Lincoln City Women 2-3 Nottingham Forest Women (Friendly) 11.04.21
Andy Cook took his Nottingham Forest Women the forty miles north-east to Lincoln this afternoon for a quick-fire friendly match after last weekend’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup exit, and won by the odd goal in five.
Having fallen behind as early as the first minute, Forest led, took up a two-goal advantage, before eventually holding out for a 3-2 victory, in a game which could have seen more goals, and had plenty of action, from both sides.
Falling behind inside the first minute, Toni McHamilton catching the back-line off-guard and firing past Aja Aguirre to afford the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands side an early lead, it lasted a little over ten minutes.
Fielding just two of last weekends’ starting eleven, Aguirre joined on the pitch by Sophia Bonser, it was to be Katie Middleton who would find the equaliser, firing home an exquisite shot from the edge of the box for 1-1.
As the action came thick-and-fast, Annabel McKechnie looked to have put Forest in front just after the half-hour mark, but was flagged offside, whilst Laura Dexter would see an effort come crashing back off the crossbar a minute later.
However, as the game ticked towards the interval, it would be Middleton who would turn the game around with her second goal, bursting through on goal and firing home past the advancing ‘keeper, the Reds going in 2-1 to the good at the break.
After a couple of changes to the start the second period, Liv Cook and Hayley James coming, Sophia Bonser notched what would prove to be a match-winning third from a twenty-yard free-kick, the two-goal advantage lasting a matter of minutes before Mary Cooper pulled a goal back for the Imps.
Heading into the final half hour, and holding a one-goal advantage, Cook looked to shore things up and brought on first Charlotte Greengrass and Sydnie Naylor, then Lyndsey Harkin and Rosie Harkin, in the space of fifteen minutes.
It was to be a move that would prove worthwhile, giving the majority of the first-team squad a much-needed run-out after a disjointed season, and, even though Axten had a late chance to add a fourth, Forest held on for the win, their first since the 7-0 thrashing of Loughborough Foxes back in mid-October.
Forest: Aja Aguirre, Grace Walters (Hayley James), Rachel Brown (Olivia Cook), Sophie Tudor, Sophia Bonser, Mai Moncaster (Charlotte Greengrass), Annabel McKechnie, Poppy Scholefield (Sydnie Naylor), Katie Middleton (Rosie Axten), Bolu Fisher (Lyndsey Harkin), Laura Dexter.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @NFFCWomen a good run out for the Forest girls who end victorious.
