Improving Ladies impress in win over visitors York RI

With Boro having won their previous two games against Catterick and Cleveland, confidence in the camp was high going into the game.

Under-16s keeper Sasha Woods made her debut for the senior team.

The only other change in the starting line-up saw Vicki Simm play her first game of the year at right-back, in place of Lizzie Sartain, whose central defensive position was taken by Bethan Howitt.

She formed a solid partnership for the first 20 minutes with Ruvimbo Mhaka, with Meg Wingfield in her usual left-back spot.

The midfield and attack lined up unchanged from the previous game with Chloe Marshall, Beth Hosie, Dani Kendrick and Beth Taylor in the middle, and Chloe Bennett and Maria Jagger up top.

Tania Canto came into the squad after signing for the club last week, and took a place on the bench alongside Hannah Mitchell, Megan Green, Maria Bowtell and Aimee Ireland.

Bennett forced the York keeper into action early with a long shot to test the visiting custodian’s handling.

Hosie and Marshall combined down the right but the latter’s crosses couldn’t find a teammate.

At the other end Woods had to be alert and off her line to thwart a couple of attacks.

The introduction of Mitchell to the backline brought an added stability, with Howitt reverting the right-back.

Green came on up front and Bowtell also got in on the action.

Jagger almost poked home an effort and Bennett tested the keeper again before the half was out, and it was clear Boro were on top.

At half-time Ireland and Canto were introduced, and Boro’s endeavours were rewarded just five minutes into the half.

Skipper Kendrick picked up a loose ball outside the box and fired in a shot which the keeper couldn’t hold in the slippery conditions and the ball crossed the line to give the home side the lead.

This buoyed Boro and Ireland and Bennett both went close. As the away side’s energy was sapping Boro took full advantage.

Their second goal came from a free-kick won by Hosie as she turned three players inside out in one move and was fouled.

Kendrick lofted a great ball into the box and when a defender didn’t clear, Marshall pounced for her 10th goal of the season with a deft header over the keeper.

Marshall turned provider for the third, when her pinpoint cross was lifted over the keeper by Hosie and into the back of the net.

The one sour point on an otherwise perfect day was an injury to skipper Kendrick, who severely pulled her left calf muscle and had to be carried from the field.

But Kendrick’s injury aside, Boro had dominated a team they lost 4-1 to in September, showing the growth of the side in recent times.

Each player was superb, but special praise goes to Woods for a clean-sheet on her senior debut, Mitchell and Mhaka at the back, Hosie and Kendrick through the middle and Bennett for her best performance of the season in terms of workrate and ingenuity for the team.

The side moved up to sixth with the win but they now face three tough away games at Stokesley (fourth), South Park Rangers (third) and Guisborough (second).