Reds Take Points At Pompey

Nottingham Forest stretched their unbeaten finish to the season to four matches, following Sunday’s 1-0 win on the South Coast, at relegated Portsmouth.

Victory means that the Reds, who sit seventh in the table, can finish as high as sixth with victory over visiting Southampton, this coming weekend.

Away to Pompey, the game was decided by a late, first half headed goal from captain Georgia Brougham, she nodding home a corner at the near post.

Rachel Rowe came close to adding a second with perhaps the best chance of the second half, with Meg Hornby coming close on a couple of occasions, for the hosts.

Home midfielder, Tia Primmer, came closest to an equaliser midway through the second period, her headed effort coming back off Emily Batty’s crossbar, the visitors holding out for another, valuable three points.

The win here means that, should Forest beat Southampton, at the City Ground, this coming Saturday (2 May), they will take their opponents spot in the WSL2 table, and finish sixth.

Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Georgia Brougham (capt), Chloe Mustaki, Amy Rodgers (Freya Thomas, 70), Ebba Hedd, Rachel Rowe (Tove Almqvist, 70), Joy Omewa (Aimee Claypole, 80), Cerys Brown, Leanne Kiernan (Deanne Rose, 80), Alana Murphy, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (Charlie Wellings, 70)

Notts County’s season in the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands finished on Sunday, with an entertaining 3-3 draw when home to Sheffield, who finished sixth.

Emily Brett gave County an early lead, the visitors spinning the contest on its head with goals from Stephanie Warren and Stacey Buxton for a 2-1 interval lead, and Halima Essa making the score 3-1 with less than thirty remaining.

County though battled back, earning a point in stoppage time following a late brace by Neve Hincks, her first from a corner on 73 minutes, and the second, in stoppage time to snatch the point.

With six wins and three draws from their twenty-two league outings, County mustered enough for an eighth-place finish, and National League football again next season, Stourbridge and Lincoln United being relegated.

Mansfield Town’s East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division season has ended with a bit of a whimper, just two wins from the last six outings seeing them finish in third place.

Sunday, at home to third bottom Anstey Nomads, resulted in a 1-0 loss, Freya Topliss with the only goal of the game; meanwhile, second bottom SJR Worksop fell to a 4-1 reverse at Stamford, Millee Clarke with the consolation.

SJR have one game remaining, at home to bottom club Wellingborough Town, from which a win will ensure Premier Division next season, at the expense of Anstey Nomads.

In the EMWRFL Division One Central there was defeats on the road for both Nottingham Trent University and Sherwood, leaders NTU edged 1-0 at second place Asfordby Amateurs, and lowly Sherwood thumped 9-2 at Long Eaton United, Abbie Blackery and Lydia Lowe netting the consolations.

One game was player in the Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies League Seniors One, Arnold Eagles Development winning 2-1 at home to Radcliffe Olympic, goals coming from Ciara Button and Eve Munyanyi (Arnold) and Evie Barr (Radcliffe).

A handful of games were also played in the NGL Seniors Two division, Eastwood & Kimberely top-scoring with a 9-2 win at home Retford, Ella Smallwood with a six-goal haul, whilst Lashea Francis bagged a four-goal salvo in Gedling Southbank’s 8-0 win at Arnold Town.