Ferdinando brace seals victory for Ladies 3s

Halifax Ladies 3rds 4 - Barnsley 2

Halifax needed to build on excellent play last weekend but they started slowly.

The opposition took control early on in the game when they scored the opening goal after just a few minutes from a penalty corner. The Halifax defence organised themselves and began to stand firm until Barnsley scored a second goal when a player was allowed to get away from her marker and take a shot on goal from just inside the circle.

Halifax re-grouped at half time.

As the second half began Halifax started more brightly and with a renewed determination to meet the ball first.

The first Halifax goal was quick to come as the pressures mounted on the Barnsley defence, Louise Bottomley slotting home after a quickly taken free hit by April Hendy was deflected into her path by Margaret Bottomley.

Halifax soon became the more dominant team and levelled the game with accurate and fast passing to allow Margaret Bottomley to score a well worked goal.

The third goal came when Robyn Fawkes released a quick ball to the Bottomley senior, who found Vicki Ferdinando at the far post. Ferdinando then doubled the Halifax advantage in the closing moments when she scored another goal from the left post after a thunderbolt cross from Bottomley junior.

A disciplined performance in the second half, particularly by man of the match Anna Butterworth gave Halifax a much needed win to keep them moving up the table.