Bolton Wanderers Women finished their pre-season scheduled with a convincing 3-0 victory over Salford City Lionesses in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Lostock.
Madison Hardman continued her fine pre-season form with another goal, with a trialist grabbing a brace on a sun-soaked afternoon as Wanderers rounded off their fixtures ahead of their season opener against Darwen in style.
The game started at a decent pace but lacking any real openings - for either side - with the visitors forcing Annabelle White into action to deny a looping header from a dangerous right-wing cross.
This triggered Wanderers into action, when a trialist picked out Faye Knox in space, who turned away from her defender nicely to, but the forward’s clever clipped effort drifted narrowly wide.
The trialist operating on the Whites' right-hand side was again heavily involved when sliding a precise through ball into Hardman’s path. The striker found a yard to drill the ball across goal, but it just evaded everyone in the box. Moments later, Knox rattled the post with a sharp snapshot after another pull-back from the lively trialist.
The first half ended goalless, but Bolton wasted no time after the restart in taking the lead.
Just two minutes into the second half, Knox’s corner was nodded back into danger by the trialist, and Hardman reacted quickest to fire home from close range.
Just three minutes later, Bolton had a golden chance to double the lead when Knox’s free-kick found the trialist in space, but she turned her effort over from close range.
The miss was quickly forgotten, however, as in the 51st minute she rose highest at the far post to meet a cross, and despite the keeper parrying the effort, the ricochet bounced over the line to make it two.
Ocean Flanagan then went close from range shortly after, before a flashpoint on 59 minutes saw a defensive trialist shown a red card for dissent.
Being reduced to 10 did nothing to deter Wanderers as they still pressed forward and the trialist doubled her tally for the day when she powerfully nodded in from a corner to strengthen Wanderers' handle on the game.
The numerical disadvantage did not hamper the Whites, and the hosts had further chances to extend the lead, with the all-action Flanagan cutting in to shoot straight at the keeper, before Hardman seeing a fierce drive brilliantly saved.
Knox almost capped the day with a late free-kick that stung the hands of the goalkeeper but it was a controlled performance from start to finish that stands Wanderers in good stead heading into the new campaign with a first trip to Darwen.
Wanderers: White (GK), Walsh, Holt (C), Trialist, Trialist, Smith, Flanagan, Knox, Tyers, Trialist, Hardman. Subs: Trialist, Clarke.
Report by Katherine Byrne. Pictures from Jake Horrocks.