Pride Park were slow starting and it was Buxton who enjoyed possession for the opening minutes and had a couple of attempts on goal. However, the hosts came alive after 8 minutes when Eliot Sayavong’s clearance was controlled by Beth Jones on the left, before turning inside her marker and picking out a slide rule ball into the centre for Summer Evans to run on to and slide the ball wide of the keeper (1-0)

After 15 mins Rachel Weaver’s high cross bounced in the area and the keeper got a fist to it under challenge from Summer Evans and a defender, the ball falling to another defender who half cleared - but Tash Collyer was first to it and lifted the ball over the keeper from 25 yards - for her 100th goal for The Pride.

Buxton pulled a goal back just before the half hour when a move through the right of centre field culminated in a player breaking into space and being played in - Annie Laight spotted the danger but was unable to get across quickly enough to prevent the shot, which dipped over Jade Howell from inside the area (2-1).

The two goal cushion was restored after 35 minutes, when a defender’s glancing header helped Beth Jones’ diagonal pass on and into the path of Daisy Bowen, who ran from the centre circle with two defenders trying to catch her before calmly sliding the ball past the advancing keeper for her 8th goal of the season.

Two minutes later, Tash Collyer made a driving run on the diagonal from the edge of the centre circle to about 25 yards from goal, her shot could only be parried by the keeper and Summer Evans slid in to just beat the defender to the rebound from ten yards (4-1).

With a full squad of eighteen, Pride had started rolling on/off substitutes after half an hour to keep everyone involved and to try to maintain momentum and intensity. Attempts on goal had been fairly even in the first half, but Pride were clinical - with 7 shots, 5 on target and 4 goals, to give them a three goal cushion at half time (4-1).

Pride played with a little more urgency from the restart, but it was Buxton who pulled a goal back after 50’ when possession was lost half way inside the half, and a Buxton player ran at the Pride defence before hitting an angled shot which just eluded Jade Howell’s dive and went inside the post (4-2)

The three goal advantage was restored just before the hour, when Tash Collyer’s corner was headed in at the near post off the underside of the crossbar by Hannah Roberts (5-2)

As the game opened up, Pride were creating opportunities and had more shots on goal than in the first half, but without comparable conversion success. Buxton also had chances, including a double effort after 78’ when Abbey Hirst blocked a shot and the shot from the rebound was heading inside the post but Jade Howell did exceptionally well to get down quickly and turn it around the post for a corner - the best save of the game and capping another good game for Pride’s keeper in tricky conditions.

The scoring was completed with a little over 10 minutes left, when Beth Jones made an excellent run down the right, her cutback was partially blocked but collected by Otty Baker who turned and laid the ball off to Liv Phillips in space at the corner of the ‘D’ - and she was able to take a touch before lifting her shot into the top corner (6-2) for her first goal for The Pride.

That is now a new best of 11 league games unbeaten stretching back to February, and more significantly it’s now five wins from five this season - closing the gap on the leaders to a point with a game in hand. It’s also pleasing that the goals are being shared around - with no less than ten different goalscorers so far this season.

POTM was Tash Collyer - a goal and two assists the reward for another game driving the team forward from midfield.

There is (currently) another blank weekend for The Pride next week before Chesterfield Development come to Moorways on Sunday 2nd November (1.30pm)

Result:
Pride Park 6-2 Buxton FC Women
Scorers: Evans 2, Collyer, H Roberts, Bowen, Phillips