Wolves 1 (Wilson 90+5) Stoke 1 (Murphy 43)
Ellie Wilson provided late drama at the New Bucks Head after the defender snatched a draw at the death to claim a deserving point against Stoke City.
The Old Gold dominated for large parts of the afternoon but found themselves behind at the break when Lilly Murphy poked home at the back post three minutes before half-time.
After failing to find their clinical edge for 90 minutes, Wolves got their just rewards in the fifth minute of additional time when Wilson headed in from a sublime cross from the right to earn the Old Gold a point and do one better than earlier on in the season when the Potters won 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
Wolves came close to breaking the deadlock just after 10 minutes through Beth Merrick, who struck a low-driven effort through a crowd of bodies, but Liz Hobson managed to get down and claim.
In the 17th minute, Liv Fergusson floated a cross into Beth Roberts’ path, who was lurking at the back post, but Hobson parried the effort away off the line.
A minute later, Merrick picked the ball up in the middle of the park and attempted a long-range effort from 40 yards out, but Hobson kept the Potters level after making another great save.
With just over five minutes remaining in the first half, the Old Gold went close again when Hughes stood up a cross for Wilson in the danger zone, who looked to have poked in the opener, but Hobson came to the Potters rescue again and saved.
With one of their few opportunities, Stoke broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when Evie Smith floated a cross into Murphy, who stabbed home the opener after pouncing on a loose ball at the back post.
Half-time | Wolves 0-1 Stoke City
Just after the break, Stoke went close again when Smith delivered a dangerous cross into the box for Heidi Logan, whose headed goalward effort went narrowly over.
Wolves kept searching for the equaliser, and just before the hour mark, Anna Morphet whipped a ball into the box, which Fergusson managed to get on the end of, but her headed effort went a whisker over.
In the final 20 minutes, it was all Wolves, and after a quick passing move from the Old Gold, Amber Hughes drove a low hard shot from the edge of the box that Hobson managed to save.
Dan McNamara's side finally found the equaliser in the fifth minute of additional time when Wilson headed home after rising highest in a crowd of bodies from an inviting free-kick.
Full-time | Wolves 1-1 Stoke City
NEXT FIVE
04/02/24 – Newcastle United (A)
11/02/24 – Brighton & Hove Albion (H) FA Cup
18/02/24 – West Brom (H) Challenge Cup
21/02/24 – Stourbridge (A)
25/02/24 – Liverpool Feds (H)
TEAMS
Wolves | Turner, Wilson, Morphet, George, Will (Bramford 68), Hughes (Owen 79), Johnson, Fergusson (Dudley-Jones 68), Toussaint, Roberts (J. Cross 79), Merrick.
Unused subs | Fryer.
Stoke City | Hobson, Thompson (Molinari 45+3), Holder, Logan, Higginbottom, Kivel, McDonald, Smith, Murphy (Jordan 83), Leek (Stamps 60), Suttie.
Unused subs | Tudor, Finneran.
Report by Jordan Preece
