Huddersfield Town ladies won 2-0 against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday afternoon and moved up to second position in the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division. Emily Heckler scored both the goals in the game and Town won all three points, despite being down to ten players.

 

Town beat a Blackburn side who hadn’t lost a league fixture in 28 matches, quite an achievement, but Town were the team to end that run. The ladies headed to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium on the back of a cracking win over Wolverhampton Wanderers the week before.

 

The game didn’t start all that well for the Terriers who nearly let an early goal in on the 2nd minute when Blackburn’s Megan Taylor then Saffron Jordan both had shots, point blank saved by Town’s keeper Laura Carter.

 

Those early warnings were not immediately pounced upon and Town soon got themselves into the game, with the first 15 minutes being scrappy, both sides were working off half chances to open the scoring.

 

Town then had a penalty shout on the 16th minute when Katie Nutter was fouled in the box by a Blackburn defender. Nutter protested against the referee’s decision to wave away the claim and the scores stayed level.

 

Just five minutes later, left back Millie Turner had to be alert to a Blackburn header on goal from a corner to clear it off of the line. Town were living dangerously and couldn’t quite get their attacks to flow properly, either being stopped by the Blackburn back four, or breaking down before getting to the halfway line.

 

The opening goal came on the stroke of half time, with Emily Heckler latching on to a Kate Mallin cross from the by-line. Heckler guided the ball into the back of the net with her head to give Town the lead, which some would say was against the run of play.

 

It was Town who went in at half time leading, and Ash Vickers Town’s Manager might have been thinking about going for a second to kill the game.

However just ten minutes into the second half, the game plan had to change, Town were down to ten men as Vicky Abbott was sent off for dissent. Abbott fouling Blackburn’s Saffron Jordan in the area to give away a penalty.

 

After Abbott eventually left the field of play, it was Rovers Lynda Shepherd to try and put the home side level from twelve yards out. Shepherd’s penalty was superbly stopped by Carter who was having a quite brilliant afternoon.

 

Carter was called into action again on the 65th minute when Lagan Makin was put through on goal by Shepherd’s through ball. Makin looked destined to score, however somehow Carter scrambled across the goal to make a diving save and punch the ball out for a Rovers corner.

 

Heckler got her second goal of the game on the 76th minute when she volleyed in a shot from the edge of the box from a well worked Town corner.

 

Blackburn huffed and puffed and pushed to get back into the game, but the ten women of Town were not going to be easy to break down and held on for a brilliant away victory.

 

On the victory, Town’s goalkeeper and possible women of the match winner Laura Carter said: “It means absolutely everything, and although I haven’t played for a while the girls have done great to now go five unbeaten and to beat a side that had gone 28 unbeaten before today.

 

“To also beat them when we only had ten men for thirty minutes means the win is so much better and shows the character within the team.

 

“I was nervous about coming back in today after so long out, but it felt great to get back into the grove of things and between the sticks.”

 

On the point blank saves in the 2nd minute, Carter continued: “I didn’t know much about the first shot, but you have to have maximum concentration from the off because things like that can happen.

 

“We have now moved up to second place and it keeps the pressure on at the top of the table, that’s where we want to be. We have got 20 players here today, and while some were disappointed to miss out, they were there with us kicking every ball, and winning every header.”

 

Manager Ash Vickers was delighted that his team got the victory and in trying circumstances with the sending off of Abbott early in the second half.

 

On the win he said: “I thought it was a scrappy game, on a poor pitch that is hard to play on, however I thought we defended excellently.

 

“We only really had two clear chances in the game, in recent weeks we haven’t been taking those chances, and I have spoken about taking those opportunities which today Emily (Heckler) did.

 

“I thought Carter was outstanding, she made two brilliant saves at point blank range early on, she then made a few saves during the game that were of real quality, plus the penalty save. Her distribution was good, her game management was fantastic, today she did everything right, and what I expect of my keeper.”

 

“It was the perfect time to score just before halftime, we had asked Kate (Mallin) to get at their fullback and cross it from the by-line instead of floating the ball in. She got past her man, put a good cross in and Emily did the rest.” Vickers said on Town’s first goal.

 

“One of the things I said to them at halftime was, I am fed up of us just watching the ball bounce, and they were winning a lot of second balls. We spoke harshly at halftime and said that we needed to be winning those balls, then be positive with it and drive on forward and attack.”

 

Vickers didn’t think that Abbott deserved to be sent off, commenting: “From where I am stood she won the ball fairly, but that is the referee’s decision, she’s then said something to either the ref or one of their players and that was the reason she was sent off.

 

“I thought our penalty shout was pretty similar, but then again they also had a penalty appeal waved away in the second half, which I thought should have been given.

 

“Even more credit has to go to the girls for digging out the win after going down to ten men, we made a few changes and the players that came on did well.”

 

On moving up to second in the table Vickers added: “On the four games we have lost, we have lost because we have made errors. Now we are unbeaten in five, taking 13 points from 15 and the confidence is really there in the team, the desire is there to go and get that victory.”

 

Match report by Steven Downes