Fylde Women 2 Burnley 0: Three wins out of three for table-topping Fylde

Burnley were first to threaten at Mill Farm, hitting the side-netting with a header from a free-kick after five minutes, then sending another set-piece over the bar from just outside the box.

McCoy, hat-trick hero of Saturday's win at Stoke, had a free-kick opportunity from similar range on 24 minutes but the ball would not quite dip beneath the bar.

Fylde's best move yet came on 29 minutes, when Emily Hollinshead beat two defenders and found Laura Merrin, whose cross to the back post was met by Sasha Rowe and she shot just wide.

Burnley almost opened the scoring on 32 minutes, when Nicola Worthington's chip from 25 yards beat keeper Nicola Keating, who was relieved to see the ball rebound off a post.

But within a minute Fylde were in front, McCoy beating the keeper to Alex Taylor's cross to head her fourth goal in two games.

Keating recovered to make a save after her risky pass to Merrin was cut out, then opposite number Leah Jackson saved McCoy's volley at the other end.

A brave double save by Keating, the second effort hitting the keeper in the face, maintained Fylde's lead until half-time.

The home side had an early let-off after the restart, when a mix-up in defence presented a shoting opportunity for Lizzy Hamer, who fired over.

Just before the hour Burnley hit the woodwork for a second time with a header from a corner.

But Fylde wrapped up the points with their second on 65 minutes, scored by substitute Hughes, who had been on the field barely two minutes.

She controlled Hollinshead's pass and steered the ball into the bottom right corner from just inside the area.

It meant Fylde had avenged their only defeat of 2021 by the Clarets in the FA Cup.

The win leaves Fylde top of the table but they have been joined on nine points by Wolves, who also made it three straight victories with their Midlands derby success against West Bromwich Albion.

The top two meet in Wolverhampton on Sunday (2pm)

Fylde: Keating, Taylor (Carroll 71), Forster, Fuller, Holbrook (Young 88), Hollinshead (Pottinger 84), Merrin, Redgrave, Rowe (Hughes 63), Fryer, McCoy (Abbott 84).

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