Burnley Women go down to Wolves defeat

All of the damage was done in the first-half as Burnley Women slumped to defeat at Wolves in their third game of the season.

Last season’s promotion rivals emerged 3-0 winners on Friday night as the Clarets’ winless start to their inaugural WSL2 campaign continues.

While Jackie Bachteler’s side were improved in the second-half, it was far too little, too late to undo the damage of the first 45 minutes.

It leaves Burnley on one point from their opening three games.

There were two changes to the side that started against Sunderland last week, with Jackie Burns replacing Kirstie Levell for her Clarets debut in goal.

Charley Docherty took the place of Millie Chandarana, while an unchanged defensive unit featured Naomi Hartley, Jessica Hennessy, and Maddi Wilde at its heart.

Both teams created a presentable chance in the opening 15 minutes and after Christie Harrison-Murray shot straight at Emily Orman, Burns produced a fine stop to deny Mel Lawley.

Having had a big say in last week’s equaliser at Turf Moor, Hennessy looked threatening from set pieces again here – heading one over and seeing another blocked.

Wolves then took control with two goals in as many minutes, starting with a close-range header from Amber Hughes after Lawley stood the ball up to the back post.

The second was more fortuitous, with Mel Filis’ 18-yard effort taking a big deflection off Hennessy to wrong foot Burns and creep into the bottom right corner.

A penalty then made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time. After Siddall was adjudged to have fouled Yana Daniëls, Anna Morphet picked out the bottom left corner from 12 yards.

Burnley came out after the break with added impetus, enjoying the majority of the ball and earning a handful of menacing set piece opportunities.

Bachteler’s side came close to an equaliser three times on the hour, but after Harrison-Murray’s long-range effort was clawed away and Hartley miscued from inside the area, Hennessy headed over again.

Our first change saw Wilde make way for Millie Chandarana 18 minutes from time and Brooke Cairns later replaced Brenna McPartlan in midfield.

The team showed plenty of determination and fight right until the very end but after three additional minutes, the referee called time on Barclays Women’s Super League 2 match week three.

Burnley Women are next in action on Saturday, September 26, when Bristol City visit Turf Moor for a 12pm kick-off.