September 4, 2023 6:12 pm
Clarets held by Wolves in home opener
Burnley FC Women were held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Lancashire FA County Ground in FA Women’s National League North action.
Leah Embley opened the scoring for the Claret Women, before Anna Morphet struck a spectacular free-kick from distance which meant the points were shared.
The Clarets made one change from the loss against Newcastle United, with Georgia Marshall returning to the side in place of the injured Lara Miller.
Laura Elford returned to the bench after missing the first two games through injury.
First Half
Wolves had the first real chances of the game, with Amber Hughes heading a free-kick straight at Kirstie Levell and Beth Roberts hammered a strike over from distance.
The Clarets began to build a way back into the game, after the visitors saw a lot of the ball early on, and Alethea Paul drove down the left before playing in Aimee Kelly, who struck just wide on the turn and following that Brenna McPartlan hammered a strike just over the top.
Beth Merrick sent a low strike towards goal from distance, that was tame and held easily by Levell, as the game continued to be tight heading towards the half hour mark.
Moments later, Leah Embley found space down the right and drove towards goal, but her strike was inches past the far post.
The best chances of the first half came in last five minutes, as firstly, a cross looped to the back post landed on the head of midfielder McPartlan, who nodded just wide of the target and Beth Merrick broke in behind but was denied by a superb block from the returning Marshall.
The defender was then unfortunately forced off with a head injury just before the break.
Second Half
Rhema Lord-Mears tried her luck with a chip from distance early in the second half, after Millie Ravening had done well to beat her marker, but the strike dropped into the hands of Shan Turner.
Kelly then found space in the box but saw her low shot blocked, as the Clarets began to gain a strong foothold in the game.
Burnley would find the breakthrough, as captain Paul’s cross caused all sorts of problems for the Wolves defence, and Leah Embley came in at the back post to fire into the empty net.
The visitors were level soon after, however, as Anna Morphet struck a free kick from 30 yards out that flew into the top corner.
The Clarets had a penalty shout turned down by the referee ten minutes later, as Embley though she’d been brought down, but the decision went the other way.
Ravening nodded down for Laura Elford with minutes to go, but the forward’s effort dropped just past the post.
That proved to be the last action of the 90, as the points were shared in the Claret Women’s home opener.
Burnley: Levell, Cooper, Marshall (Deehan ‘45+4), Wildgoose, Paul, McPartlan, Lord-Mears, Embley, Ravening, Hamer (Coleman-Evans ‘88), Kelly (Elford ‘69)
Unused Subs: Farrell, Francis-Jones
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Turner, Wilson, Morphet, George, Will, Dermody © (Ferguson ‘68), Hughes (J Cross ‘84), Johnson, Toussaint, Roberts, Merrick
Unused Subs: E. Cross, Dicken, Fryer
Goals: Embley, ‘62, Morphet, ‘70
