Lincoln United Women won local bragging rights as they beat rivals Lincoln City Women in the first derby of the season.
A Lauren Churcher brace along with strikes from Holly Wilson, Betsy Thomas and an Isabelle Thorpe solo goal were enough for all three points for the visitors.
It was the first meeting of the two local rivals in the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands, following The Whites’ promotion to the fourth tier last season.
Both sides came into the derby in turbulent times. The Imps sat bottom of the league, having failed to pick up any points from their opening five games.
Meanwhile, United travelled managerless following the departure of Ricky Pledger. Former boss and promotion winning manager Chris Funnell took interim charge of the team for the derby, and made four changes from the side that lost 4-0 to Leafield Athletic.
First Lincoln Derby of the Season:
It was a lively start in a drizzly Gainsborough, and it took just seven minutes for the deadlock to be broken. After a midfield scramble Lincoln City’s Weronika Kruszyna found herself through on goal.
Amy Hood came rushing out her net and hoped to close the angle to the forward, but Kruszyna calmly slotted into the bottom left corner to give the Imps an early lead.
However, just as City seemed to have settled the quicker of the two, moments later United replied with a spectacular equaliser. With space and time on the left-wing Lauren Churcher cut inside and curled a perfect right-footed effort into the top right corner, fooling the goalkeeper and levelling the game.
The hosts continued to assert their dominance on the game as the first-half wore on. The Imps had the most of the possession and threatened the United high line with lofted balls over the top.
Towards the end of the entertaining half though Chris Funnell’s team began to claw their way back into the game and started to cause trouble for the Imps defence. Goalscorer Churcher was a real threat on the Whites’ left-wing, and combined with some nervy moments for City ‘keeper Jasmine Ottewell, made life difficult at the back for the home side.
A Tale of Two Halves:
With the derby on a knife-edge at half-time, Chris Funnell made brought on former Imps winger Betsy Thomas to face her former side.
Thomas had the first real chance of the second half in the 50th minute as she latched on to a long ball over the top, but could only fire her shot well wide as she sprinted goalward.
Lincoln United were certainly the team on top as the second-half began to take shape, and on 54 minutes found the goal they wanted. Isabelle Thorpe picked the ball up just outside the City penalty area and rounded four defenders before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to score a brilliant solo goal.
With United ahead for the first time in the derby they looked to kill the game off, and on the hour mark that is exactly what they did. An intricate passing move allowed Chrucher to find some space in the area and fire a clever finish across the goalkeeper.
The Whites were not allowing City any possession or sustained periods of pressure in the second-half, in a game which was now night and day from the tightly contested first 45.
With five minutes left on the clock, Holly Wilson wrapped it up with a fourth for United. Put through on goal, she was cool and composed before firing a powerful strike into the bottom left corner.
Before the referee could blow for full time though Betsy Thomas got on the scoresheet to make it 1-5. She lined up a shot from just inside the penalty area after a weaving run, powerfully striking beyond Ottewell.
Two late goals from Chris Funnell substitutes were able to cap off a great night for the returning interim boss, as Lincoln United won the derby by a significant margin.
Lincoln City 1-5 Lincoln United:
A dominant Lincoln United second-half performance was enough to see them take home all three points in the derby. Substitutes at the break changed the game in The Whites’ favour and saw them run out comfortable winners in a game which looked tight at half-time.
Lincoln City remain bottom of the table with no points from six games, while United rise to eighth and pick up their second win of the season.
Chris Funnell, therefore, makes a winning return to management. He will surely hope to repeat the feat in his second game as interim manager, when Lincoln United host Aston Villa Academy in the National League Plate this weekend.
Feature Image Credit: Ed Mayes Photography