The stuff that dreams are made of…
Hull City Ladies rounded off an historic and memorable 2023/24 season in some style, under the sun in Manchester.
Arriving into the game, the Tigresses already knew their fate, this was about a performance and making sure the party wasn’t just for the evening
A brace of braces, first from Ellie Tanser and then Helen Lynskey as well as brilliant strikes from Shakala Brookes and Hope Knight secured a 6-0 lead before the excellently talented young players of FC United pulled one back late on
First Half… The Champions perhaps could be blamed for arriving into the game somewhat relaxed, and were quickly reminded that they were in a game as United’s youngsters, Sascha Lewis and Evie McCafferty threatened to cause problems. Lewis on the wide right getting a good chance to score before being denied by a brave Georgia Wattam block. Moments later, again Lewis cut the ball back but Ruby Dawson made a big block on the line to deny the hosts
City started to grow into the game. Bott exchanged a 1-2 with Knight down the left – her cross found Ackroyd at the back post before Donald palmed the effort away.
Brookes had a good effort, cutting inside and placing the ball past the keeper but onto the post
City did get the goal late in the half. An Ackroyd delivery from a corner picked out the run from Tanser, who rose well to flick the ball into the back post
HT 1-0
The second half, City came out to play. From the opening stages they looked more like the side we had seen midweek.
Another Ackroyd corner, and a powerful Tanser header doubled the lead for the visitors
Then Lynskey gets the goal she was searching for. Our leading scorer latched on to a mistake in the FC back line and lobs the ball over the keeper – putting herself infront in the leading scorer charts
Brookes did brilliantly to regain possession on the half way line, pressing and winning the ball before driving all the way up and to goal, slotting the ball in at the far post
Knight then got herself in on the act. Cutting inside then back out before sweeping the strike into the far top corner
And to round it off for City, Lynskey again was able to capitalise on a mistake at the back, prodding home after Tansers effort had initially been saved – this her 19th league goal of the season
FC then got a goal that their earlier performance had deserved. Lewis drove in, cutting one way, then the other, before lifting a cross to the onrushing Lawrence to head home
FT 6-1
Wattam (Wallace); Dawson (Oxley), Jackman (Pollock), Watters, Bott; Hunt, Tanser, Lynskey, Ackroyd; Brookes (Copsey), Knight