley goal from close range.

Elford netted her second of the afternoon and seventh of the season after the break, showing great tenacity to net at the second time of asking following a quick counterattack led by Docherty.

ELFORD LOOKING TO UTILISE HOME ADVANTAGE AGAINST STOKE - Image 2

Sawiuk then turned to her bench and brought on Claudia Walker, Rhema Lord-Mears and Kelly.

The latter had an immediate impact, getting on the end of a Richards cross to score with her first touch less than a minute after coming on to make it 5-1.

Burnley were unrelenting and pushed forward at every opportunity right until the final minute, with Walker coming closest to adding a sixth but being thwarted by a fine save from ex Claret Lauren Bracewell.

The team have now taken the maximum points from their opening three league matches and sit 2nd in the table, behind Rugby Borough on goal difference.

Next up is a home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday 8th September. Kick-off at Turf Moor is 2pm.

Burnley: Levell, Docherty (Logan 78), Siddall, McPartlan, Palmer (Lord-Mears 63), Grey (Kelly 72), Richards (Marshall 82), Hazard, Hartley, Wilkes, Elford (Walker 59)

Unused Substitutes: McAloon, Blades

Stoke City: Bracewell, Thompson, Molinari, Holder, Higginbottom (Cook 60), Kivel (Cole 60), Priestley (Watson 60), Stamps, Ravening (Wilcock 77), Suttie, Reavill

Unused Substitutes: Hobson, Nelson, Tudor

Goals: Elford 7’, 57’, Docherty 16’, Kivel 31’, Grey 36’, Kelly 73’