Wolves Women manager Dan McNamara has collected April’s Manager of the Month award for the Premier Division.
Following five wins from five, McNamara received the majority of the vote by both a panel of judges and the public.
The Old Gold boss was up against Halifax’s Rob Mitchell, Burnley’s Rebecca Sawiuk and Ipswich Town’s Joe Sheenhan, and came out on top following his 100% record in April.
Wolves scored a staggering 25 goals in just five games, averaging five per game, and stretched their winning run to seven following on from two victories at the back end of March.
How a 100% April unfolded
Up first in April was a midweek trip to the War Memorial Ground to take on Stourbridge, and Wolves wasted no time in brushing aside their opponents.
McNamara’s side were four goals up inside just 20 minutes with Amber Hughes, Anna Morphet, Tammi George and Liv Fergusson all scoring a brace as Wolves ran out 8-0 winners in the local clash.
The team then returned to the New Bucks Head four days later and put on a five-star performance, beating Halifax by five goals to one.
Sophie Bramford was the star of the show that day as the substitute scored twice off the bench, including one stunning effort which earned a nomination for Goal of the Season.
A fifth win on the spin was secured when Wolves travelled to Kellamergh Park for a rearranged fixture at Fylde. Summer Holmes opened the scoring with her first of the campaign before Hughes and Ellie Wilson added two more later on, on a day where Bec Thomas celebrated 100 appearances in between the sticks.
Perhaps the most dramatic game of the campaign followed as Wolves hosted Nottingham Forest in Telford, coming up against a side who hadn’t lost in the league since November.
And it was far from going to plan as Forest were three goals to the good after 56 minutes. However, the never-say-die attitude of McNamara’s group was there for all to see as the team heroically fought back through Hughes, Beth Merrick and Fergusson’s last-minute equaliser.
However, Wolves weren’t done there and sensed there was time to complete the turnaround. And they duly did so, as the home side attacked and Merrick fired in a 93rd minute winner to seal all three points and the eventual Goal of the Season winner in the process.
Three goals down. 30 to play. Enjoy 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ob2aYau17W
— Wolves Women FC (@WolvesWomen) April 22, 2024
The Old Gold completed their home double header that week by notching another five past Derby County, concluding their New Bucks Head fixtures with a seventh successive victory and five from five in April.
Fergusson, Merrick (2), George and Hughes were the scorers that night, as Wolves put on a show in front of their home faithful and all but confirmed McNamara’s nomination for the April gong.
