Chorltonian Ladies began 2017 with a trip to Merseyside where they fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of Ellesmere Port Town.

Chorlts were looking to build on a 1-0 win over Egerton before Christmas whilst Ellesmere headed into the game unbeaten in three matches.  The first effort of the game fell to the home side as Ellesmere won a corner and 19 fired over from the edge of the area following a knock down.

Chorlts responded on eight minutes as Debbie Price spun past her marker, bursting down the wing on a four-on-three counter but her pass found the hands of the Ellesmere goalkeeper.  A minute later the Ellesmere Town forced the first save from Chorlts goalkeeper Claire Jefferson as Hannah Perry curled an effort into her hands.  Despite having lost the first meeting 4-1 Chorlts showed they weren’t going to allow the home side to dictate the game as Sarah Cuthbert forced another save from the Ellesmere Town goalkeeper Charlotte Perry stinging her palms from the edge of the area.  It was the visitors who almost took the lead on 11 minutes when an under-hit back pass put Jordanna Shaw through one-on-one but her effort was blocked by the goalkeeper, despite shouts for hand ball the rebound fell to Price whose lobbed effort just shaved the top of the bar from 20 yards out.

The game continued to be end to end and on 20 minutes Ellesmere fired another effort into Jefferon’s hands from a worked corner routine.  From that, Chorlts countered putting Jamila Hodges through but she was only denied by a superb last ditch tackle.

The home side were denied themselves as Elizabeth Livesey saved certain goal with a superb sliding tackle.  However the home side took the lead on 33 minutes as a cross was knocked down into the path of Hannah Parry whose first time effort was drilled inside the right hand post.  The goal buoyed Ellesmere and three minutes later Natalie Neary raced through but couldn’t force her shot on target hitting the side netting.  Chorlts should have gone into the half time break level as a throw in to the byline was pulled back to Shaw inside the area but she could only fire it at the goalkeeper.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot but it was Ellesmere who created the half’s first chance when on 58 minutes when Jefferson was forced to palm an effort away at the near post. Chorlts responded on the hour mark when Shaw latched onto a through ball, beating her man before forcing a superb save from 1 low down to her left to tip it round the post.  From the resulting corner Hodges saw her chipped cleared off the line.

Chorlts were left to rue missed chances as Ellesmere doubled their lead on 72 minutes when a loose pass from, the otherwise impressive, Ellie Taylor fell to Becky Sheel and she lobbed the Chorlts goalkeeper from 20 yards out, a superb finish. 

To their credit Chorlts didn’t allow their heads to drop as Shaw went through but could only hit the side netting from a narrow angle before a superb cross from Price founded the head of Hodges but she saw her header fly just past the post.

However it was the home sides clinical finishing the proved the difference in an end-to-end entertaining game of football.

Chorltonians next game is at home to FC United of Manchester which will be played at Brookburn Road, the home of West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC on Sunday 16th January, 2pm KO.  Admission is FREE and the bar will be open.