Ross Wallace tasted victory in his first game in charge as Burnley Women opened up a seven-point gap at the top of the National League table.
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A Millie Ravening brace helped the Clarets claim an important 2-0 victory over Liverpool Feds on a bitterly cold and wet Thursday night on Merseyside.
The attacking midfielder opened the scoring on the hour, before adding extra gloss to a deserved win with a penalty in second-half stoppage-time.
Wallace named an unchanged starting XI from Sunday’s 7-0 triumph at Loughborough Lightning, with two-goal striker Aimee Kelly retaining her place alongside Claudia Mummery-Walker.
Captain Yana Daniëls was flanked by Brenna McPartlan and Brooke Cairns in midfield, while Charlie Chadwick returned to the substitutes bench.
The Clarets had most of the ball from the off and after Kelly shot straight at Feds ‘keeper Rachael Norney, Mummery-Walker hit the underside of the bar in the 11th minute.
Our possession tended to be in the middle third of the pitch, though, and the hosts grew in confidence as the half progressed.
Millie Ravening can't hide her delight after netting from the penalty spot. Picture: Kevin Hayden Photographyplaceholder image
Millie Ravening can't hide her delight after netting from the penalty spot. Picture: Kevin Hayden Photography
Evie Smith and Jess Brady both flashed efforts not a million miles wide of the target in that spell, but Kirstie Levell didn’t have a save to make.
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After more sustained pressure Kelly thought she’d broken the deadlock with a smart finish on the stroke of half-time, but the assistant referee’s flag denied her a third goal in five days.
With Wallace’s words of encouragement ringing in their ears the Clarets picked up here they left off as Kelly and Ravening both shot narrowly wide within five minutes of the restart.
Levell was then forced into her first save of the night by Henna Butcher, before Feds’ resistance was finally broken with 62 on the clock.
Matthews looped a deep cross to the back post, where Ravening was on hand to stretch out a leg and convert from close range.
Burnley’s first changes saw Cairns and McPartlan make way for Emma Siddall and Millie Chandarana respectively, with Chadwick and Tilly Wilkes replacing Kelly and Thea Paul soon afterwards.
Feds had their best effort of the night in the final 10 minutes of regular time when Emily Cole hit the bar from range.
Heidi replaced Mummery-Walker in the 88th minute and Chadwick, who looked threatening ever since her introduction, was denied by a strong Norney save as the match entered stoppage-time.
The number 19 was then bought down by a Feds defender, giving Ravening the chance to slot her 13th goal of the season into the bottom right corner from 12 yards.
Burnley now move onto 31 points, seven clear of title rivals Wolves in second who have three games in hand still to play.
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