Knaresborough Town Women are too hot for Harrogate Railway Reserve to handle

Mike Bligh’s team have made the perfect start to their first season in existence, emerging victorious from each of their opening six league matches of 2022/23.

They were quickly out of the blocks on Sunday afternoon, breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute when Lorna Wilkinson took the ball around Railway’s goalkeeper to make it 1-0.

Visiting custodian Vicky Beaty then pulled off a wonderful double-save to prevent Lydia Corner from adding to the home lead, but with a quarter of an hour on the clock, Boro’s second of the afternoon arrived.

Wilkinson was again played one-on-one with Beaty and on this occasion she slotted her finish into the back of the net.

The battle for midfield supremacy continued during the 10 minutes that followed, with the Rail getting themselves on the front foot and asking some questions of the Town defence.

At the other end of the field, there was real pace and purpose about the way that Knaresborough attacked and they went 3-0 up on 25 minutes after Wilkinson scored with a header to complete her hat-trick from Rachel Carmichael’s corner.

The goals kept coming and, soon afterwards a fine chipped effort by Grace Adams found the back of the Railway net, leaving the hosts four up.

Wilkinson still wasn’t finished, shooting from inside the penalty area less than 60 seconds later and making it 5-0.

Railway’s best chance of the half came and went shortly before the interval, and Knaresborough were soon back in the ascendancy.

Carmichael took the home tally to six when she picked up the ball outside of the away box, controlled it, looked up to see the keeper off her line, and then let fly with an exquisite strike which dipped just below the cross- bar.

The Rail took more punishment before the half-time whistle, Lucy Taylor meeting a Carmichael cross in a crowded penalty area and forcing the ball over the line.

Seven goals to the good at the interval, Boro wasted no time in adding to their total after the resumption with Eva Jenkins racing away to fire her team into an 8-0 lead on 48 minutes.

Eight minutes into the second half, Bligh’s side went 9-0 up following a moment of controversy.

As a Knaresborough attack developed, one of the Railway defenders went down away from the play, however the referee didn’t blow his whistle to stop the game and the ball reached Adams, who fired home in style from the edge of the box.

As the visiting player received treatment, the Rail’s players spoke to the referee, but the goal stood and unfortunately the injured defender had to be substituted.

No further goals followed, though Boro had already done more than enough.