A clinical second half showing by Mancunian Unity hands Bury their first defeat of the season.
The first part of the game saw the two teams share even amounts of possession, with chances from outside of the box at either end being the only form of attempted goal scoring. Shortly after the 30-minute mark, Mitchell crossed the ball into the box from the left-hand side which hit the hand of Rachel Blythe, the referee then awarded Mancunian Unity a penalty for a handball. Payton stepped up to the spot kick and slotted it into the bottom right corner.
Bury were quick to reply though, as just under 10 minutes later Natalie Ainsworth unleashed a 30-yard screamer which dipped over the keeper’s head and into the back of the net.
The first half ended with a goal a piece for either side, and both teams having a relatively even number of chances.
Rain started pouring down at the beginning of the second half as Unity started off very quickly with Payton doubling her tally, after a rebounded shot from Groves’ save in the 47th minute. The away side then began to dominate the game, coming very close to taking the lead with various shots and crosses from close range.
They eventually found their edge as they scored 3 goals in 9 minutes. Their third was put away by Mitchell as she used some tricky footwork to create space in Bury’s box where she then lobbed Groves to make it 3-1. Two minutes later, Unity were causing havoc again as Bamber curled in an effort from outside of the box into the top right corner after a deflected throw landed at her feet. The final goal of the game was scored by Shaw in the 74th minute after Groves attempted to play out of the back, but unfortunately gave the ball away which left Shaw with an open net to make it 5-1.
The match then began to fizzle out as it appeared as though Unity were comfortable with their lead, whilst Bury tightened up their defence to ensure that the deficit didn’t increase. The final whistle blew and Unity picked up all three points at Gigg Lane.
Skipper Dannielle Bailey picked up back-to-back Player of The Match awards as she again showed great leadership and communication skills, even when the game looked bleak.
An obviously disappointing result for the Shakers after showing great form at the start of the season. Bury will attempt to pick themselves back up from this defeat and get another victory against Tranmere on Sunday, whom they have already beaten 3-2 this season.
