Bolton Wanderers Women had their first run out of their pre-season schedule in a behind-closed doors fixture against Atherton LR, running out 3-1 winners at Lostock on Sunday afternoon.
A Madison Hardman brace and a Faye Knox penalty secured victory for Wanderers on an incredibly warm day, with vital minutes put into the legs as they step up their preparations for the new campaign.
It was a game comprised of three 20 minute periods as both sides ease themselves into their pre-season fixtures, but the Whites started on the front foot with Knox setting up an early chance for a trialist - who struck an effort towards the top corner - but Jace Carlin made a strong save to tip the strike onto the crossbar.
Wanderers continued to probe for the opener, and Hardman went agonisingly close two minutes later, but Carlin once again made a smart save before LR scrambled well to clear.
The forward tested Carlin once more on the next attack when getting her effort away on the turn looked destined to find the net but the post denied her.
The visitors carried threat however, and through Shannon Gill they had a player looking lively at the top end of the field. A ball over-the-top put her through one-on-one with Annabelle White, but the Wanderers’ keeper made a save down to her left.
That gave the away side some belief and Gill went up against White once more with another one-v-one scenario, but the Whites’ number one was up to the task and made a brilliant stop to keep the scores level.
Hardman lead the line superbly for the Whites all afternoon, and with the ball being set nicely to her by the trialist, the forward’s snap-shot around a defender looked destined to find the top corner but Carlin made another good save.
With Wanderers knocking at the door, it proved to be a matter of time for them to break the deadlock, and it was no surprise that it was Hardman who grabbed the first goal of the day.
Lovely play between Charlotte Tyers and Knox allowed the latter to thread a pass between defenders for Ocean Flanagan down the left. Her effort deflected nicely into the path of Hardman, who applied the simple finish into the empty net.
Despite Wandererstaking the lead, LR responded superbly and got themselves back level within a minute. A loose clearance inside the Whites' area fell nicely at the feet of Tailor Toner, whose effort was guided nicely into the top corner and away from the full-stretch reach of White.
As the game started to stretch into the final 10 minutes and with the temperatures continuing to have an effect, Wanderers got themselves back in front from the penalty spot.
Knox was quickest to a loose ball inside the LR penalty area, and went down under a challenge. She picked herself up to take the spot-kick, and converted coolly into the bottom-left hand corner.
Two quickly became three as a lovely move from back-to-front allowed Hardman to grab her second. Hannah Baldwin started the move nicely to find Eleanor Seals in space, allowing the midfielder to drill a through ball for Hardman to typically chase down, beat Dakota Pixon to the ball and roll it confidently into the waiting net.
With that, Wanderers saw the game out in tough warm-weather conditions and sealed the ideal way to start their pre-season schedule, with the new season just a matter of weeks away.
Wanderers: White (GK), Trialist, Holt (C), Smith, Baldwin, Flanagan, Seals, Trialist, Trialist, Knox, Hardman.
Subs: Tyers
Atherton LR: Carlin (GK), Ripley, E.Gill, Wilkinson, Pennington, Greenhalgh, Toner, Ross, S.Gill, Huyton (C), Cossey.
Subs: Pixton (GK), Wood, Campbell
Pictures by Jake Horrocks.