The Isle of Man women’s national football team played their first match of the calendar year at the weekend, defeating Preston North End 4-2 at Longbridge FC on Saturday afternoon.

This friendly match forms part of their preparations for the forthcoming Cherry Godfrey Cup that takes place in Guernsey over the last weekend in June.

Last seeing footballing combat back in Orkney 2025, the Manx side’s game with Preston was always going to be a challenging test with the Lancashire outfit having secured the North West Reginal Division One North championship this year.

Preston looked to capitalise on that 10-month hiatus early on and took the lead after only three minutes.

Following a pass out on the right and the resulting cut-back, a half-clearance fell to Kaite Woodhead who reacted the quickest, firing a low shot for the hosts’ opening goal.

However, the lead lasted only until the 12th minute when the island side equalised. Millie Dawson put pressure on a Preston defender, forcing her to concede a corner.

Sarah Wignall - playing her first IoM match since clinching gold in the 2019 Inter-Island Games in Ynys Mon - curled in a corner-kick that eluded everybody and the up-stretched arm of the goalkeeper before nestling inside the far post.

This resulted in the Isle of Man enjoying a spell of pressure inside the opposing half side.

Wignall’s effort from the edge of the penalty area tested the goalkeeper’s reflexes and was palmed onto the crossbar, before Millie Dawson cut in from the right and forced the Lancashire stop-stopper into another save.

Just before half-time, the Manx side went close again when Tia Lisy’s superb pass found Pippa Wallis on the right, the goalkeeper pulling off an important stop as the sides entered the interval on level terms.

Four minutes after the restart, Preston restored their lead following a corner that was half-cleared to Emma Tunstall who slammed home from close range.

The Lancashire side were very much on top leading up to the hour mark, but on 63 minutes the Isle of Man equalised for a second time.

Holly Stephen was the recipient of a cross-field pass on the left and laid off to Chloe Teare whose first-time pass found Lisa Costain.

The Preston defence appeared to stop playing as they appealed for offside, but the call didn’t come and Costain side-stepped past the goalkeeper and fired into the net to make it 2-2.

Now playing with three at the back, the IoM finishing the game the stronger of the two sides, taking the lead for the first time on 83 minutes when Stephen’s corner-kick was flicked on by debutante Lula-Belle Findlay to Lisy who lifted the ball into the roof of the goal.

On 89 minutes, that momentum from the Manx saw them score a fourth following another corner from Stephen found Lydia Shaw to glance home a head to finish the match on a winning note.

Isle of Man team: Kayleigh Greggor, Louise Gibbins, Stevie Mallon, Becky Corkish, Tia Lisy, Lydia Shaw, Holly Stephen, Holly Sumner, Chloe Teare, Millie Dawson, Sarah Wignall. Subs used: Lisa Costain, Pippa Wallis, Lois Coppell, Lula-Belle Findlay

- The Isle of Man women’s team will be back in action this Saturday (May 16) when they have a home fixture against FC United at the Bowl, kicking off at 2pm.