Leading 3-0 at the break thanks to goals from Katie Johnson, Maz Gauntlett and Destiney Toussaint, before further gloss was added to the scoreline after the break, courtesy of Amber Hughes and Beth Merrick.
On the road for the third time already this season, Wolves continue their streak of starting games hot, scoring within the first ten minutes for the second consecutive game.
Anna Morphet whipped the ball in and found youngster Katie Johnson at the back post, and she knocked it into the back of the net – Johnson’s first goal of the season, along with the third assist of the campaign for Morphet.
Keeping the ball impressively, Wolves were able to score two goals in the first-half for the first time this season, as a mix up in the Stoke box led to Gauntlett stealing the ball and finding the back of the net for the second time this campaign.
Then, Destiney Toussaint got off the mark in old gold, showing her quick feet, dribbling past a defender, before rounding the keeper and slotting it into the goal to give the visitors a three-goal lead.
Half-time | Stoke 0-3 Wolves
After the break, Morphet almost shocked the hosts as she crossed the ball into the box and caused problems for the Stoke goalkeeper, who parried clear for a corner. From the resulting cornet, Merrick delivered for Hughes, who headed home her third goal in as many games.
Merrick then continued her fantastic second-half, receiving the ball from defence and driving it up the pitch and sweetly chipping the ball over the head of the Stoke goalkeeper, with the ball ending up in the back of Stoke’s net once again.
The second-half ended in a lively fashion after some controversy that led to hosts being reduced to ten men. In the closing stages Johnson has a chance to grab her second and Wolves’ sixth, but as the chance came and went it mattered not, as the old gold finished on top.
Full-time | Stoke 0-5 Wolves
REACTION
After another 5-0 victory for Wolves, Dan McNamara gave his assessment on the game and said that “we asked the girls to pick up on where they left off on Sunday”.
He said: “Huddersfield was one of the most complete performances I’ve seen since I took over and you’ve just seen it carry on there. I thought we were absolutely fantastic in every area. Everyone knows what pleases me the most and it’s that desire and hard work out of possession, you saw that in abundance today.
“I'm delighted for the girls; it’s been a tough start and to come out with seven points is fantastic going into our first home game on Sunday.”
On the two-day recovery period
“Wolves have been fantastic, the steps were taken, for them to be in that cryo chamber with the first team yesterday was unbelievable. It was a great experience, but it was also something that helped out here tonight along with the recovery session on Sunday. It’s the little details that we put into it that gave the girls a good platform to go on and perform like they did.”
“Thank you to the club, we’re all going in a fantastic direction, and I keep saying this, I’m really pleased of the application of everyone back at Compton."
On Katie Johnson’s impressive start
“Katie Johnson epitomises Wolves. I asked her to trust me four years ago and she did, she bought into what we were trying to do. She’s been away, she’s learned bits about the game and know you’re seeing her come back, in that backline she offers us pace in behind, she can play with the ball at her feet, she can head it.
“She’s absolutely phenomenal and at 19 she has a really bright future, hopefully we can keep matching her ambition at Wolves because I don’t think it will be long until a couple of clubs come knocking for her if she keeps performing like that.”
On Destiney Toussaint’s performances
“We knew what we were getting with Destiney, I’ve been after her for a few years now, that’s no secret and you see why out there, she’s unplayable when she is on that kind of form. We brought her in late on in the Summer and I think she’ll be the first to admit that she’s not quite there yet. I think we’ve still got more to see from her as she gets fitter and fitter.
“She was creative, she showed that aggression and desire out of possession. She can finish, you saw that finish today it was absolutely first class, I’m just excited and I think there’s a lot more to come from Destiney over the upcoming season.”
On the importance of squad balance
“We want to create our own players like Katie Johnson and the twins (Jade and Emma Cross), along with players like Tammi George and loads more I’ve missed. You have to have that experience, your Helen Dermody’s, Amber Hughes,’ Anna Price’s. It’s a perfect mix, a perfect blend and I keep saying it’s a great group of people, they’re fantastic players but it’s the people that make journeys like this so special, it’s people that make things like this achievable.
“I’m delighted to be back managing this group of people and I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”
On the upcoming first home game
“We’ve experienced it with the friendly against Ipswich, it’s a first-class facility. I’m excited and we want to start building that fan base now over at Telford, we’re trying to encourage people to travel across. With performances like that we’re only going to attract more people, it will be a tough one on Sunday, three games in seven days is always tough but with the form we’re on at the minute and after a disjointed Summer, it’s taken them ten days and I think they’re blowing people away at the minute.”
NEXT FIVE
- 04/09 Loughborough Lightning (H)
- 11/09 Northampton (A) FAWNL Cup
- 18/09 Nottingham Forest (A)
- 25/09 Fylde (A)
- 02/10 Burnley (H)
TEAMS
Stoke | Craven, Roberts (Thompson 45), Woodbyrne, Bedeau, Axten, Richardson, Gibson, Gibson, Kivel, Bowyer, Holder (Barber 62), Hunt (Delle 77).
Wolves | Thomas, Morphet, E. Cross, George (Dicken 59), Gauntlett (J. Cross 59), Dermody (Cooper 63’), Hughes, Thomas, Holmes, Johnson, Toussaint (Price 68), Merrick (Darby 68).
