REPORT | Denbigh Town Ladies 6-2 Bellevue Women

Ellen Lawson’s Denbigh Town Ladies recorded their first win of the season with the 6-2 dismantling of Bellevue.

A Ceri Purvis hatrick as well as goals from Elen Jones, Bethany Kell and Charlotte Cooper sealed the win at Central Park.

Manager Lawson made four changes to the starting XI that faced Llangefni two weeks ago with Sophie Bancroft going in goal for Netty Young, as well as starts for Jess Duff, Elen Jones and Jess Frith.

The game was a close affair in the opening stages with both sides struggling to test either goalkeeper, the first opportunity of note came when Frith was let loose down the left before firing the ball over the bar, before Charlotte Morris dragged one wide shortly after.

On 24 minutes Town had the lead when Purvis, so impressive since signing in the summer, was set through on goal and finished calmly to put her side ahead. Just five minutes later Elen Jones doubled the advantage with a lobbed effort from the right channel.

Despite the lead, Bellevue fought back and halved the deficit when Lyndsey Ross finished well five minutes later.

Half-Time: Denbigh Town Ladies 2-1 Bellevue Women

The second half began at a frantic pace with Denbigh dominating possession. Town made three changes at the break including goalkeeper Bancroft forced out with injury, Megan Edwards replaced her in goal whilst Kell and Eluned Evans also came on for Duff and Charlotte Morris.

Eight minutes into the second half Purvis had her second when she picked the ball up on the edge of the box before smashing it home. Kell almost made it four two minutes later when her lob beat the keeper but just about missed the target, she was left wanting moments later when her shot one-on-one was saved superbly.

Bellevue despite the two-goal disadvantage continued to fight and had another goal just before the hour mark, as Lola Prince latched on to a long ball and beat Edwards to it to poke into the back of the net.

Frith almost had the perfect response when she was set through down the left but she lifted the ball over the crossbar with the goalkeeper stranded. But not to worry, as Purvis completed her hatrick less than a minute later with an absolute beauty, curling one in from the edge of the box into the top right corner.
Chances began to die down after a flurry of opportunities but on 77 minutes Kell finally got in on the act, as she was fed over the top before squeezing the ball past the Bellevue custodian.

The match began fizzling out until a moment before time as Frith squared the ball to substitute Cooper who finished superbly in the middle of the box to make it six.

Town are next in action next Sunday at Central Park once again against Bellevue in the North East Wales Challenge Cup.

Denbigh: Bancroft, Duff, Thomas, Claybrook, Owen, E.Jones, Purvis, S.Jones, C.Morris, Frith, E.Morris

Subs: Kell, Edwards, Evans, Hellon, Cooper

Attendance: 51

Referee: Shaun Edwards