Norton return to winning ways

Norton welcomed South Shields to Station Road for the annual friendly between the two sides. The game came just 7 days before the start of The FA Women’s National League season starts and was the penultimate pre season friendly for Chris Burton’s side. Shields have been a Tier 5 side for a number of seasons now and the fixture is always a competitive game.

South Shields with the wind behind them started much the brighter of the two sides and were first to most balls. The early pressure resulted in a number of corners for the away side and after 8 minutes one of the corners eventually told when a Shields player turned the ball home inside the 6 yard box.

Norton struggled with the Shields energy and were sloppy in possession with very little movement happening all over the pitch.

After 15 minutes Norton slowly worked their way into the game and began to move the ball a little bit better and Katie Ormerod went close with a free kick that went narrowly over.

Norton equalised on the 25th minute with the first bit of real quality. Katie Ormerod received the throw from Jordan Moore and drove inside. She went past a couple of players before slipping the ball to Chloe West. West took a touch and sent in a defence splitting pass to Izzy McEwen who had made a tremendous run. McEwen outpaced the chasing defender, took a touch and side footed the ball past the Shields goalkeeper.

Thirty minutes on the clock and Norton made 3 changes with Sophie Hodgson, Anna McArthur and Rachel Jackson replacing Estelle Clark, Maddie Myers and Katie Ormerod.

Norton seemed to settle and began to get on top and took the lead on 35 minutes. Georgia Rae stepped out of the defence and drove into midfield. Rae released a defence splitting pass that sent Sophie Hodgson racing clear. Hodgson lifted the ball over the visiting ‘keeper only to see her attempt to come back off the crossbar but she reacted the quickest and finished at the second time of asking.

Just before half time Norton added a third. Anna McArthur reacted quickest to a loose back pass from the half way line. McArthur won the race with the Shields keeper and slid the ball into the empty net for her first goal of preseason.

Half Time: Norton & Stockton Ancients Ladies 3-1 South Shields Women

Norton made one change at half time with Ash Coyle replacing Jordan Moore. In a role reversal of the first half Norton came out the second half flying and quickly added a fourth. Erin Boyle picked the ball up on the edge of the Shields area and let fly. The shot went through a crowded box and flew past the keeper into the bottom corner of the net.

On 60 minutes Norton made three more changes that saw Estelle Clark, Maddie Myers and Katie Ormerod replacing Sophie Tierney, Rachel Jackson and Izzy McEwen in what looked to be a very attacking team.

It was Katie Ormerod that got straight into the action; she received a pass from Ash Coyle on the halfway line and drove towards the Shields goal. Ormerod made her way into the Shields box beating a defender before unleashing a hard drive into the bottom corner of the net.

Minutes later and it was 6-1. Vicki Burton was fouled just inside her own half and she got up and played a quick free kick that sent Maddie Myers over the top in a sprint with the Shields keeper. Myers got there first and pulled the ball back to Estelle Clark. Clark fired the ball over the keeper’s head and into the back of the net.

Jordan Moore returned to the action replacing Vicki Burton and Izzy McEwen replaced Chloe West.

Norton nearly added a seventh when a good run and a perfectly timed pass from Anna McArthur sent Maddie Myers clear but Myers fired wide of the far post.

Norton went close again when Katie Ormerod danced past her marker in the box and her powerful drive cannoned back off the post.

The game came to an end and the score remained 6-1.

Full Time: Norton & Stockton Ancients Ladies 6 - 1 South Shields Women

STARTING XI: Kelsie Moore, Izzy McEwen, Georgia Rae, Vicki Burton, Jordan Moore, Erin Boyle, Sophie Tierney, Chloe West, Estelle Clark, Maddie Myers, Katie Ormerod

SUBSTITUTES: Sophie Hodgson, Anna McArthur, Ash Coyle, Rachel Jackson

Goal Scorers: Izzy McEwen, Sophie Hodgson, Anna McArthur, Erin Boyle, Katie Ormerod & Estelle Clark

Player of the Match: Georgia Rae