Wolves Women 2 Brighouse Town 2 - Report
Wolves Women threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Molineux against Brighouse Town.
The hosts made the perfect start after just a minute-and-a-half when a cross from Amber Hughes was turned into her own net by Caz Fields.
Despite that good start and in front of a 2,477 strong home crowd, Wolves began to give the ball away too cheaply. A mistake from Anna Morphet should have resulted in a Brighouse goal when Drew Greene raced towards goal and set up Danielle Whitham, but the forward had her shot saved expertly from five yards by Shan Turner.
Whitham then had an effort tipped over the bar moments later as Turner kept Wolves in the lead.
After 30 minutes Wolves got their second goal. Maz Gauntlett was found inside the box and her low effort took a deflection and found the bottom corner.
A mazy run from Hughes almost resulted in a wonderful solo goal, before the ball was nicked off her foot at the last moment.
Despite not being at their best, a clinical edge from Wolves saw them enter the break leading 2-0.
The opening 10 minutes of the second half were fairly quiet as neither side was able to fashion a chance.
But Laura Cooper almost burst it into life when a corner was directed at her on the edge of the box and her powerful effort from 20 yards was pushed into the air by goalkeeper Becky Flaherty and eventually cleared.
Brighouse pushed for a way back into the game and Whitham almost found it when she directed a header just wide of the post. Moments later the striker was played through on goal but goalkeeper Turner came off her line to make a wonderful save.
The visitors created several good chances but were struggling to convert them as the Wolves defence stood firm.
But late on that resistance was broken when Leah Embley produced a fine finish to smash the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Deep into injury time, substitute Imogen Williams netted a dramatic equaliser to rescue a point for Brighouse.
In front of a record attendance for a Wolves Women game – despite the result - the hosts celebrated their title victory with a full-time trophy presentation, which followed the guard of honour they received from Brighouse ahead of kick-off.
Wolves: Turner, Cooper, E.Cross, Gauntlett (Walker, 71), George (Dicken, 86), J.Cross (Butler, 88), Hughes, Darby, Morphet, Merrick (Elsmore, 82), Burridge (Dermody, 61).
Brighouse: Flaherty, Bamforth (Watkins, 75), Legge, Cass (Williams, 67), Dean, Greene, Fields (Sowerby, 45), Whitham (Watson, 80), Greene (Allman, 88), Embley, John.
