Huddersfield Town Ladies won 2-0 against Stoke City Ladies on Sunday afternoon at the Stafflex Arena at Storthes Hall. The win takes the ladies team up to third in the FA Women's Premier League North Division.

 

It was fourth verse fifth before the match started, Stoke being one place and one point above Town going into the fixture. Kate Mallin scored both the goals on the day, as Town went above Stoke in the league table. 

 

Town knew it was going to be a hard fought victory and that's exactly what it was, as Stoke came to the home of the Terriers to frustrate them. 

 

The home side could have taken a very early lead as a looping header hit the Stoke crossbar after just 30 seconds. However Town couldn't find the killer through ball after that, and head coach Ash Vickers team were becoming increasingly frustrated at the fact they were getting so close but just not finding their shooting boots. 

 

It wasn't until the 14th minute when the first real chance came about, as Stoke broke through the Town defence, it was Amy Battel with a last ditch tackle for Town to deny the visitors striker from scoring what would have been a possible goal. 

 

One minute later Town had their own guilt edged opportunity that wasn't taken, when Sarah Danby had one shot saved and then another cleared off the line, by a Stoke defender, to keep the scores level. 

 

Stoke had another chance on the 19th minute as Tash Tezgel struck a speculative effort from 30 yards out, it was caught comfortably by the Town keeper Charley Kenyon. 

 

Both sides had a number of chances to take the lead, Stoke's Nicola Hudson coming closest on the 38th minute when she hit the outside of Town's post. 

 

With the scores level at half-time it was the visitors who came out the stronger in the second half, dominating play and using their strength in midfield to assert their authority. 

 

Town did get into the game though and really started to control the physical midfield battle. Kate Mallin set her sights on goal for the first time in the second half as she saw her 57th minute free-kick rattle the crossbar. 

 

The opening goal of the game came on the 59th minute as Mallin tapped home on the line after the keeper made an initial save from Emily Hekcler's shot. 

 

Stoke missed a glaring opportunity on the 64th minute when Ashleigh Hayes half volleyed shot was straight into the Town keeper's hands. Hayes then had a penalty appeal waved away in the 72nd minute as she clashed with Kenyon in Town's goal in what looked like a nasty incident. 

 

Town striker Heckler replaced Kenyon between the sticks just moments later for the last fifteen minutes of the game, as the Terriers didn't have a substitute stopper on the bench.

 

The final action of the game, came on the 89th minute as Mallin rapped things up with her second goal of the afternoon. Mallin latched onto a through ball which split the Stoke defence. She then went around the keeper and slotted the ball home to give Town a deserved victory. 

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After the game Town manager Ash Vickers was delighted with the result and performance and says he is looking for the same going into next weekends game against Wolves. 

 

Vickers said: "It was a great way to bounce back after last week's loss in the cup, it was very much like last week's performance. However this time we were able to ground out the victory which was pleasing. 

 

"I thought the win was deserved, and we played some great football, we just haven't been able to put the ball in the net as much recently. That final pass hasn't been coming off, but today it did and Kate took her goals well. 

 

"The clean sheet was pleasing and deserved, we didn't stop working for the whole game. I said at half-time that we can't let that slip and we have to keep doing that in the second half and we'll get rewarded for our hard work. 

 

"If you don't put teams to bed then there is always a chance that they can come back to bite you. However we deserved the second goal because of the work we put in but also it meant we could relax a little bit more."

 

On Mallin's two goals, Vickers continued: "She has been a bit goal shy this season, but other people are stepping up and scoring the goals which is what we have asked from the midfield."

 

Town play away at Wolverhampton Wanderers next weekend, who sit second bottom of the league with just five points. However Vickers knows not to underestimate anyone in this league. 

 

"I expect to get a result in every game, but it might be a more difficult game against them because they are down near the bottom of the league. I don't fear anyone in the league to be honest, we have to keep concentrating on ourselves and not too much on the opposition." He said. 

 

On her two goals Mallin commented: "For the first, the defender was about to get to the ball, but I beat her to it and toe poked it over the line. The second was a great ball through which I got onto the end of and then it was just all about the finish and rounding the keeper. It was good to get my two goals today, I haven't scored for a few weeks so it was good to get back at it today."

 

On the victory she said: "We haven't picked up the points we should have in recent games, and that has been disappointing, but today we showed what we are about and made sure we held on to the two goals we scored. 

 

"They are a strong team, we knew it would be a battle and especially in midfield where challenges were flying in. However once we got that second goal late on I knew we were going to win."

 

Regarding the trip to Wolves next week, Mallin added: "It won't be easy, they are a tough side and battling for their lives down there at the bottom, so we need to go there with the same mentality and get the three points."

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Match report by Steven Downes

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Mascots for the day were Crossley Belles under 11's who are pictured with the first team before the game.