North Wales East: Welshpool end tough league campaign with first win

NORTH WALES WOMEN’S FOOTBALL LEAGUE EAST – APRIL 7, 2024

Welshpool Town Women 3 (Lane 13, Evans 48, Allen 71)
Belle Vue Women 2 (Jones 41, Prince 63)

Report: Alan Stubbs (Cymru Sport)

Normally a goalkeeper, Amy Allen came on as a second-half substitute outfield player for Welshpool and scored a memorable winner!

What a way to end the league season for the Powys team – that elusive first victory!

Whatever went on before, the Pool can celebrate and gain inspiration from the fact they ended a testing North Wales East Division campaign on a high.

The mid-Wales side enjoyed an entertaining 3-2 victory against Bellevue at a Llanfyllin 3G pitch required due to the Maesydre Recreation Ground in Welshpool deemed unplayable because of heavy overnight rain.

After an even start Welshpool won a corner in the 13th minute which Naomi Evans swung in and an unmarked Beth Lane scored with a header for her third goal in six games.

Wrexham side Bellevue created chances with the dangerous Lindsey Ross having a couple of shots that tested Welshpool’s keeper Sarah Parkes.

On the other wing, Lily Denby had a couple of efforts that just went wide.

Both teams were finding the bounce and pace of the 3G pitch a bit testing at times. It was an even first half and the score was to be the same when in the 41st minute the impressive Jade McHugh set up Samantha Jones to equalise.

Half time: Welshpool Town 1 Bellevue 1

The start of the second half is so often the Achilles heel for Welshpool, but this time three minutes after the restart top scorer Evans scored her sixth goal in eight outings when her shot from outside the box went through keeper Tiarna Bithell’s hands into the net after referee Levi Roberts had rightly judged the ball had crossed the line.

It was hard on Bithell who had kept her side in the game.

Welshpool were on the front foot and Emma Vaughan’s shot was going in only for a fantastic block from Jade Bowe, who saved a certain goal.

That block was even more important when Sian Smith put a ball through the Welshpool defence who were claiming offside when substitute Lola Prince calmly found the net to make it 2-2.

Substitute and Welshpool stalwart goalkeeper Amy Allen came on in midfield in the 61st minute and she would have the final say when a bouncing ball in the penalty area came her way and she volleyed past Bithell to make it 3-2.

After the goal Allen was substituted after hurting her hamstring in scoring – she had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes – but what a 10 minutes!

Welshpool’s Lilya Smith had a couple of chances to extend the lead but a great save from Bithell onto the bar and then one just wide of the target ensured it remained 3-2.

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