Arriving at the 102 year old Kensite stadium home of Atherton Collieries Football Club, the pitch was showing the scars of many a hard fought game and Barnsley FC Ladies knew that their survival in the WPL Division 1 Northern required a positive result. A last minute squad change saw Alayna Millard called up Sunday morning from the development squad to replace Rebecca Fevers.

Lucy Turner won the toss and to the surprise of Bolton Wanderers decided to play downhill 1st half with Bolton Wanderers Ladies in white and blue kicking off.
1 min gone and from a Bolton corner their no 19 shot wide.
3 min a Bolton clearance was met by the cushioning head of Rebecca Wilson into fellow centre back Lucy Turner to play forward up to Kristie Ward, she headed into the path of Amy Woodruff breaking through the Bolton defensive line, but downhill her final touch was a little heavy pushing the ball out for a goal kick before she could shoot.
5 min Drew Greene broke down the Barnsley right wing before crossing across goal to sister Darcie Greene coming in at the back post but a pitch bobble made her scuff the shot wide of goal.
8 min Bryony Hudson miss judged the speed of the Bolton centre forward, almost losing possession in her area, conceding a corner instead. The corner was played deep from where the Bolton number 8 with her back to goal was tripped by Amy Woodruff, the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty, which their number 3 smashed into the top right corner of the net. 1-0 Bolton Wanderers.
17 min Bolton number 11 broke down their left wing with Georgina Wilson pressuring her all the way, but she still managed a cross come shot which rebounded off the right hand upright.
25 min a good linking move from the back involving Anna Cairns, Georgina Wilson and Drew Greene resulted in a Barnsley throw deep in the Bolton half, but the resulting attack was defended away easily.
28 min Georgina Wilson threw into Drew Greene who went on a dribbling run before playing square ball into Anna Cairns to hit a 20 yard shot which had the Bolton keeper scrambling down low to her right hand side to initially stop and spill the shot, but recovered quickly with no Barnsley player following in.
32 min a Bolton free kick awarded 40 yards out with Amy Woodruff adjudged to have caught the player late. When taken it was flashed low through a mass of players in the penalty area and off the right hand post, then tapped into the net but the Assistant Referees flag was raised for offside and the goal shouts dismissed away.
34 min Darcie Greene and Drew Greene switch wings
35 min Barnsley free-kick awarded, when Elisha James was tripped, was crossed into the penalty area only to be met first by a Bolton header cleared only as far as Emily Ward who hit it from 36 yards but wide of the right hand post.
37 min Bryony Hudson played out from the back into Lucy Turner, she found Georgina Wilson wide right and then down the right wing channel into the path of Darcie Greene, for once the Bolton centre back miss judged the bounce of the ball and Darcie Greene was able to get a clear sight of goal, her shot was save low by the keeper at the foot of her right hand post as sister Drew shouted she had been clear at the back post.
45 min Bolton number 11 broke up the left wing and again Georgina Wilson had to be quick to get a toe to the ball pushing it out for a corner. From the corner Rebecca Wilson blocked it clear into Kristie Turner who with a smart turn played through the Bolton covering defence and into the path of Amy Woodruff, but it was just too strong on the downhill slope and was easily gathered by the out rushing Bolton Wanderers keeper.
47 mins whistle blown for half time, 1-0 Bolton Wanderers and conversations within the travelling Barnsley FC Ladies supporters were about how the players would cope playing up the slope having played the better football with no rewards in the 1st half.
Change for Barnsley FC Ladies with Isabel Thomas coming on for Amy Woodruff, but taking the left wing position with Darcie Greene moving into midfield.
47 min Anna Cairns played into the feet of Darcie Greene who threaded the pass up to Isabel Thomas on the left wing, she played to Kristie Ward central just inside the Bolton Wanderers penalty area but leaning back she shot over the crossbar.
51 min Anna Cairns challenged and won the ball on the edge of the Bolton penalty area, she laid off to Darcie Greene but her shot was blocked away
55 min Georgina Wilson received the ball wide right from Anna Cairns and she played a lovely ball up the right wing for Drew Greene to run onto and cross into the box with Kristie Ward managing a goal bound shot which again was blocked away.
58 min Bolton break down their right wing through number 7, but a sliding challenge from Emily Ward managed to block the cross away for a corner, from which their number 6 rose highest above the gloves of Bryony Hudson to head just over the crossbar.
59 min a Barnsley free kick awarded for a challenge on Kristie Ward was lifted into the Bolton penalty area by Anna Cairns, it was headed away and Bolton were quickly on the break with their number 8 just reaching the clearance ball with her toe 35 yards out under pressure from Lucy Turner to lob over the top of the stranded Bryony Hudson just inside her penalty area, 2-0 Bolton Wanderers.
61 min Darcie Greene played out of midfield to Isabel Thomas, taking on her defender she crossed into Kristie Ward to chest down and on the turn produced a weak shot which the keeper gathered safely.
67 min Barnsley substitution with Anna Cairns replaced in midfield by Nikki Hogg
70 min Lucy Turner calmly brought the ball out of defence before finding Nikki Hogg just inside the Barnsley half, she played the ball into the left wing channel for Isabel Thomas to challenge the tall Bolton centre back, but she was able to clear.
72 min Bolton left wing and midfield played a lovely one two through the Barnsley defence and Lucy Turner out stretched her leg to just clear away off the attacker, but a corner was awarded.
76 min changes for both teams with Bolton numbers 24 & 8 replaced by 18 & 12 and Alayna Millard coming on for Kristie Ward with Isabel Thomas switching to right wing and Drew Greene to centre forward.
77 min Nikki Hogg played up to Drew Greene and she passed the ball into the left hand side of the penalty area from where Alayna Millard calmly smashed her shot into the top right corner of the goal over the Bolton keeper to score her first goal for the 1st team. 2-1 Bolton.
78 min Bryony Hudson cleared upto Alayna Millard, who managed to win the second ball and pass into Drew Greene, with Alayna running on to receive the return ball before crossing towards Isabel Thomas which Bolton cleared for a corner.
80 min Barnsley free kick just inside the Bolton half, following a block on Darcie Greene, saw Bryony Hudson come up to take it. Her punt forward evaded all the defence and attackers going all the way through to the goalkeeper just by her right hand post, she fumbled but caught it second time before Drew Greene could pounce.
83 min Georgina Wilson running the ball out of defence found a pass into Drew Greene who played out to Isabel Thomas on the right wing, she took the ball towards the corner under pressure but managed to wriggle enough room to cross deep to the back post where Alayna Millard slotted her second goal 2-2 Barnsley equaliser.
The next 10 minutes saw end to end action as each team sought the winning goal, both defences worked hard to win the ball back as attackers tried to create opening. The final action came on 93 mins when Nikki Hogg spotted the run of Alayna Millard into the penalty area and tried to play the ball through to her, but it was intercepted away for a Barnsley throw and the Referee blew full time.
Barnsley FC Ladies play had created more opportunities but only 2 goals to show for their attacking efforts, and in defence the back four had once again stood tall against wave upon wave of pressure.

A real gutsy performance to stay focused and believing to come back from 2-0 down, a full team effort and show of togetherness:

Player of the match was Emily Ward who is sponsored by Mila Maintenance for her contribution at left back in keeping one of the dangerous Bolton winger contained.

With Leeds Ladies losing this result means that Barnsley FC Ladies are now level on points although Leeds still have one game in hand. But the next game for the Reds is in two weeks when Barnsley FC Ladies play Leeds Ladies at Oakwell, which will be a definite 6 pointer and could decide the fate of one of the teams as both try to retain their place in the WPL Northern Division 1.