Bolton Wanderers Women made it four wins from their opening four games with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Hindley Juniors Women on Thursday evening.
Wanderers headed into the game in positive mood on the back of three encouraging performances to start the campaign, and went searching from minute one to continue the momentum gained in the opening fixtures.
Inside the opening two minutes, Myles Smith’s side created an opening as a diagonal ball from Katie Holt set up Nia Wharton with an early opportunity but she could only find the side netting. The chance may have been missed, but the tone of the first half was set early on.
The Whites were in the ascendency and an error in the Hindley defence created a chance for Jess Lightfoot from close range, but a big save from Faye Moseley in Hindley's goal kept the game scoreless.
The pressure continued inside the opening minutes and Eleanor Seals let fly with an effort from 25 yards out that looked destined to find the net but another good save from Moseley denied Wanderers.
The flow of the game continued to be one-way, and the Whites found the back of the net through Eva Williams after nice work from Lightfoot set the wing-back free inside the area but the offside flag went up to deny Wanderers’ vice-captain her goal.
Seals, who combined with both Millie Smith and Emme Shone in the middle of the park, was at the heart of all things good for the away side and it was the former who next went close to breaking the deadlock.
Letting fly with an effort from outside of the area that looked destined for the top corner, the Hindley ‘keeper was in top form to keep the central midfielder and the Whites at bay despite the constant pressure.
Wanderers had to remain patient in their approach and got themselves in front in the 22nd minute when Katie Holt headed home. A Charlotte Tyers corner caused all sorts of problems inside the Hindley penalty area and was turned back across goal - allowing the skipper to head into an empty net.
The lead almost doubled minutes later as a lovely one-two between Millie Smith and Lightfoot allowed the latter to break through into the area in space but the forward dragged her effort past the far post.
But Wanderers were temporarily made to rue their missed opportunities in the opening 45 when a defensive error allowed the home side to nick the ball away from Eve Ebanks, allowing Grace Flinn to convert to give a timely reminder to the Whites of the task at hand.
To Wanderers’ credit the response was immediate as within a minute, a lovely move allowed Eva Williams to be played in down the right and she teed it up perfectly for Lightfoot to turn home from close range to restore the one-goal advantage.
Two almost became three as an inch-perfect Lightfoot pass was played into Tyers’ path, but the attacking midfielder was under pressure from the Hindley defence and could only loop her effort over the bar as Wanderers headed into the break with a deserved lead.
Myles Smith made a triple change at half-time and introduced Madison Hardman, Lexi Williams and Maisy Mitchell into the action and they wasted no time in going on the hunt for more goals.
Within four minutes, they had the sought-after third goal as Seals – who had tested Moseley in the Hindley goal a number of times on the night – found the top corner magnificently from 25 yards.
Buoyed by her outstanding strike, Seals was involved again as she turned provider with a deft through ball to find Eva Williams in open space, but her dinked effort over the ‘keeper had too much on it and went over the bar.
Hardman lead the line for the Whites in the second half on the back of her hat-trick at Fleetwood last weekend, and went close to adding to Wanderers’ lead when driving into the Hindley penalty area before hitting a low effort towards goal, but was well saved once again.
The forward had another opportunity on the hour to make it four when a perfect Seals ball over the top was chased down by Hardman, but the her goal-bound effort was blocked brilliantly.
But the hosts were resolute and responded once more in the 65th minute from the penalty spot. After a challenge inside the area was adjudged to have missed the ball and catch Flinn, she picked herself up to calmly slot into the bottom left-hand corner to grab her second of the game and set up a tense finish.
For the first time in the game, Wanderers were having to focus more on their defensive duties with the home side now pushing forward looking for a leveller. They thought they had their moment when Flinn - a constant threat for the hosts- went through one-on-one.
However, a big save from Laila Stanley down to her right – brought on in-goal in the second half for Wanderers – was enough to keep the Whites in front.
But Wanderers stuck to the task in hand and sealed victory inside the final ten minutes. A loose pass back from Sarah Webster in the Hindley defence towards Moseley was snatched up by Hardman, who confidently found the bottom corner to ensure the three points returned to Bolton.
Wanderers were made to work for the victory in Wigan on Thursday evening to make it four straight wins to start the campaign for the Women’s side. Myles Smith's side return to action on the 8th September when facing Haslingden Ladies at the Dreams2Reality Stadium.
Wanderers: Ebanks (GK) (Stanley 62'), E.Williams, E.Smith (Mitchell 45'), Holt ©, Baldwin, Wharton (Culshaw 62'), Shone (A.Williams 45'), Seals, M.Smith (Hardman 45'), Tyers, Lightfoot.
Hindley: Moseley (GK), Corris, Purnell, Webster, Pilling, Hutton, Saunt, Flinn, Worswick, Hurst, Worthington.
Subs: Lea