WOMEN’S REPORT: LOUGHBOROUGH 2-6 BURNLEY

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Six of the best for Clarets women seal three points at Loughborough

2022-04-10T12:35:00.000Z

WOMEN’S REPORT: LOUGHBOROUGH 2-6 BURNLEY

Six of the best for Clarets women seal three points at Loughborough

2022-04-10T12:35:00.000Z

Six of the best for Clarets women seal three points at Loughborough

Burnley FC Women’s fine goal scoring record continued with a 6-2 win away at Loughborough Lightning Women in the FA Women’s National League North on Sunday afternoon (April 10).

Evie Priestley and Millie Ravening both grabbed braces on the day with Megan Dykes and Courtney Willis also on the scoresheet at the Loughborough University Stadium

Three changes were made to the Clarets side from last Sunday’s 7-0 win over Hull City Ladies, with Dykes, Dom Cooper, and Sarah Greenhalgh all in from the off.

Defender Mel Brown and midfielder Hollie Kelsh started on the bench while Lizzy Hamer missed out through illness.

First Half

Burnley started the quicker and could’ve been ahead within two minutes as Priestley was played through on goal, but saw a heavy touch take the ball out of her control.

Nic Worthington also had a free-kick deflected wide not long after before Sarah Greenhalgh broke through and took aim, though Loughborough goalkeeper Kiva Webb saved well.

Courtney Willis hit the post for the Clarets while Loughborough’s Laura Steele hit wide from range at the other end, though it was defender Dykes who got the opener on 18 minutes, heading home Dom Cooper’s corner.

Less than 60 seconds later, it would’ve been two but for a fine stop from Webb to deny Priestley, while Burnley ‘keeper and captain Lauren Bracewell was also called into action tipping over Steele’s dipping free-kick.

On 43 minutes, prolific scorer Ravening did double her side’s advantage though, and in some style. Latching onto Worthington’s cross from the right, the midfielder executed a bicycle kick to send the ball flying into the corner of the net.

Second Half

Following a relatively quiet period after the restart, Burnley thought they had a third with Sarah Greenhalgh heading home from a corner routine off the training ground, though the offside flag denied her and the Clarets.

On the hour-mark though, forward Priestley did extend the lead with a well-taken finish having latched onto Ravening’s dink over the top of the Lightning defence.

Two minutes later, the hosts pulled one back through captain Chloe Young who fired home from distance with Bracewell out of her goal having made an excellent sliding challenge to deny her opponents in the first instance.

From there on however, the Clarets dominated and pulled away on the scoreboard, deserving of their performance.

Ravening got her second on 65 minutes, meeting Dom Cooper’s corner to head in, while both Priestley and Willis saw numerous efforts saved by Webb before the fifth of the afternoon.

Eventually, it came on 85 minutes through Willis heading in Kelsh’s corner from the right, with the latter coming on from the bench earlier in the half.

WOMEN’S REPORT: LOUGHBOROUGH 2-6 BURNLEY - Image 1

And Burnley’s sixth and final goal came just two minutes later via Priestley who couldn’t miss from a few yards out as Kelsh won the ball high up the pitch and drilled across goal for her to tap in.

Hosts Loughborough did pull one back late on as substitute Anna Ranken converted having been slipped through on goal with the Clarets pressing hard for a seventh.

6-2 it ended though with Burnley earning a third consecutive victory. The women’s team next return to action on Thursday night – April 14 – away at Huddersfield Town with a 7:45pm kick-off.

Burnley: Bracewell (C), Dykes (Brown ’63), Wilson, Dani Cooper, Dom Cooper (O Greenhalgh ’77), Worthington, Ravening, Willis, Molinari (Thomas ’72), Priestley, S Greenhalgh (Kelsh ’58)

Loughborough: Webb, Hateley, Sharpe, Lowe, Morrison (Bonser ’72), Steele, R. Taylor (Gunn ’78), N. Taylor, Young (C), Middleton (Williams ’84), Richardson (Renken HT)

Unused Sub: Taft

Goals: Dykes, ’18, Ravening, ’43 & ’65, Priestley, ’60 & ’87, Young, ’62, Willis, ’85, Renken, ‘90+1