The Northampton Town Football and Education Programme Women’s squad won 5-2 at home to AFC Bournemouth in the National Football Youth League South Premier Women on Wednesday afternoon.
The Cobblers dominated the first half and opened the scoring early on, when the ball was worked around on the edge of the box and Kitty Crouch fired home a first-time effort.
The hosts came inches from doubling their lead on the quarter-of-an-hour mark, as Keeley Jackson crashed a long-range strike off the crossbar and Ellie Barker sent the follow-up wide.
Mia Richards made it two a few minutes later, receiving Alex Dicks’ short corner, skipping past a defender and finding the back of the net with a low strike off both the ’keeper and near post.
Richards fired a low free-kick across the box and narrowly wide of the far post and Crouch curled off target from outside the area as the Cobblers came close to extending their advantage 10 minutes before the break.
Bournemouth improved after the interval and began maintaining possession more effectively. Iona Smith rushed off her line to deny an attacker who was found in space in the area on the hour, before the ‘keeper pushed away a long-range drive with an outstretched arm five minutes later.
An opportunity fell to Barker at the other end in the time between the saves, the forward having a shot on the turn held by the ‘keeper after Jackson pressed a defender into a loose pass.
Three goals were scored in an end-to-end final 10 minutes of normal time. The visitors halved the deficit with a speculative effort from 40 yards, Jackson found the bottom corner with a strike from distance and the second ball from a corner was curled home by an attacker.
The Cobblers secured all three points with two more goals in added time, Richards placing home from the penalty spot after Dicks was brought down in the area by a sliding challenge and captain Ruby Heselden finishing low across goal.
Cobblers: Iona Smith, Maddie Carter, Ruby Heselden, Mia Paradise, Ellie Barker, Mia Richards, Georgia Gale, Afrika de Villiers, Kitty Crouch, Keeley Jackson, Alex Dicks
Substitutes: Lauren Hewitt, Sophia Tennent, Olivia Aston, Shannon Cain