Match Reports 26 Sep 2026
Frustrating draw for the Ladies 1s whilst the Ladies 2s win and the Ladies 3s happy with their draw.
Alderley Edge 1 2-2 Fylde 1
Fylde HC Ladies 1s travelled to Alderley Edge on Saturday for what is always a high-intensity and competitive fixture, and this encounter proved to be no different.
Fylde started the game strongly, immediately putting Alderley Edge under pressure and forcing them back into their own half for much of the opening quarter. The midfield trio of Jasmine Carey, Grace McGarvey and Lisa Perry worked tirelessly to win possession and move the ball forward, with plenty of quality deliveries being played into the Alderley D. Despite the pressure and chances created, the hosts held firm to keep the score level.
Fylde continued to look dangerous and were rewarded early in the second quarter when they broke quickly on the counter-attack. Jessica Wharton showed her pace and skill, driving the ball through the centre of the pitch before calmly setting up Rebecca Worthington, who made no mistake with a first-time shot into the Alderley goal to give Fylde the lead.
Alderley Edge responded by creating a few opportunities of their own, but Katie Barker and the Fylde defence stood strong to keep the hosts at bay and protect their advantage going into half-time.
Fylde had to wait until the 52nd minute to double their lead. A well-worked penalty corner routine saw Lisa Perry find Victoria Rukin with a well-directed hit across the D, with Rukin getting the crucial deflection to send the ball into the side of the Alderley net and make it 2–0.
The final quarter saw Alderley Edge come out with renewed intensity, putting Fylde under significant pressure and forcing a number of turnovers. The hosts were awarded a controversial penalty flick after the officials deemed Barker to have fouled an Alderley player, and the resulting flick was converted to bring the score back to 2–1.
Fylde remained determined to manage the game and see out the result, with experienced defenders Lucy Partington and Victoria Rukin keeping their composure as the pressure mounted. Jasmine Smith, Rosie Atkinson and Sophia Murray battled at the back for every ball, throwing themselves into the challenge as they worked hard to keep Alderley at bay. Further forward, Sophia Melling, Stephanie Heaps and Nicky Kellett matched that effort with relentless running looking for opportunities to win the ball back and give Fylde an outlet under pressure.
With five minutes remaining, Alderley Edge removed their goalkeeper in search of an equaliser, while Fylde were reduced to 10 players following a yellow card. Despite throwing everything into defending their lead, Alderley found a way through on 68 minutes, threading a ball to a lone forward who finished to bring the score level at 2–2.
The final whistle brought a frustrating end to what had been a thrilling battle, with Fylde understandably feeling disappointed to have seen a two-goal lead slip away so late in the game. However, there were plenty of positives to take, with every player giving their all both on and off the ball throughout a fiercely contested 70 minutes.
A hard-fought point on the road, and a performance Fylde can build on.
Golborne & Prescot 1 0-1 Fylde 2
Fylde travelled to Golborne hoping to build on a positive performance from the previous week and welcomed a number of additions to the squad who had stepped up from Fylde 3s.
Golborne got off to a strong start which saw Fylde having to defend a number of PCs. However some great saves from goalkeeper Emily Byers and good work from the Fylde defence prevented Fylde from conceding. Fylde started to settle into the game with some good work down the right between Donna Hurd, Fran Moore and Kiera Tomes forcing a Golborne hit out. Camilla Wyles pounced and managed to turn the ball over at the top of the D, gain possession and it was only going one way with her trademark reverse shot hitting the back of the net at 21mins.
Half time saw a reset and Fylde knew that it would require lots a composure to keep the upper hand in the game. Some good work by the attackers forced a series of Fylde short corners with Dawn Child getting a touch at the right post to score. However this was overturned by one of the umpires for apparently hitting a Fylde foot (VEO will be checked). With the pressure still on at only 0-1, Fylde managed to soak up some more Golborne pressure with goalkeeper Emily Byers making a string of fine saves. Fylde did have some more chances. A great run down the right by Kiera Tomes hitting the baseline and pulling it back saw Tilly Hodgkinson have a shot however it went wide. Fylde had to dig in the last few minutes with some great midfield work from the likes of Hermione Edwards and Fran Moore until the final whistle.
Well done to the whole squad for their work-rate and composure in what turned out to be a feisty game.
Player of the Match - Emily Byers 👏🏻
Full time Golborne 0 - Fylde 2s 1
Winnington Park 1 0-0 Fylde 3
Fylde 3s delivered an outstanding performance on Saturday, showing great determination to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against a strong and well-structured Winnington Park 1s team. Securing a clean sheet and a point was a brilliant effort, especially while trying to stay calm and focused through decisions.
The work rate across the whole squad was fantastic. Upfront, Issy Gut constantly put the defence under pressure with her sharp positioning and quick pace. In the wide midfield areas, Alys Williams, Alice Bunday, Sadie Atkinson, and Emily Finney linked up smoothly, passing well to move the ball quickly up the sides of the pitch.
In the centre, Bea Hodgkinson and Liv John-Haslam and Abbie Warburton controlled the tempo of the game with excellent ball control, winning key tackles and driving the team forward. The defence stayed disciplined to keep Winnington Park off the scoresheet, and a special mention goes to Bea Hodgkinson, whose great performance in midfield earned her a well-deserved Player of the Match!
Longridge 2 6-3 Fylde 4
The Ladies 4’s lost 6-3 to Longridge 2’s despite a hat-trick from Hollie Guthrie.
Clitheroe Blackburn Northern 3 4-3 Fylde 5
Fylde struggled to make it into the attacking half in the opening stages, allowing Clitheroe to put the pressure on. Clitheroe eventually found the breakthrough to make it 1–0.
Clitheroe then broke through our defence, despite Elizabeth Porter, Samira Baki, Sienna Kitson and Faith Mcgillivray, and found themselves one-on-one with Faye Jackson, player of the match, who produced an incredible save to keep Fylde in the game.
With just five minutes remaining in the half, Fylde used strong midfielders with Leah Richmond, Amelie Horabin and Lola Cooper. Esme Bradley found the back of the net for Fylde to bring the score level at 1–1.
Then, in the final minute of the half, Penny Atkinson won a penalty flick and calmly secured it, giving Fylde a 2–1 lead going into half-time.
Clitheroe used their experience to their advantage, while Fylde used our youth and speed ,with Imi Todd, Matilda Thompson and Freya Wood, to create a competitive second half.
Clitheroe managed to find the net twice to turn the game around and put themselves 3–2 ahead.
Fylde continued to fight, and Esme Bradley scored her second of the game to bring us back within one, following a great bit of work from Eleanor Bullough, who battled to create the opportunity and provided the assist.
Despite a strong effort from Fylde right until the final whistle, Clitheroe held on to finish the game 4-3.
A frustrating result and unlucky not to come away with at least a point on the table, but plenty of positives to take from the performance.
Fylde 6 1-0 Lancaster & District Development
Fylde 6s first game of the season saw us at home against Lancaster & District Development Team. The weather was glorious, making it a perfect day for our team kicking off the season with a hard-fought 1–0 victory.
With the opposition only arriving with ten players, we felt it was only fair to match their numbers and play ten against ten, particularly as we had already loaned them two players to help ensure the game could go ahead - thanks to Heather Appleyard and Sophia Taylor for being on loan. The match was played in great spirit throughout.
From the first whistle, the Fylde team applied consistent pressure and created numerous scoring opportunities, moving the ball well and pushing forward with intent. Despite our attacking efforts, the opposition’s defence (our very own Heather) and goalkeeper proved difficult to break down.
Despite two unsuccessful penalty flicks for Fylde the team held strong. The breakthrough finally came in the 69th minute when Eloise Russell found the back of the net after an excellent assist from Tilly Best. It was a well-worked goal and proved to be the decisive moment of the match, securing a much deserved victory for the home side.
It was a fantastic team performance from Fylde 6s, with great communication and excellent teamwork on display across the pitch. Considering we have not all had a great deal of time playing games together, the understanding and cohesion shown by the squad was particularly impressive. Everyone involved should be very proud of their performance and of the result.
Fylde 1 2-4 Ulverston South Lakes 1
Despite a win in their opening league fixture Fylde Men 1’s were somewhat worried about the visit of Ulverston South Lakes after seeing their 11-0 scoreline against the other team who had been promoted from Div 4N alongside Fylde. However, the game turned out to be a relatively even contest, albeit a tough encounter.
It was Fylde who happened to score first, after winning a short corner, Duke Jones’ straight strike just managed to squeeze under the diving goalkeeper.
Ulverston put the Fylde defence under a lot of pressure, but with solid tackling by Schalk de Wet in central defence, aided by Pete Latimer, Henry Brogden, Ed Jefferson, Phil Weir, and some key saves from Craig Nutter in goal, they kept them at bay.
There was robust tackling all over the pitch and after a verbal warning to both teams from the umpires it was Phil Weir who was the unlucky recipient of the first of many green cards awarded for a mistimed tackle just after the warning.
Ulverston won several short corners, and from one of them a shot on goal hit Schalk de Wet’s foot and so a penalty stroke was awarded, which was converted to leave the score 1-1 at halftime.
Ulverston went ahead in the second half when an opportunistic shot from a tight angle at the edge of the D managed to squeeze into the goal on Craig Nutter’s near post.
Fylde were undeterred and continued to cause difficulties for Ulverston with the attacks from Charlie Oliver, Oli van Rijn, Fin Odell and Duke Jones. Several short corners were won but squandered by misfiring routines.
A Fylde defensive clearance was intercepted, leading to an Ulverston striker entering the D and evading the last defender, then finding his spot in goal to make it a 3-1 lead.
Fylde weren’t yet beaten, fought back and there was a goalmouth scramble in the D, the ball hit a foot before being hit into the goal, but the whistle had already gone for a penalty stroke. Duke Jones stepped up and although it looked like the Ulverston had guessed the right way and saved it, somehow the ball got through and into the goal making it 3-2, and 5 minutes for Fylde to find an equaliser.
Unfortunately Ulverston’s defences held firm and in fact they counter attacked, winning a short corner from which a switch led to a hit which hit Pete Latimer’s left foot, and although some thought the ball was going slightly wide of the post, it was deemed on target and the third penalty stroke of the match awarded. The final whistle blew so it wouldn’t affect the result either way, but it was scored although Craig Nutter was close to saving it.
Final score a 4-2 loss but against a tough team who are likely to be challenging for promotion, and Fylde were proud of their performance.
Schalk de Wet was awarded the Man of the Match for his tackling and ball distribution.
Fylde 2 Development 1-1 Garstang 2 Development
Fylde Mens 2’s had the final home game of the day against local rivals Garstang 2’s, both playing as development teams allowing younger players and extra players to double up from earlier games. With the start pushed back to 4.30pm the sun was slowly setting in the west which made it difficult for one set of players to see in each half.
Elder teenager Teddy Rowe took the captaincy, in only his second league game for Fylde, but after just a few minutes it was his younger brother Jamie Rowe who accidently clashed heads with a Garstang player in a midfield collision. Both boys were promptly treated with first aid and bandaged up although both had to leave the pitch and be sent to A&E with their parents for stiches and precautionary checks. Everyone hopes they’re both ok and return to playing soon.
The game restarted and Teddy Rowe was dominating in midfield, alongside Oli van Rijn, with many attacks, but Garstang defended well and few shots were made in the D. Zach Read impressed on his league debut, positioning himself well and making attacks on the right wing.
The backline of Chris Hills, Mark Smith, Phil Weir, Paul Thomson and Harry Barlow snuffed out the majority of Garstang’s chances, only leaving Ethan Morris a small number of saves to make. Harry Barlow in particular defied his age with the maturity of his tackling.
Halftime came with the game still scoreless. It was Garstang who eventually broke the deadlock with a goal after some defensive mistakes.
Fylde won a short corner and the initial shot was only partially saved by Stephen Pope, Garstang’s goalkeeper, with the ball looping up just in front of goal. Ed Jefferson managed to get his stick on the bouncing ball and push it into the goal for the equaliser.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw, with Harry Barlow being voted Man of the Match.
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