Barnsley FC Women picked up a second successive 4-1 home win as they comfortably defeated Redcar Town on the Oakwell AstroTurf, courtesy of a hat-trick from Jodie Gregory and a goal from Betty Cheetham.
On a lovely sunny afternoon, the Reds started brightly and had two early opportunities to take the lead. In the third minute, a pass by Kim Brown from midfield fell to Louisa Barraclough in the box, however she could only aim her effort left of the post. A minute later, a one-two saw the ball in the path of Barraclough once more, however a last ditch Redcar tackle denied the Barnsley wing-back an opener.
After nine minutes, a melee in midfield allowed Alayna Millard to head the ball onwards to Reds forward Jodie Gregory. Our top goalscorer picked up the ball and hit it on the half volley, with her shot agonisingly just wide of the target. A minute later, Millard produced an expert cross from the right flank, which was almost turned into the net by an errant boot from a Redcar defender, before the Redcar shot-stopper cleared it out of harm's way. And in the 12th minute, Kim Brown curled her free kick from 25 yards just short of the target.
The Reds continued to put the pressure onto Redcar as the game progressed beyond its early stages. In the 16th minute, a bursting run from midfield by Gregory found the feet of Victoria Chincharo. She laid off a ball down the right flank to Millard, who then smoothly passed it back to Gregory in space. The Barnsley number 9 then subsequently saw her shot denied by an excellent save from the opposition 'keeper. And after 23 minutes, Reds defender Beth Ayrton burst out of the back line with an excellent run down the left flank, working her way into the box before producing a well-hit shot which forced a fingertip save from the Redcar goalkeeper. The resulting corner kick saw the ball reach Barnsley captain Charley Evans, who drilled a shot goalwards which was only denied by a defensive goal line clearance.
With Barnsley having had such a bright opening quarter, it was only a matter of time before this would pay dividends. And so it was in the 27th minute that a pinpoint cross from Millard on the right wing found Gregory near the penalty spot. She gained some composure, taking a touch before promptly firing home with a shot which easily beat the opposition 'keeper, for the Reds' opening goal of the afternoon.
In response to this excellent opener, the Reds almost acquired an immediate second. The Redcar forward line was immediately dispossessed from kick-off and a great team passing display saw the ball worked into the box, into the path of Gregory, with only a clearance from the Redcar goalkeeper denying the Reds and Gregory a second goal.
Barnsley would not have to wait long to double their advantage, however, in the 31st minute, the ball came to the Reds midfield on the edge of the area. Chincharo delivered a deft pass to captain Evans, whose back was turned to goal. She laid it off into the path of Betty Cheetham, who hit a powerful shot from twenty yards out to double the Reds' advantage.
The Reds had numerous opportunities to triple their lead over the next ten minutes. Gregory had a chance to pick up her brace in the 33rd minute, when her head just failed to connect with an inswinging Barraclough free kick. And after 38 minutes, a Melissa Turton-Burrell ball found Evans, however her headed effort whistled over the bar. Lastly, a Millard pass from the right hand side of the box, aimed towards the party of Gregory was denied by a tackle on the line and a subsequent clearance.
However, the Reds' number 9 was not to be denied her brace, and in the 43rd minute, she seized the moment. A one-on-one opportunity fell to her just inside the box, and spotting the goalkeeper off her line, she produced an exquisite lob which the opposition could only watch comfortably bustle into the back of the net, as the Reds went into half time three goals to the good.
HALF TIME: Barnsley 3-0 Redcar Town
Following the restart, it did not take Barnsley, or Jodie Gregory long to pick up where they left off. In the 52nd minute, a pass from substitute Kirstie Nicholls just inside the box provided an opening to her strike partner Gregory, who produced a looping shot which towered over the Redcar defence and found its way into the net, ensuring that the Reds' number 9 would be taking home the match ball.
The next fifteen minutes took place largely without incident. A series of stoppages due to injuries to Redcar Town players slowed the momentum of the game, and as such Kim Brown and substitute Amy Dawson were forced to dig in to win a number of scrappy midfield battles. Also called into action was Gregory, playing much deeper in the latter stages of the game, in order to provide an additional physical threat to the opposition, and providing a number of surging forward runs which further unsettled the opposition defence.
After 66 minutes, Beth Ayrton again surged from defence, similarly to her earlier effort, and produced an excellent powerful effort from 25 yards out which was targeted just over the bar. And three minutes later, a similar long range shot from Chincharo was aimed wide of the left post. This period of the game, and indeed the majority of the remainder of the game was dominated by long spells in the centre of the park, as Redcar Town struggled to maintain significant attacking opportunities beyond the sturdy Barnsley defensive setup.
Unfortunately, the Reds' defence could not deal with such sustained pressure continuously, and with a minute to go in regular time, the visitors pulled one back. A looping corner kick fell into the path of the Redcar number 4, who bundled in a close-range effort to score what proved to be a consolation goal, as Barnsley saw out the rest of the match to secure a comfortable and impressive home victory.
FULL TIME: Barnsley 4-1 Redcar Town
Barnsley: Ridsdel-Harrison, Ayrton, Rigby, Turton-Burrell (Shaw, 64), Barraclough (Foye, 45), Evans (Dawson, 45), Brown (Wilson, 62), Chincharo, Millard, Cheetham (Nicholls, 45 - later substituted back on after 65 minutes), Gregory
