Wolviston FC Ladies made the short trip to the Southlands Centre on Sunday for a late addition to the pre-season schedule, taking on newly formed Middlesbrough Girls Ladies and returning home with an impressive 6-0 victory.

The fixture only came together at short notice after Middlesbrough’s original opponents were forced to pull out, so a big thank you goes to everyone at Boro for getting in touch, arranging the game and for their hospitality on the day.

Like our own United side, Middlesbrough Girls are preparing for their first season in senior women’s football. They have been placed straight into the North Riding County Women’s League Premier Division for the new campaign, and we wish them every success for their debut season.

Once the whistle blew, Wolvo quickly settled into their rhythm.

The Ladies controlled possession from the opening stages, moving the ball confidently around the pitch while remaining organised defensively and limiting the hosts to only a handful of half-chances throughout the 90 minutes.

The breakthrough arrived after ten minutes – and it was a special moment for Lucy, who found the net for her first Wolvo goal.

Eleven minutes later, Lucy turned provider. She created the opportunity for Georgia to double the advantage and give Wolvo a deserved 2-0 lead.

With five minutes remaining before half-time, Lexi added the third with a composed finish to send the Ladies into the interval firmly in control.

Managing the Game

The message after the break was to keep possession, remain patient and manage the game – and the Ladies did exactly that.

Despite the emphasis being on controlling the football rather than chasing more goals, Wolvo continued to create opportunities.

Lexi added her second of the afternoon to complete her brace before Ellie got in on the act, firing the ball into the roof of the net following a scramble from a Wolvo corner.

Another corner then produced the sixth, with Jess turning the ball home to complete the scoring.

It could easily have been more.

Wolvo created countless other opportunities, hitting both the post and crossbar and twice being denied in one-on-one situations by an excellent performance from the Middlesbrough goalkeeper. She produced a number of impressive saves across the afternoon and deserves plenty of credit for keeping the final score at six.

Plenty of Positives Across the Pitch

While the goals will grab the headlines, there was plenty to admire throughout the side.

Hannah was outstanding at centre-back, sweeping up everything that came her way and playing a major part in another strong defensive display.

Courtney completed her first full 90 minutes for Wolviston and marked the occasion with a clean sheet after a disciplined performance between the posts.

Michaela and Lily covered an incredible amount of ground in midfield, while the squad also showed its versatility with several players unavailable.

Jess dropped into midfield to help the team, while Sophie stepped up from Wolviston United to play her part – remarkably having already played earlier that morning.

Unfortunately, Eden’s afternoon lasted just five minutes after she felt some tightness in her quad. With no risks being taken during pre-season, she was withdrawn as a precaution before spending the rest of the game supporting her teammates from the sidelines.

Girl of the Game – Ellie

There were plenty of contenders following such a strong team display, but Girl of the Game went to Ellie after an outstanding all-round performance.

Her afternoon was capped with a deserved goal as she fired into the roof of the net in the second half.

There were also special mentions for Lucy, who celebrated her first goal in Wolvo colours as well as providing an assist, and Lexi following two composed finishes.

Full-Time: Middlesbrough Girls Ladies 0-6 Wolviston FC Ladies

⚽ Lucy
⚽ Georgia
⚽⚽ Lexi
⚽ Ellie
⚽ Jess

? Girl of the Game: Ellie
? Clean Sheet: Courtney

Another excellent pre-season performance from the Ladies, built on confident possession, defensive organisation and chances created throughout the team.

Most importantly, another valuable 90 minutes as preparations continue for the new season.

A final thank you to Middlesbrough Girls for organising the game at short notice and for being excellent hosts at Southlands. We wish everyone at the club all the very best for their first season in the North Riding County Women’s League Premier Division – and hopefully we’ll meet again soon.