REPORT | Chester FC Women 4-1 Northwich Vixens

    Chester FC Women continued their excellent start to the season with a thumping win at the Deva Stadium.

    Much like their first home game of the campaign, the Blues produced a stunning four-goal second half haul, this time coming from behind to secure three points.

    Chester started the game on the front foot, but found big opportunities few and far between.

    However, they were stunned on 33 minutes when visiting midfielder Paige Hewitt fired in the opener, a fantastic strike from range sailed over Sophie Foster and into the net. Alisha Wright forced opposition keeper Becky Jackson into a strong save before the break to ensure the visitors led at the interval.

    But Martin Fitzsimons’ side came flying out of the traps and won a penalty 11 minutes after the break.

    Lucy Adderley stepped up and confidently found the bottom left corner. Then, just a few minutes later, Referee Ceri Thomas pointed to the spot once again as Ellie Bradley was tripped in the area.

    Bradley dusted herself down and took the responsibility – firing into the same corner as Adderley to put the Blues in front. A 13 minute triple salvo was complete when Molly Wood latched on to an excellent through ball to turn in the third.

    Wood hit the post just a few moments before the crowd was confirmed as a fantastic 240 – a strong increase on last seasons’ game at the Deva.

    An excellent night was capped off by sub Emma Gray. The number 17 returned to the side after a long injury lay off and thought she had got her goal on 89 minutes when a fantastic effort from 30 yards crashed against the underside of the crossbar.

    But that goal on Gray’s return did come in stoppage time when she coolly sidefooted the fourth into the bottom corner to cap a positive nights work for the league leaders.

    CHESTER: Foster, Adderley, Quigg, Sands, Priest (c), Bullock (Gray 72), Redman, Dowell (Hollis 80), Wright, Wood (Harding 77), Bradley.

    SCORERS: Adderley (pen) 56, Bradley (pen) 64, Wood 69, Gray 90+2; Hewitt 33.

    ATTENDANCE: 240.

    Photos: Alison Greenwood.