Posh Women collect six points in their opening two games at Abbey Lawn after a 4-1 victory over The Imps.
Peterborough United Women secured an excellent 4-1 victory over Lincoln City Women under the lights at Abbey Lawn on Wednesday evening to collect six points in their opening three games of the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands campaign.
Posh carved out the first opportunity on seven minutes as Niamh Connor saw an effort on the half-volley tipped around the post by the goalkeeper after the visitors failed to clear the corner. Katie Middleton had another good opportunity on nine minutes as Keir Perkins' cross found her at the back-post, but she couldn’t make a clean connection.
On 12 minutes, Posh deservedly got the breakthrough as Katie Middleton’s cross found Perkins at the back-post and she, on the volley, tapped home from close-range. Sophie Scargill then saw a close-range effort superbly blocked by Tilly Fantom.
Posh continued to push for a second goal as Rosie Axten was picked out by Middleton and her first-time effort was tipped around the post by the goalkeeper. Middleton remained a constant threat down the right-hand side as her cross found Scargill on the edge of the box, but her effort on the turn went over the bar.
Axten doubled their lead on 42 minutes and it was a second assist of the evening for Middleton as her corner was headed home from close-range by Axten. The visitors were down to 10 in the closing stages of the half as Chantelle Robinson was sin-binned for dissent.
Dan Lawlor’s side looked to start to the second half strongly as Axten saw a curling effort go over the bar. The Imps' first opportunity came on 52 minutes as a long-ball forward saw miscommunication between Lucie Mugridge and Neive Corry, but the former was able to get back to clear the ball.
Perkins came close to doubling her tally on the evening as Brown’s lofted ball into the box fell to the forward, but she just poked wide of the target. Lawlor made his first change of the evening on 63 minutes as Brown was replaced by Alex O’Neill before Jess Evans and Tara Kirk were introduced four minutes later, replacing Sophie Scargill and Axten.
Corry was forced into a fantastic save on 69 minutes as Lucy Farrow got behind the Posh defence and looked to slot her effort into the bottom corner, but Corry got low to push her effort around the post. The visitors pulled a goal back on 75 minutes as Faith Horner rose highest from a corner and sent her header past Corry.
Unsurprisingly, the momentum was with The Imps as Leah Hardy saw her free-kick hit the wall before the ball fell to Robinson, who sent her effort over the bar from inside the box. However, Posh sealed the victory on 88 minutes and it was a superb finish from Kirk. O’Neill’s corner fell to the forward on the edge of the box, and despite her back to goal, she sent a right-footed curling effort into the top corner.
Middleton continued her excellent start to life at Posh by grabbing the fourth goal in injury-time as Jess Driscoll’s cut back found the forward and she slotted home from just inside the area.
Posh XI: Corry, York, Mugridge, Connor, Driscoll-King, Dris coll, Brown (O’Neill, 63mins), Scargill (Evans, 67mins), Perkins (Bennett, 72mins), Axten (67mins), Middleton.
Subs Not Used: Lawlor.
Photo credit: Darren Wiles.