Magic Mapp keeps Manchester on top

Two second-half goals from Chloe Mapp were enough to see off rivals Man Met and keep Manchester top of the Northern 2A Division.

The Manchester midfielder struck midway through the second half, before sealing an impressive performance with a sublime free-kick in the closing stages.

Captain Fionn Andrews scored late on to give the visitors hope, but anything less than a victory would have been harsh on the home side, who should probably have won by a greater margin.

That the game even went ahead was of great credit to the Armitage groundsmen, as much of the playing area was left saturated after 48 hours of persistent rain.

Manchester went into the game looking to continue their 100% league record, and they started in confident fashion.

Winger Sophie Bracegirdle tormented the visitors all afternoon, and it was from her early corner that Manchester almost took the lead. Goalkeeper Elle Stamford failed to deal with a speculative cross, but Simone Wan was disappointed to see her close-range header come back off the crossbar.

That was about as close as Manchester came in a frustrating first half, in which they dominated in possession but failed to create any meaningful chances. Much of the home side’s good work came through Mapp, who repeatedly found space in front of the Man Met back four, and Bracegirdle, who had the beating of full-back Katie Southern and provided excellent service from the right flank.

Man Met were outnumbered in the centre of midfield and struggled to keep the ball, but it was they who came closest on the brink of half-time. A clever turn and shot from Ruth Cornish drifted just wide of the far post, where it was almost met by the sliding Andrews.

Manchester started the second period much as they had finished the first, with Andrews called into action in her own penalty area, nicking the ball from the head of Bergin before clearing off the line after a scramble in the six-yard box.

It was only a matter of time before the hosts’ domination told, and it was no surprise to see Mapp and Wan combine in setting up the opening goal.

Having been harshly ruled offside just moments before, Wan collected the ball 30 yards from goal and, with her back turned, delayed her pass to meet the run of Mapp, who burst between the two Man Met centre halves before slotting past Stamford.

It was no less than Manchester deserved, and despite a brief period of pressure from the visitors, the points were sealed in the 82^rd minute when Mapp curled a 20-yard free-kick into the top left-hand corner. Andrew’s late flick was a just reward for her excellent individual performance, but Manchester recorded a deserved win to continue their perfect start to the season.