Stourbridge showdown perfect chance for West Brom Women to end defensive disappointment
Off the back of a disappointing end to their clash against AFC Flyde, West Brom Women have the ideal chance to change their defensive disappointments.
Flyde stole a point at the death at Kellamergh Park on Sunday (8 October) in the FA Women’s National League North encounter, with Ginny Lackey catching Lucy Jones off her line and lofting the ball into the back of the net from the halfway line to end the game 2-2.
Lily Murphy had previously made Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s backline look poor after her mazy run down the left wing bamboozled the defence before a powerful strike gave them the lead.
The Baggies did take their goals well and a share of the spoils seemed fair. However, the defensive issues remain. Their clash against Stourbridge on Wednesday (11 October) should be seen as a chance to rectify these issues.
A quick glance at the table reveals Stourbridge as the leakiest defence in the division, comfortably, with 26 goals conceded. Heavy defeats, including a 7-0 loss against Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season and a 7-1 reverse against Derby County, show that the West Midlands side is certainly there for the taking.
Attacking wise, they offer very little. While they score in more games than not, any hopes of three points are often diminished by the huge amount they concede. That being said, they have failed to score in three of their opening seven fixtures, the joint-lowest in the league.
West Brom have been getting back to scoring ways too and will be eager to exploit the porous Stourbridge backline. The Baggies have scored 10 goals in their last four games in all competitions, including Jannelle Straker’s screamer against Flyde, and will hope to continue their form.
In terms of the league table, a victory here would push West Brom up to fourth, forcing Stoke City into fifth even though West Brom will still have a game in hand. Promotion would not have been essential this season, but a genuine push is achievable, but to do so fixtures like these must be won.
The Flyde draw was a bitter pill to swallow considering how it ended, but Wednesday offers the perfect chance to set the record straight.
In other West Brom news, a BBC pundit was baffled by Baggies man’s international call up.