Morecambe Ladies end year with battling Boro defeat

Bianca Owens looked dangerous early on dancing into the Morecambe area and whipping a shot just over the bar.

The Ladies nearly took the lead as Boro keeper, Rebecca Lillystone, dithered dealing with a Callis ball through for Hannah Paling to chase, the keeper racing out and undecided as to whether she was in the area, Paling nicked the ball off her but couldn’t take full advantage.

Lillystone was caught out again, Lupton dangerous on the Morecambe left beat the keeper as she came out to cover her right back , Lupton beat her to the ball and as the ball rolled towards goal, Ridley won the race with Hannah Paling and cleared off the line.

Morecambe ended the half on top having weathered both the wind and what Boro could throw at them, Hannah Paling almost got on the end of a Whittingham free-kick just before the break. In the second half Bianca Owens showed her pace and managed to beat the keeper and ran the ball into the net to give Boro the lead.

With 23 minutes of the second half gone Boro increased their lead when Jenny Duffy’s persistence in a tackle got the ball to Claire Helm, who under pressure from Emma Reader, managed to get the ball back to Duffy who slotted the ball home to make it 2-0.

Five minutes later Morecambe were further behind,when substitute Leanne Anderson crossed from the right to Anna Birtwhistle, chesting and turning the ball fell and sat up for Owens to strike fiercely and although Reader got a hand to it she couldn’t prevent the ball from going into the net.

Boro confident, the Ladies not used to being in this position kept going, Sophie Killip looked sharp and full of running, Becky Whittingham pushed forward.

It was a disappointing end to the year, the Ladies will have time to reflect and those nagging injuries time to rest.