Match Preview: Cheadle Town Stingers vs AFC Fylde Women

AFC Fylde Women will hope to finish their season on a high note when they travel to Cheadle Town Stingers on Sunday.

Photo: Christopher Meers

Their final fixture of the 2024/25 campaign will be played at the Ground Up Solutions Stadium on Sunday 27th April, with kick-off at 2.00 pm.

Danny Murphy’s side will be looking to build on their positive performance a fortnight ago when they came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Durham Cestria. On a special occasion for the Club, the Women’s team marked their long-awaited return to Mill Farm with a battling display in front of a bumper home crowd.

Lois Moore opened the scoring for Fylde early on, but the visitors turned the game around with two quick-fire goals as they took a narrow lead going into the break. Fylde pushed on in the second half and eventually got their rewards ten minutes from time when Holly Kelsh-Ridge equalised with an unstoppable strike into the top corner. The Coasters rallied in search of a late winner but ultimately had to settle for a point at the end of an enthralling contest at Mill Farm.

Looking ahead to this weekend, the Coasters are set to face Dylan Wimbury’s Stingers for already the third time this season. In their first meeting, the two teams faced off in the First Round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup at the start of November.

On a chilly afternoon at Park Road, Fylde dominated the first half but could not find the breakthrough that their approach play deserved. Cheadle came out strongly in the second half as Imogen Porteous-Williams scored twice to help the hosts on their way to a 2-0 victory.

The Coasters welcomed the Stingers to Kellamergh Park for their league fixture only a fortnight later. On that occasion, Cheadle made the perfect start as Harriet Houghton scored from a corner inside the opening ten minutes. Fylde gradually grew into the contest but struggled to create any real chances. The visitors went on to double their lead in the closing stages when Issy Dean converted from another set play.

It is all to play for in their third meeting this weekend. While Cheadle will be going all out to secure maximum points in their quest for the title, the Coasters will also be looking to end the season strongly on the road.

Words by Scott Jones