FAWNL Division One North
AFC Fylde Women 1 (Chan 15’)
Leeds United Women 3 (Gibril-Keating 53’, Smith 60’, Danby 75’)
AFC Fylde: Kirkham (GK), Tindall, Dunion, Carabott (Hyland 61’), Moore (Borrowdale 8’), Kelsh-Ridge (C), Chan, Rowe, Bowers Folan, Whitaker (Duffell 69’), Sanchez. Subs not used: Pendlebury, Rogers.
Leeds: Simpson (GK), Legge, Smart (C), Turner, Danby, Dobson, Rousseau, Smith, Greene (Jakeman 86’), Elliott (Waldron 88), White (Gibril-Keating 20’). Subs not used: Lockwood (GK).
Venue: Kellamergh Park
Referee: Charlotte Cochrane
Booked: Kelsh-Ridge (AFC Fylde) (Leeds)
Leeds United Women earned their first win of the 2024/25 season with a superb 3-1 comeback victory over AFC Fylde Women at Kellamergh Park.
Behind at the break, an inspired second-half display from Simon Wood’s side saw the Whites secure the three points in testing conditions, thanks to goals from Sian Gibril-Keating, Kath Smith and Sarah Danby.
In swirling winds and relentless rain, Leeds had an early sight of goal when midfielder Ellie White picked out the run of Drew Greene in behind the Coaster’s backline but, under pressure from the onrushing Skye Kirkham, the versatile forward was unable to guide an effort on target.
Greene again found space moments later down the right flank as she raced onto Smith’s intricate pass, before firing narrowly wide across the face of goal.
Despite Wood’s side enjoying the opening proceedings, it would be the hosts that took the lead on the 15-minute mark and in style, with Karri Chan lashing a thunderous strike into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Leeds responded brightly to the early set-back, when Greene and Izzy Elliott combined well down the right, with the latter’s dangerous low delivery desperately hacked clear before Gibril-Keating or Jess Rousseau could pounce.
Kirkham then produced a fine diving save to deny Smith’s low effort approaching the half hour mark as Leeds continued to threaten, before gratefully clutching Rousseau’s front-post header as the striker attacked Olivia Smart’s in-swinging corner.
Moments later, great footwork from Rousseau saw the forward create a yard of space for herself inside the penalty area, forcing Kirkham into yet another save low to her left, before making a stunning close-range stop to deny the onrushing Greene’s follow up.
HALF TIME: AFC Fylde Women 1-0 Leeds United Women
After the break, the Leeds pressure finally told when Gibril-Keating grabbed a much-deserved leveller for the Whites, latching onto Rousseau’s pass before taking a touch to skip past a Fylde defender and bury the chance into the bottom corner!
Within minutes, the turnaround was complete when Smith drilled a superb strike in off the far post. There looked to be little on when the midfielder collected the ball on the right, but after marauding to the edge of the area, the Leeds number 10 found the corner beyond the despairing dive of Kirkham to put her side into the lead.
The one-way traffic continued and the visitors would be rewarded for their efforts with a third goal, when Danby’s in-swinging delivery from deep evaded everybody inside the area and found the back of the net with 15 minutes to go!
With just under 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Rousseau almost made it four as she found space and met Ellie Dobson’s low cross, but the forward was unable to guide her effort on target.
Desperate for a route back into game late on, Fylde’s Teal Dunion drove forward and let fly from distance, with Simpson able to watch the speculative effort sail wide of the upright.
In the dying moments, the Leeds goalkeeper’s services were called upon as she made a terrific reaction save with her feet to block Kelsh-Ridge’s close-range effort, before referee Charlotte Cochrane’s full-time whistle sounded, handing the Whites a first victory of the new campaign!
FULL TIME: AFC Fylde Women 1-3 Leeds United Women
