Mossley Women got off to a great winning start to the season as they deservedly beat one of the Greater Manchester Womens League's stronger teams Sale Ladies far more comfortably than the 4-3 score-line suggests.

Despite having such a young and inexperienced team and with several players missing through injury and unavailability the Lily's had too much pace and skill for their more experienced hosts.

Playing on a pitch that clearly needed cutting the Lily's still managed to play their passing football despite having to wade through ankle deep grass.

Sale set up to play a long ball game but Mossley's defence once they realised what Sale's game plan was were easily able to deal with the threat.

Star of the show was attacking midfielder Grace Burke who scored a superb hat-trick. The Lily's had wasted several chances to open the scoring before taking a 29th minute lead as Burke hit a rasping 20 yard drive that gave the Sale keeper no chance on 29 minutes.

Mossley lost Niamh Fogarty through an ankle injury during the first half with Lizzie Stack her replacement.

The second half saw Mossley more dominant and the lead was extended only three minutes after the restart when good work by Brooke Strudwick set up Grace Burke to slot home her second of the day.

Burke was given a chance to complete her hat-trick when Mossley were awarded a penalty for handball but the home keeper made a smart save to albeit temporarily deny her.

Brooke Strudwick added a third for Mossley after great work by the ever dangerous Thaila Morley on 66 minutes before the goal of the game came with nine minutes left to play. Receiving the ball some 30 yards from goal Grace Burke took a touch before hammering an absolute screamer into the top corner.

Mossley were reduced to ten when Abbey Rogers was sin binned for kicking the ball away and for several minutes were reduced to nine players due to injuries which gave the home side chance to reduce the arrears which they duly did when awarded and 86th minute penalty that Megan Dickin was unlucky not to save.

Two minutes later Dickin's clearance cannoned off the back of a Sale forward and into the Mossley net and as the game entered it's third minute of stoppage time Sale managed to score a third consolation goal to make it 4-3 but anything other than a Mossley win would have been a travesty.

Wiz