United Ladies produced a commanding performance on Sunday to end the league season with three points against Stanwix Ladies at Creighton Rugby Club.
Tracy Gannon’s side came into Sunday’s game with a point to prove and were looking to end the season on a positive note.
United got off to a quick start and put their city rivals under pressure from the first whistle.
The Cumbrians had large spells of possession in the opening 20 minutes without creating any clear-cut chances.
A wonderfully lofted through ball from Chelsea Norris found Katie Blaylock at the back post on six minutes, but her shot could only find the side netting.
The visitors grew into the game after twenty minutes and managed to worry Carlisle with some promising moments in attack.
On 35 minutes, United went close to taking the lead on two occasions. The first was through Phoebe Langan, who saw her shot from a Sammi Norman cross trickle just wide. From the following goal kick, Norris found herself in space and she let fly, but the Stanwix 'keeper was equal to her effort.
Gannon’s side finally broke the deadlock on 43 minutes, Norris’ superb attempt on goal from around 30-yards out left the ‘keeper stranded to put United ahead.
Things got even better for United just three minutes later, when a great team move doubled Carlisle’s advantage. Fast thinking from United’s goalkeeper, Emma Kenyon, saw the ball work its way to Charlotte Murray in the opposition’s half, her deft lob found Blaylock in space and her pinpoint cross from the right-wing found the oncoming Norman at the back post, who expertly found the bottom corner with the final kick of the first-half.
HALF-TIME: United 2-0 Stanwix
The Cumbrians carried on their dominance after the interval, as Ella Winter’s first goal for United extended their lead even further on 48 minutes. Winter’s audacious attempt from distance lobbed the ‘keeper to find the top right corner and make Carlisle’s lead unassailable.
The visitors did mount a comeback and reduced the Cumbrians’ lead to two, when their right-midfielder found herself in space at the back post and fired the ball into the back of the net on 53 minutes.
Carlisle’s response was instant. Murray was in the action again on 56 minutes and her perfectly placed cross found Bessie Best in the box, who poked the ball home to restore the Blues’ three goal advantage.
The tie wasn’t finished there though and Stanwix’s reply was as immediate as United’s, as the visitors responded on 58 minutes. The goal was a carbon copy of the first with the right-winger finding herself in space and she made no mistake to make the score 4-2.
After this, Carlisle had a vice-like grip of the contest and made sure that their blushes were spared.
The closest either side went to scoring was on 68 minutes, when Norris won a free-kick around 20-yards out from goal, but her effort was inches away from finding the top corner.
Quality defending from United’s backline made sure that the Blues saw the rest of the game out with relative comfort.
FULL-TIME: United 4-2 Stanwix
United: Kenyon, Nixon, Best, Beal, Defreitas, Blaylock, Norris, Winter, Norman, Porter, Langan
Subs: Murray, Matthews, Riddet
United Goals: (43’ Norris), (45+1’ Norman), (48’ Winter), (56’ Best)
POM: Ella Winter
