Dan McNamara delighted with double figure record as Wolves claim bragging rights again

Goals in either half from Amber Hughes and Tammi George took all three points in the National League Northern Premier Division clash at Molineux.

And head coach McNamara was beaming as his side continued their dominance over their local rivals.

“It’s a fantastic achievement and for everyone associated with the club, it’s brilliant for us to hold a record like that,” he said.

“I didn’t want to mention it beforehand because I felt it added pressure to an already tricky fixture, but the girls executed themselves really well.

“It wasn’t our finest performance, but these derbies never are. It’s about holding your nerve in certain moments, coming through a bit of adversity, and then taking your chances.

“When you have Amber Hughes in the side, if you get half a chance it’s normally a goal.

“Merrick Will was tremendous and Tammi George deserved that player of the match award. They were outstanding.

“That one moment of quality gets us in front and the game changes. Brilliant. That first goal was absolute quality.

“Amber now has three goals in two games after a rough patch, if you can call it that, and now she’s doing what she does best.

“Ten on the bounce is some going and hopefully we can continue that.”

Wolves were comfortable once they found the second goal, but before that goalkeeper Bec Thomas was called upon to make a string of impressive saves.

“Albion are a good side, they’re not the side they were two or three years ago,” McNamara added.

“They have a youthful look to the team, with some experience in there, and they will shock a few over the next few years if they can keep that team together.

“They have good players and we knew they’d have their moments.

“Bec Thomas has done what she does. She’s been fantastic since she’s reclaimed that number one jersey.”

Battling midfielder Merrick Will shone for Wolves with a number of tough tackles in what was a fiery game under the floodlights.

And McNamara was delighted with Will’s performance.

He said: “Her and Summer (Holmes) are starting to form a really good relationship. Summer has so much quality and Merrick gets around and does the rattiness.

“She was excellent. Even here with the ball, she was outstanding the way she moved it and sprayed it.

“The team is starting to compliment each other. There’s good players that haven’t got any minutes and we’ll need them over the next few weeks.

“We have a tough eight games to make sure we’re pushing at the top end of the table. We want to finish strong ahead of the new season. I’m really pleased overall.”

Wolves climbed two places above Siobhan Hodgetts’ visitors into fourth with the win.

The Albion boss took heart from her side’s display, though. “Overall performance-wise I think the girls did really well,” Hodgetts said. “The result is obviously what mattes, but overall the performance was excellent.

“It’s the fine margins where they were better, in our box, and took their chances. We created several but didn’t quite get them on target.”

Just over 2,700 fans came to watch the game on Friday night, with many families and young children taking the opportunity to see the team play.

After the win, the Wolves players took time to hand out shirts to young fans, while also signing autographs and taking pictures, as the club look to inspire the next generation.

“It’s an amazing place to play football, one of my favourite football grounds,” McNamara said.

“It’s proper old school and I love being here for a men’s match, so to be here in the dugout living what Gary (O’Neil) and his staff do over the course of a season, is amazing.

“The girls love it and I have to thank the crowd. Coming out on a Friday evening and it’s fantastic.

“I asked the youngsters across the county to design some posters for tonight to stick in the dressing room, to show what kind of an inspiration these girls are.

“To see them all here and queuing for autographs, that’s what it’s all about.

“That’s the impact they’re having across the city and hopefully we’ll have a few more fans tonight that may come back and see us and we might have the next Tammi George or Merrick Will amongst them.”