Bolton Wanderers Women secured their 10th consecutive league victory in style with a comprehensive 9-0 victory over Atherton LR on Sunday afternoon.
With Storm Darragh having an effect on games across the UK, Wanderers’ scheduled away fixture at the SafeGasUK Stadium was reversed to Lostock in order for the game to go ahead.
Having not played for almost a month due to a number of postponements - being knocked off the top of the league table by Penrith as a result - Myles Smith’s side came into this fixture looking to start where they left off in their last outing against Radcliffe in November.
The Whites made two changes to the side that ran out 6-1 winners on Remembrance Sunday, with Lexi Williams coming in to take the armband from the injured Katie Holt whilst Millie Smith was named in midfield, in place of Emme Shone.
Flo Rigby, Wanderers’ new recruit from Wigan Athletic Ladies, was named amongst the substitutes - awaiting her debut in a Whites’ shirt.
Wanderers immediately applied pressure from the off and within the opening four minutes, Faye Knox - who would be a constant threat down the left-hand side - made a driving run towards the byline. She pulled the ball back for Eboni Bradshaw to try and turn goalwards, but she couldn't direct her effort on target.
Knox was proving too much for Atherton in the early stages and once again looked dangerous when firing a shot from outside the area that was only parried by the Dakota Pixton in the LR goal, but Charlotte Tyers could only turn her follow-up effort over the bar.
With the pressure firmly on, Wanderers didn’t have to wait long to get themselves in front. A 12th minute corner from Tyers caused chaos inside the LR penalty area, and with both Bradshaw and Erin Smith waiting at the far post, Eboni was on hand to turn the ball home.
One quickly became two as the ever-elusive Knox got her first of the afternoon with a stunning effort from 20-yards out. A driving run from the left-hand side opened up the space for her to find the top corner in superb fashion from the edge of the box.
Wanderers were in their groove, and Knox was at the heart of everything good. Another mazy run in a tight area from Wanderers’ Welsh international managed to beat three defenders to burst into the area. She picked out Neishai Gordon in space, but the forward’s low drive was saved well by Pixton.
Jess Lightfoot, operating in a deeper role than usually found for Myles Smith’s side in the first half, wanted in on the action. Wanderers’ top scorer worked herself some space on her left foot before unleashing, with her effort just whistling past the far post with it looking destined to find the top corner.
It was a constant barrage from the hosts, and the lead was extended in the 34th minute with Millie Smith adding a third. A perfectly weighted pass from Bradshaw to pick out Smith inside the area allowed her to take a fine first touch and confidently finish past Pixton.
LR were struggling to contain Wanderers, and a costly mistake in their backline allowed Lightfoot through one-v-one but Pixton stood firm in the LR with a superb save to deny her.
Wanderers didn’t have to wait long, however, to make it four. Just like her first, a Tyers corner found its way to Bradshaw at the far post once again and she converted from close range to give the home side a four-goal lead at the break.
Myles Smith’s side made a half-time change with Madison Hardman replacing Lightfoot to spearhead Wanderers’ attack in the second 45.
Within two minutes of the half starting, they had made it five when a teasing Gordon ball across the face of goal from the right-hand side was turned into their own net by an LR defender - under immense pressure from Hardman, who may have got the final touch.
Just 60 seconds later and Knox had her second. Cutting in from the left-hand side and beating a defender in the process, the wing-back let fly with an effort from outside the area that left Pixton stranded as it sailed into the top corner once again.
Wanderers were relentless in their mentality, and went in search of more. Eleanor Seals, who dictated superbly in the middle of the park alongside Smith, released Bradshaw down the right with a beautifully weighted pass. Her cross was met by Hardman, who got a touch to it to try and divert into the net, but it wasn’t enough to trouble the LR goal.
The Whites went close again when a beautifully lofted ball over-the-top from Erin Smith was matched brilliantly with the touch of Gordon to release herself past her defender and through on goal, but Pixton once again stood firm.
Hardman was proving a tough competitor for the Atherton back-line, with her all-action performance earning Wanderers a penalty just past the hour when she was fouled when chasing a ball through into the area. Neishai Gordon stepped up and cooly dispatched to make it seven.
Wanderers rung the changes as the game entered the closing stages, with Chloe Ardin, Maisy Mitchell and Eva Williams all introduced along with the aforementioned Rigby for her first appearance in a Bolton shirt.
Despite the substitutions, Myles Smith’s side continued in their hunt for more and got their eighth when a threaded ball from Gordon picked out Hardman inside the area and she finished emphatically to grab a deserved goal.
Despite the scoreline, ‘keeper Pixton came to LR’s rescue once again in the 80th minute, with a stunning double save - denying both Rigby a debut goal and then Hardman from close range on the follow up.
Her efforts would be in vain however, as Knox completed her hat-trick on 85 minutes with arguably her best goal of the day.
Typically cutting inside and beating her defender, Faye’s dipping effort from all of 25 yards found the top corner and rounded off the victory superbly.
The win ensured Wanderers continued their perfect run in the league, and in the process returned to the top of the table ahead of a huge game away to Accrington Stanley next weekend.
Wanderers: White (GK), L. Williams (C), E. Smith, Clarke, Bradshaw, Seals, M. Smith, Knox, Lightfoot, Tyers, Gordon
Subs: E. Williams, Ardin ,Hardman, Mitchell, Rigby
Atherton LR: Pixton (GK), Badrock, Sumner, Wilkinson, Pennington, Huyton, White, Ripley, Gill, Campbell, Cossey
Subs: Woods, Ross, Fitton, Gill, Broomhead
Report by Katherine Byrne. Pictures by Jake Horrocks.