Wilmslow 0 Lymm Ladies 1

SO far, so good for Lymm Ladies as the first half of their debut season at a higher level ends with them being top of the tree for Christmas.

Saturday’s win maintained an unblemished record from 13 outings, leaving them 12 points clear of Alderley Edge in North Hockey Women’s League Division Two South West.

Lymm, runaway winners of Cheshire Division One last season, were given a severe test at Wilmslow, where the pitch defrosted sufficiently for the clash to be the only one in the league to go ahead on Saturday.

The visitors got off to a good start when Nat Riley earned her side a deserved and decisive lead.

She won the ball as Lymm pressed high up the pitch, drove into the D and finished with composure.

More chances followed for the visitors with Meg Wilkin, Alex Pepper and Riley testing the Wilmslow defence.

A turning point arrived when a heavy challenge upended Lymm’s captain Lisa Hartley-Woodrow.

Although she returned after treatment on the sidelines, in the period before half time Lymm lost momentum and never fully regained it.

In a gritty display, Lymm’s defence of Izzy Plumb, Sarah Gardner, Helen Hunt, Alex Mitchell and Sarah Cooper worked tirelessly to keep any Wilmslow attacking threats at bay.

But the team were ultimately indebted to goalkeeper Amy Heywood, who pulled off some magnificent one-on-one saves to maintain the league leaders’ advantage.

Lymm will return to action at home to strugglers Didsbury Northern Ladies on Saturday, January 10.

Their women’s second string will have a crunch clash that day, too.

Currently second in Cheshire League Division Two with nine wins and a draw from 11 games, they will visit fourth-placed Golborne.

The Lymm side are only one win behind leaders Neston South Wirral seconds with a game in hand and a goal difference of -3.