Blackburn Rovers Ladies football team have won the F.A Lancashire Challenge Cup for the fifth consecutive time after they beat Salford SV Ladies 3-0 at the County Ground, Leyland on Wednesday.
Blackburn are the highest ranked Ladies football team in Lancashire and went into the final as favourites against a Salford side who play their football two leagues below them. Three goals from Natalie Preston, Katie Anderton and Levi Penny secured the win for Blackburn but celebrations were marred by a serious injury to defender Katie Williams.
The game had to be stopped for twenty minutes mid-way through after right-back Williams sustained a serious knee injury challenging a Salford player to the ball. Scans have revealed Katie has sustained Ligament and tendon damage, and whilst the injury is not as serious as first thought it will rule her out for the rest of the season.
Manager Adam Lakeland said:
“We were all very concerned for Katie so it did ruin the celebrations a bit, but thankfully the injury is not as severe as we immediately thought.
It’s a very good achievement for the team, to win it for the fifth successive season is a testament to the players and the support we have received from the club. There was a lot of pressure going into the cup because we are the highest ranked team in Lancashire but it was brilliant to win it.
It was a good team performance, we were always in control of the game but credit to Salford they were very positive in their approach to the game, they played with no fear and give it a real go. They stopped us playing for spells in the game but in the end our quality shinned through.”
Salford bravely chose an attacking line-up for the game, but it was the premier league team who struck first, Natalie Preston connecting with a Karen Hanson cross to head Blackburn into the lead with twelve minutes gone.
Blackburn then extended there lead on 38 minutes, top-scorer Katie Anderton firing home from the penalty spot after she been brought down in the area.
Salford fought hard but could not find a way back into the game against a resilient Blackburn defence.
Blackburn sealed the victory on 52 minutes when Levi Penny applied the finish to another Karen Hanson cross to make it 3-0.
Lakeland’s team currently lie mid-table in the Premier League after a good start in which they were second before Christmas. Lakeland said:
“It’s been a mixed season, this is only our second season in the premier league and our aim has been to consolidate our position in the league which we are on course to do. Next season we really want to push-on and compete with the top two, Everton and Arsenal. At times the season we have showed we are more than capable of competing with the top teams.”
Related Story and picture adapted from - http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LadiesNews/0,,10303~1264123,00.html
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