From the opening whistle, Pendle Forest played with intent, creating chances through quick ball movement and excellent use of aerial passes.
Good pressure play from the forwards — Hayley Baines, Erin Scott, Amelia Hatton and Charlotte Hartley — were disrupting their play.
Early opportunities came from a Freya Bythell aerial to centre forward Hartley whose shot went wide of goal, followed quickly by a flowing move involving Hartley to Liv Bythell, who threaded an excellent pass to Hatton in the D, but Beeston’s goalkeeper proved equal to the task.
The breakthrough arrived halfway through the first quarter, when Izzy Tuck won possession with a superb tackle before releasing Scott.
Scott found Hartley, whose neat, slipped shot passed the advancing goalkeeper to give Pendle a deserved 1-0 lead.
Despite Pendle’s dominance and pressure in the opening stages, Beeston levelled towards the end of the first quarter after a perfect sliding challenge by goalkeeper Laura Kendall led to a scramble between the two teams and a short corner was awarded to Beeston, which was converted.
Both sides continued to create opportunities, and the teams entered the first break level at 1-1.
Beeston grew into the game during the second quarter and enjoyed more possession in Pendle’s half.
Kendall was called into action with several important saves, while the defensive unit of Sam Parker, Deb Bythell, Izzy Tuck, Martha McCauley, Els Boyden and Carole Quill worked cohesively and tirelessly to protect the D.
Pendle regained the lead after excellent build-up play.
Hatton slipped the ball to Hartley at the top of the D, whose shot took an upward deflection before looping into the net for her second goal of the match and a 2-1 Pendle lead.
The visitors responded well and eventually found an equaliser after a swift move through midfield, finishing clinically from the top of the circle to make it 2-2 at half-time.
The game moved in Beeston’s favour after the interval.
Although Pendle started brightly, a penalty corner earned by the visitors resulted in their third goal and a 3-2 lead.
Kendall then produced a superb double save to keep Pendle in the contest, but the resulting pressure led to another short corner, which then became a penalty flick.
The flick was converted, extending Beeston’s advantage to 4-2.
Beeston’s passing game was beginning to work more effectively, but Pendle refused to give in and started to push the intensity through the midfield of Lisa Crewe, Freya Bythell, captain Liv Bythell, Hannah Metcalf and Anna Whittle.
With a minute to go in the quarter, Hartley produced a moment of brilliance with a diving reverse-stick effort that the goalkeeper could only parry into the path of Scott, who reacted quickly to tap home the rebound and reduce the deficit to 4-3 before the end of the quarter.
The final period saw Pendle continue to push for an equaliser.
Freya Bythell and Hartley combined well again from an aerial pass to force a save from the goalkeeper, while Metcalf produced an excellent solo run through multiple defenders before setting up Crewe, whose effort was saved.
However, Beeston capitalised on another penalty corner opportunity midway through the quarter to score their fifth goal and restore a two-goal cushion at 5-3.
Pendle battled until the final whistle, with Crewe going close after a strong run into the circle, but Beeston’s defence held firm to secure the victory.
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