Match Preview: Vauxhall Motors Ladies vs Bootle FC Women

By Freddie Bullen

Photos: Kate Tencza

Bootle FC Women continue their impressive debut season tomorrow afternoon as they travel to Hope Park Sports to face Vauxhall Motors Ladies in the semi-final of the LWYFL Open Age Cup. With a place in the final at stake, the Bucks will be aiming to take another big step towards silverware after an exciting cup run so far.

The hosts come into the clash as LWFL Division Two champions, setting up a tough test for Bootle against strong opposition. However, the Bucks have already shown throughout the competition that they can rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Last time out, Bootle travelled to Carr Lane Recreation Ground to face Hesketh Colts in their final league game of the season, knowing a victory would keep their playoff hopes alive. The Bucks made the perfect start when Abbi Barrow fired home inside the opening two minutes, but the lead was short-lived as the hosts responded almost immediately through Macy Rimmer. Hesketh added two second-half goals to secure a 3-1 victory, ending Bootle’s hopes of reaching the playoffs despite a determined effort from the visitors.

Attention now turns back to cup action, where Bootle have enjoyed a memorable journey to the semi-finals. Their campaign began in January with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Clay Brow. Despite conceding early, the Bucks responded brilliantly as Abbi Fowler found the net and Poppie O’Neill stole the headlines with a superb hat-trick.

Bootle followed that result with another entertaining display at The Berry Street Garage Stadium, defeating Sefton Park Rangers 5-3. Once again, Poppie O’Neill was in outstanding form with another hat-trick, while Caitlyn Rogers contributed a goal and an assist in a dominant attacking performance.

The Bucks then earned an extra point against Hesketh Colts after a dramatic 1-1 draw was followed by a 5-3 penalty shootout victory. Caitlyn Rogers opened the scoring with a composed finish before goalkeeper Darcey Beckett produced a crucial save late in the game to preserve Bootle’s lead for as long as possible.

In their final group stage fixture, Bootle secured the point needed to reach the semi-finals after a goalless draw with Wirral Phoenix. Despite narrowly losing 4-3 on penalties, the Bucks created the better chances throughout the match, with Millie Davis also producing a heroic goal-line clearance to keep the game level.

Now, with a place in the final on the line, Bootle FC Women will be hoping to continue their remarkable cup run and produce another strong performance against Vauxhall Motors Ladies.