Pendle Forest lose out at Lancaster

Helga Thelawalla made her first appearance of the season in this tough derby, in which Lancaster started the better side. Forest absorbed the initial pressure,with Hayley Baines and Karen Wignall working tirelessly up front.

A crucial defensive error by captain Catherine Waters resulted in a yellow card and Forest going down to 10 men for a significant part of the match.

Following sustained pressure from Lancaster, which resulted in a goalmouth scramble, Lancaster capitalised to go 1-0 ahead. Player of the match Laura Kendall made some vital saves and stopped Lancaster from making further progress.

Pendle Forest were disappointed with their overall performance, and are hoping for a win against local rivals Preston in a crucial six-pointer on Saturday.

Pendle Forest thirds were at home to Clitheroe fourths in the first round of the cup knockout.

Forest started brightly, and their passing of the ball was fast and accurate, causing Clitheroe problems from the off.

Great play by Cath Hutchinson and Kathryn Woodhead up front for Forest saw Woodhead score within the first 10 minutes.

Shortly after Forest were awarded a number of penalty corners due to fouls by Clitheroe players in the D. Dee McInnes hit out to Hutchinson, who fired the ball at goal but the Clitheroe keeper made the save, however the ball fell kindly for Woodhead, who made no mistake as the ball was slotted in from close range.

Forest continued to put on the pressure and dominated from defence to attack. Rosie Southworth in midfield earned herself player of the match by continuously blocking any Clitheroe attacks and distributing the ball accurately to the young Forest wingers.

Forest’s third goal was scored after a great passing move starting in defence and played in from the wing by Abbie Hunter to Hutchinson, who swept the ball goalwards from the edge of the D.

The strike was stopped by a defender but once again Woodhead was in the right place and she put the ball past the Clitheroe keeper for her hat-trick.

It was a power strike by Southworth from outside the D that gave Forest their fourth goal, the ball skimmed the keeper’s pads, as she tried to step over, and it hit the back board with a resounding thud. The goal was credited to the keeper as an own goal.

During the half-time break, being 4 - 0 up, the Forest manager made a number of substitutions to give the hard-working Forest players a well-earned breather.

Forest pressed forward throughout the second half and earned several penalty corners.

Southworth again had a shot at goal but as the ball lifted it unfortunately struck a Clitheroe player, injuring her.

In the last 10 minutes Forest played all their teenagers and they didn’t disappoint.

Mawgan Naylor powered through midfield to link with Abbie Hunter on the right, who drove into the D and fired a lifted shot past the keepe, giving Forest their fifth and final goal.