Bethel hit eight in rout of outgunned Wrexham

GENERO ADRAN NORTH – MATCHDAY 2

Bethel 8 (Ffion Wyn Williams 9, 18, 82, 89 & 90+17; Mari Gibbard 17 & 90+2; Gwenno Bolton 42)
Wrexham 3 (Lily Jones 57 & 90+3, Libby MacKenzie 72)

Bethel manager Ben Bolton could not have been more proud as his team ran riot on their return to San Seilo with a hammering of in-form Wrexham.

Beaten 6-1 by Llandudno in the league cup last time out, the maroons bounced back in true style with Ffion Williams marking her season’s debut with no less than FIVE goals.

The win put Bethel top of the Genero Adran North table on goal difference at this very early stage of the season.

Bolton said: “Made up with today’s performance. Wrexham came into the game in good form, but today was all about us, what we needed to put right and how hard we were willing to work for the win.

“There are still a few things we need to work on, as always, but today was a big improvement on what we’ve seen so far and we know that we still have another gear.

“I’m very proud of how the players conducted themselves today, onwards and upwards.”

Bethel needed a bright start and that’s exactly what happened.

The front three pressed the Wrexham back line and Ffion Williams won the ball and her shot opened the scoring on 9 minutes.

Mari Gibbard added the second, Ffion Williams won a free kick to the left side of the box and Gibbard’s accurate strike found the far corner.

Again, Bethel’s frontline applied pressure, it forced a wayward back pass from a Wrexham defender that landed straight at Ffion Williams’ feet and she tapped into an empty net.

Bethel were rock solid in defence. Kelly Jones swept every ball and Llio Henshaw’s tenacious defending kept Wrexham’s Rosie Hughes – 9 goals in her previous three games – in check. Hughes left the field before the break due to illness.

Gwenno Bolton wrapped up the first half magnificently as she struck an unstoppable volley from 35 yards that looped over the goalkeeper leaving her helpless.

Half-time: 4-0

The start of the second half was marred by a bad injury to Bethel’s Katie Houghton as the attacking midfielder landed awkwardly. The club wishes Katie well and a speedy recovery.

The stoppage in play didn’t help the home side, as Wrexham struck twice through Lily Jones and Libby McKenzie to halve the deficit.

Bethel came back to life as Ffion Williams notched her hat-trick, Gibbard won a header from the keeper’s clearance and Williams burst past two defenders and put the ball in the top far corner.

Williams then bagged her fourth, finishing well one-on-one after mpre good link-play with Gibbard.

Gibbard got her second of the day with an exquisite finish. Shannon Jones applied pressure and forced a bad pass by the Wrexham defender that landed at Mari’s feet. She took one look up and chipped the keeper.

Wrexham pulled a consolation goal back through Lily Jones, but it was Bethel who were to have the final say, and it was Ffion Williams with her fifth of the afternoon.

The attacker rounded the goalkeeper and scored from close range.

Bethel

Sioned Hughes-Williams
Beca Williams (Mali Henshaw 77)
Jenna Allsup (Yasmin Williams 77)
Llio Henshaw
Kelly Jones
Shona Roberts
Jody Cain
Gwenno Bolton (c)
Ffion Williams
Mari Gibbard
Katie Houghton (Shannon Jade Jones 56)