Match Reports 28 Feb 2026
- Mar 2
- 8 min read
Durham University 2 0-1 Fylde 1
Saturday saw the Ladies 1st team make the long journey to Durham for a 12pm push back. Struck by injuries and last-minute illness, Fylde had a straight 11 and no subs against a 16 player Durham University squad.
Despite the lack of legs, Fylde started brightly creating several chances and it was Jessica Wharton who put Fylde 1-0 up through a goal mouth scramble after some lovely build up play from Olivia Newman Kirk and Nicky Kellet.
Durham struggled to create any clear goal scoring opportunities in the first half and it was Fylde who looked the more threatening in front of goal, but couldn't add to their tally.
The second half saw Durham have the lion’s share of possession, and some excellent saves from Katie Barker kept them out. Fylde looked dangerous on the counter attack, but Durham continued to press high and were awarded multiple penalty corners. The travelling supporters lost count at 15, but Fylde's resolute penalty corner defence team held strong and Durham couldn't find a way to get through.
Tensions were high in the Durham camp which didn't help their cause, and Fylde deservedly went on to win the game 1-0, moving ahead of Durham in the league to 4th place.
A fantastic team performance from the Fylde girls, who should be very proud of their efforts with only 11 players.
Carlisle 1 2-1 Fylde 2
The 2s headed up to Carlisle with 12 players due to last minute illness and injury - wishing speedy recoveries for this coming week!
After a stop at Tebay Services and a few sausage rolls later with a much upset EJ that there were no sausage baps left at 10:58, the team arrived in plenty of time and had a decent warm up and pre match team talk.
However, we got off to a sluggish start and despite excellent saves from Sophie Slawson we conceded on an early short corner from a well struck ball that took a high deflection.
Throughout the game Fylde had good spells of connecting throughout the pitch especially from transfers around the back and centre mid links to the wings. Despite the efforts another goal was conceded.
The game saw a large number of unforced errors from Fylde in the first half, and after a good half time honest team talk as a group, the second half was much improved.
The team battled to the end scoring a late goal by Chelsea Atkinson - unfortunately leaving the score line 2-1 to Carlisle. Not our favourite run out of the season performance wise but as always we reflect and move forward as a team!
Chorley Phoenix 1 1-1 Fylde 3
Fylde had an early morning start against Chorley Phoenix away on Saturday morning. Having been one of only two opposition teams to defeat the 3s this season, the team aimed to secure a stronger result this time round.
Chorley Phoenix put pressure on the 3s from the beginning, however Fylde put into practice the extra press training they had done earlier on in the week which meant that Chorley Phoenix were unable to break through to goal.
Both sides created chances, including a short corner where Liv John-Haslam repeated her previous week’s goal-scoring trick. Unfortunately, this time her shot hit the keeper’s pads and deflected wide into the path of Abbie Southern who then attempted to flick it back but the keeper just managed to get in the way.
With Fylde gaining slightly more dominance after their attempts in front of goal, Chorley stepped up and won themselves a short corner in the 25th minute which they played round well and bagged themselves the lead. The 3s kept fighting but despite their efforts they went into half time 1-0 down, although they didn’t let this dampen their spirits, they knew that against an older more physically challenging side they would need to change the way they moved the ball around.
In the second half, Fylde’s defence shifted the ball round the back with precision using Abbie Warburton to bounce the ball out to either side, this created gaps for the midfield to step into and attack. In the 46th minute, the 3s were rewarded for their tactical play when the ball was passed out to Issy Gut who outpaced the opposition’s centre back, driving down the baseline and firing the ball to the back post where Megan Hartley-Smith was waiting to bring the equaliser.
From this point, Fylde moved the ball around much better and created plenty more opportunities up front with near goals from both Natalie Smith and Abbie Warburton.
Late into the second half Fylde had a couple more short corners awarded where they tried different routines in hope for another goal but just couldn’t quite get the ball over the line. In their last short corner attempt, Abbie Warburton pushed the ball out to Abbie Southern who found herself flicking the ball towards goal again, the ball ricocheted off the Chorley Phoenix inside post player and the whistle went for a penalty flick however after appeals from the opposition, a 16 hit out was given. Fylde were unlucky not to be able increase their chances of finding a lead.
The game was well battled up to the end from both sides but the score line remained 1-1. Although not coming away with the win this week, Fylde do come away being 9 points clear at the top of the league where they will fight for the next few weeks to solidify their promotion place.
Player of the match this week goes to Lauren Mayor for another incredible performance at the back with strong tackles ensuring Chorley couldn’t break through to goal.
DoD this week was voted as Sophia Melling for having a tantrum
Preston 2 3-2 Fylde 4
Fylde 4s took on a strong and experienced Preston 2s side in a competitive and hard-fought match. Although the final score did not reflect the effort and intensity shown throughout, Fylde can take plenty of positives from a determined team performance.
From the outset, Fylde showed great defensive resilience against a well-drilled Preston team. The back line worked tirelessly under pressure, with India Reville making a confident debut in defence and showing impressive composure. Zoe’s usual leadership and command at the back was missed, but the unit adapted well and continued to battle throughout.
Going forward, Fylde produced some excellent passages of play, moving the ball with purpose and control. The team’s passing was a real strength, with Evie Dunne driving strong balls down the left to create attacking opportunities and link effectively with teammates. Fylde created numerous chances in open play and were unlucky not to convert more of them.
The side earned one short corner, executing the set piece well, but were unfortunate not to capitalise on the opportunity. Despite sustained pressure and several promising moments in the final third, Fylde struggled to find the back of the net as often as their performance deserved.
Ellie Hope opened the scoring with the first goal of the match, rewarding the team’s early effort and positive start. As the game drew to a close and Fylde continued to push forward, Sophia Taylor scored in the final few minutes — a well-earned goal that reflected the relentless work rate shown across the pitch.
While the scoreline may not have gone Fylde’s way, the commitment, defensive strength, and attacking intent demonstrated against an experienced Preston side highlight a performance full of promise and resilience.
Fylde 5 7-0 Lancaster Nomads 2
The Ladies 5s delivered a dominant performance with a convincing 7–0 victory over Lancaster Nomads 2s, showcasing teamwork and determination throughout the match.
Fylde got off to a flying start in the first half, applying constant pressure and making it count on the scoreboard. The opening goal came from Alyssa Woodman, who set the tone early on. The momentum continued as Sadie Atkinson found the net when she expertly converted a short corner and Alyssa Woodman scoring again another 2 times to complete a superb first-half hat-trick and sending Fylde into the break with a commanding 4–0 lead.
After half time, the girls showed no signs of easing off. Their work rate and focus remained high, and the goals kept coming. Sadie Atkinson added Fylde’s fifth with a well-taken finish making it two goals for her, before Chloe Jo Simmons extended the lead further. To round off an excellent team performance, Evie Green finished off the match with a short corner goal, sealing a deserved 7–0 win.
It was a fantastic all-round display, with the defence once again putting in some great work to keep a clean sheet throughout. Poor Faye hardly touched the ball in goals!
Well done ladies, top of the table performance, and another well-deserved win that you should all be proud of. Keep up the great work! 💙🏑
Leyland & Chorley 3 2-3 Fylde 6 Development
Fylde 6/Dev encountered a reversal of squad challenges this week when two late confirmations meant that 16x players turned out to play Leyland & Chorley 3s who are 2nd in the Division. Player/Coach Fran decided not to play as the team was already well balanced.
The teams were well matched with a good number of youngsters on both sides. Ruby Roberts opened the scoring followed by Imi Todd “heading” a most unusual goal after the keeper kicked a clearance into her! 2-0 at half time.
Our opponents pulled a goal back shortly into the second half and then Penny Atkinson scored a super goal of individual skill to retain the two-goal cushion.
L&C scored another before the final whistle ended play as a 3-2 win for Fylde.
Another encouraging performance from our talented Development team!
Fylde 1 7-4 Clitheroe Blackburn Northern Development
Fylde Men had a typical robust game against Blackburn’s 3rd team but after some shaky moments ended up 7-4 victors.
After conceding two early goals from defensive mistakes, much to the surprise and annoyance of the team, Fylde got into their stride with Harry Gordon scoring two goals himself, in his first league match for a long time.
Oli van Rijn then scored with a reverse stick strike straight into the corner of the goal giving Fylde a 3-2 lead, but Blackburn were full of determination and were able to equalise before half-time.
At 3-3, Fylde knew they had to play better and increase the work-rate. The late addition of Schalk De Wet back into the defensive four allowed Tim Woodman to bolster the midfield and play in harness with his friends Simon Holt and Harry Gordon.
Harry Gordon completed his hat-trick with a straight strike at a short corner, and then a few minutes later he was involved in a goalmouth tussle together with Simon Holt who finally got the ball past the goalkeeper for a 5-3 lead.
Blackburn weren’t ready to give up, they attacked back and won a short corner which they scored with a straight strike passing both goalkeeper Craig Nutter and defender Pete Latimer on the right post.
There was a yellow card for Tim Woodman as he pushed an opposition player, in retaliation for being deliberately hit by the other player’s stick, but most unfortunately both umpires didn’t spot the original, and much more violent, offence. Tempers were inflamed for much of the rest of the game.
Fylde completed their victory with two more goals, another Harry Gordon short corner strike and a blasted waist high shot from Tim van Rijn.
A 7-4 win but the team wasn’t in a celebratory mood, although they did enjoy beers on the balcony afterwards in the unusually mild and sunny afternoon.
MoM went to Harry Gordon. DoD went to Tim van Rijn who was supposed to be captain for the day, but realised he’d left his stick at home after arriving at Mill Farm, meaning he only made it back with less than five minutes before the start and no time to properly warm up, never mind take up the captain duties.
Comments