Derby delight as Huddersfield Town Women bag huge win at Leeds in title race six-pointer
Rhema Lord-Mears’ second half goal sent Town Women back to the top of FA WNL Division One North
When it came to this vital head-to-head with Leeds United that could have huge implications on the title race, Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston admitted his side ‘owed them one’.
Wythenshawe’s postponement elsewhere meant that both Town knew coming into this game that a win would see them leapfrog both Leeds and Wythenshawe to the top of the table — despite a two-point deduction that is still under appeal — while a point would have sufficed for Leeds to go into first place themselves.
Ultimately the Terriers prevailed after Rhema Lord-Mears smashed home the only goal of the game in tough conditions.
Leeds had already got the better of Town twice this season so there definitely was a hint of revenge in the air.
Early on Amy Woodruff looked to find a way through for the hosts but slipped at the vital moment as she shot - making it easy for Davies to hold.
Town’s best chance of the early stages fell to last week’s hat trick scorer Tamira Livingston. On her first league start for the club, she could only head over from Lord-Mears’ cross.
Preston brought Laura Elford off the bench in the second half and her presence up top gave Town a different dimension.
Elford’s brilliant hold up play set up Louise Biggins but she could only fire wide.
At the other end Bethan Davies showed her class throughout in the Town goal. Woodruff looked certain to score but Davies managed to get a foot to it to turn the ball behind.
And Davies had to be at her very best moments later as the wind caught a long ball and it almost dropped to the feet of a Leeds attacker only yards out. But the ‘keeper brilliantly stretched an arm out to tip the ball around the post at the second attempt.
The hosts looked to be getting on top of the game when White blazed over from 12 yards but Town had other ideas.
A long ball forward was brilliantly captured by Elford who set Livingston away down the left. The on-loan winger whipped a dangerous ball across the box but nobody could get on the end of it.
However, the chance was kept alive by the persistence of Ella Duffield who floated the ball back across goal perfectly into the path of the arriving Lord-Mears who blasted it home from six yards to win it.
After the game, Preston spoke of his pride in his team.
He told We Are Terriers: “We owed them one. We wanted it today.
“The team had so much energy and purpose about them - the whole club wanted it today. It was going to go our way somehow and we’ve really risen to the occasion.
“And we played the occasion too. This pitch is not our battleground, it’s probably the worst in the league.
“So for us to come here and grind out a result in difficult circumstances was superb from the players today.”
It was a coming-of-age performance for Preston’s side who struggled last season in tight games but they showed a different side to them knowing they weren’t going to be able to play football.
With players returning and new signings through the door, his squad looks extremely strong and showing why he built the side he has. Neve Birtwistle was sensational in the middle of the park with Ella Duffield in helping Town frustrate their neighbours. The returning Laura Elford showed her class and guile up top and others around them dug in for the cause.
Preston added: “Occasions like today are exactly why we brought players like Neve in.
“We’re probably the best footballing side in the league but we’ve struggled in the past when pitches turn and we’ve got to wrestle and grind out results.
“So we knew we needed one or two players like Elford, Louise Biggins, Neve - ones who play with heart and soul and compete for absolutely everything. They’ll fight and the other players go with them.
“We’ve got so much depth now. Players look petrified when Elford comes on because they know she can do anything at any given moment. We’ve got a squad full of big game players now.”
With the squad finally taking shape, Preston has been afforded the luxury of sending a couple of his younger players out on loan. Molly Firth has joined Bradford City and Alise Gindra has gone to Fylde and scored on her debut today.
Next up for Town is the rearranged home game with Durham Cestria at the Stafflex Arena next Sunday at 2pm.