PENDLE Forest made it 80 games unbeaten as they put Alderley Edge to the sword in a 3-0 win.

Goals from Thea Cormack, Charlotte Hartley, and Lisa Crewe secured the win for Forest and extended their unbeaten run.

Alderley Edge had the early chances but weren’t able to covert their opportunities and it was Forest who opened the scoring as Cormack and Freya Bythell linked up well. Bythell’s perfectly weighted ball through to Cormack at the top of the D enabled her to reverse stick into the net.

Forest’s constant pressure told and Hartley doubled the lead soon after.

She went on a superb solo run at speed, and despite pressure from the Edge defence, pulled off a magnificent reverse stick shot from an acute angle into the top left corner.

Alderley Edge’s inability to hit their front line led to a change of formation in the second half but it only increased the gaps in midfield, as Forest continued to have the upper hand.

Player of the match Olivia Bythell went on several superb runs to earn a succession of penalty corners which Forest were unable to convert.

The third goal finally did come from when Olivia Hartley’s cross from the left was turned in by Crewe.

Edge continued to seek a way back into the game, forcing a Laura Kendal into two reaction saves, while Forest had time for one more chance, but the sliding Edge goalkeeper put a stop to the Forest attack, colliding with Charlotte Hartley who landed awkwardly on her shoulder and was forced off injured.

Forest are the early leaders in the North Hockey Women’s League Premier Division with six wins from six ahead of a home game against University of Leeds on Saturday (11.30am).