Match Report: Halifax FC Women 1 - 3 Stoke City

Halifax FC Women were handed their first defeat of the season by the hands of Stoke City, who beat Halifax 1-3 in Liversedge.

Halifax FC Women lost out to Stoke City on last weekends run of fixtures in the Northern Premier Division, with a 1-3 defeat in Liversedge. The game saw the end of Halifax’s unbeaten run of three games in the league. 

Halifax started the game slightly off the boil, struggling to get hold of the ball. Stoke struck first with a shot that was initially saved by Halifax’s Becky Flaherty, but was tapped in on the rebound after only five minutes of play.

Halifax, after being given a wake up call by Stoke, started to push on higher up the pitch with some effective and progressive passes. It didn’t take long for Halifax’s Monique Watson to answer back with a goal of her own. It was a fantastic move, a one-two with Lucy Sowerby found her one on one with the goalkeeper as she poked it over the keeper with the outside of her right foot into the bottom right corner. A great answer from Halifax which saw them come back into the game after 12 minutes.

Monique Watson celebrates her equaliser

However, it was Stoke who dominated the game in the first half. They controlled the game and kept it at their own pace. Halifax were still in the game and Stoke needed another goal to make this pressure count. That goal came in the 33rd minute, Leek was the goalscorer, firing it in off the crossbar to put Stoke ahead of the game for the second time. 

Halifax endured more pressure which was dealt with through tough defending. Half time came shortly after and Halifax had a lot of work to do heading into the second half.

Halifax started the second half in a much more positive manner, attempting to impose themselves upon the Stoke players with high press. Ellie White saw a volley narrowly miss the Stoke goal, and a beautifully delivered cross was headed just shy off the post by Georgina Stevens. 

Halifax battling for another goal – Photography by Ray Spencer

Halifax, despite their revitalised belief in the second half, could not find the equaliser, and Stoke scored once again as Halifax were caught high up the pitch to make it 1-3 in the 90th minute of the game, sealing the three points after a solid performance. 

Rob Mitchell gave his thoughts on the game:

“We just didn’t have that cutting edge or bravery today”.

“Credit to Stoke today, I thought they were outstanding and deserved their victory”.

He also commented on the performance of goalscorer, Monique Watson:

“I thought her goal was outstanding, she accelerated the game”.

Next up: Halifax FC Women will play Burnley away on 11/10/23 in the next run of fixtures in the Northern Premier Division. County Ground, Thurtson Road, Leyland, PR25 2LF.