Women’s football: Bethel smash nine past Denbigh, six for NFA, four from Amlwch and Airbus fly again

Women’s football results – Sunday, January 19

North Wales Women’s Football League
Division One: Airbus 2 Wrexham 1, Bethel 9 Denbigh Town 1, Llanfair United P Rhyl P.
Division Two: Amlwch Town 4 Pwllheli 1, Holywell P Mountain Rangers P, NFA 6 Caernarfon Town 1, Penrhyn Bay P Llanberis P.

Reports

Division One

Bethel 9 (Houghton, Maloney 3, Williams, Midwinter 3, Cain)
Denbigh Town 1 (Williams)

Bethel got back to winning ways after their slip up in the Betty Pickering Cup last weekend by thumping Denbigh at Ysgol Brynrefail.

The home side started very quickly, Erin Maloney turning quickly on the right wing before clipping a ball into the box. Katie Houghton took it down, beat her marker and slotted the ball past the keeper with her left foot after just five minutes.

Five minutes later it was two. Ffion Williams breezed past two defenders down the right and her perfect cross was finished by Maloney.

The next 20 minutes were very cagey, with Denbigh battling hard to try and get back into the game, but Bethel’s relentless pace was non-stop, and they made it three when Maloney took the ball off two defenders on the edge of the box and beat the goalkeeper at her near post with a fantastic finish with her weaker left foot.

Maloney then completed her hat-trick just before the half time whistle as she scored in a one-on-one.

Half-time: Bethel 4 Denbigh Town 0

The second half was much of the same. Maloney made way at the break for Katie Midwinter, who had an instant impact. She beat a couple of players before sending a chipped cross to Ffion Williams, who volleyed home at the back post.

Midwinter then got in on the act, as she found herself on the right side of the opposition box before stunning everyone by rifling a shot past the stranded keeper into the roof of the net.

Midfielder Jody Cain soon joined the party. The ball fell to her on the edge of the area and she smashed a shot in off the underside of the bar – her first of the season.

Number eight arrived when Midwinter was found unmarked in the area, turned and committed the keeper before dinking into the net.

The ninth was the pick of the bunch. Ffion Williams ran down the left wing and played a lofted pass to Angharad Evans, whose cushioned touch found Midwinter on the edge of the box and she drilled into the far left corner for a hat-trick.

Denbigh got a consolation goal when a Chelsea Williams free kick on the sideline evaded everyone and found the far corner.

Airbus 2 (Hewitt 2)
Wrexham 1 (Reece)

In-form Tegan Hewitt struck twice to secure the Wingmakers another three points at the expense of the bottom side.

Hewitt edged Airbus in front, but Lauren Reece levelled for the visitors, who were seeking their first point of the season.

However, it was the hosts who sealed it when Hewitt struck for her eighth goal of the campaign, making her team top-scorer at present.

Division Two

Amlwch Town 4 (Manning, Evans, Crawley, Owen)
Pwllheli 1 (Roberts)

The winds may not have been overly strong at Syr Thomas Jones Field today, but a Gail Force helped blast Amlwch to another victory!

Gail Manning broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute with a bullet header from a Ceri Slaney corner.

That goal put the islanders on their way and before half time a lovely mazy run and finish from Catrin Evans made it 2-0.

The prolific Lexi Crawley notched the home team’s third after the break, but Pwllheli put in a great effort and deservedly pulled a goal back through Amy Roberts.

Amlwch had the last word though when Ffion Owen’s perfect finish sealed another three points for the leaders.

Both Crawley and Owen are on 17 goals apiece in all competitions.

NFA 6 (Chesters, Mills 3, Webster 2)
Caernarfon Town 1

Ashleigh Mills was a hat-trick hero for an NFA side which hit their visitors for six at Rhyl High School.

Amy Chesters and Mills struck in the first half for the hosts, who went on to add four more after the turnaround.

Mills lashed in from an angle before Amy Webster’s exquisite byline chip went in off the far post.

Webster volleyed in a second before Mills headed in a Rachel Lloyd corner for her treble.

Caernarfon grabbed a late consolation.

(Full report on this game elsewhere on Grassroots North Wales)