Forest Edge Notts Uniy In Friendly

University of Nottingham Women 2-3 Nottingham Forest Women (Friendly) 12.05.21

Nottingham Forest Women continued their good form this post-season when collecting their sixth win in seven outings, a hard-fought one at that, courtesy of a 3-2 success at the University of Nottingham.

A comfortable first-half would see shots aplenty for the Reds, and it was to be capped by a fine opener, from distance, by Alice Higginbottom.

Having only debuted a few games ago, the youngster has now netted her first goal for the Garibaldi, and she did so from fully thirty yards, hitting a beautifully struck shot past the home ‘keeper early in the half.

That lead was doubled shortly before the interval, the home custodian failing to hold onto Hayley James’ cross and Sophia Bonser was on hand to stroke the ball home from close range for a two-goal, interval lead, Higginbottom becoming Forest’s eleventh scorer this post-season.

By the time the clock had ticked past the seventy mark, the hosts had levelled proceedings, pulling a goal back eight minutes after the restart, before equalising with eighteen minutes left on the clock, the latter arriving immediately after a shot from Axten, from distance, had been dealt with at the other end.

And at the other end, Forest grabbed what proved the winner when, having won a free-kick, it was floated into the box and up jumps Greengrass, beating everybody to the punch, to head home and claim what was her fourth, post-season goal and put the seal on a hard-fought, 3-2 win.

Next up for the Reds, a trip to East Anglia beckons as Andy Cook takes his charges on a road-trip to Ipswich Town on Sunday 16 May.

Forest: Lucy Jones, Grace Walters (Mai Moncaster, 78), Lyndsey Harkin (Sophie Tudor, 78), Olivia Cook, Charlotte Steggles (Georgia Hewitt, 54), Hayley James (Laura Dexter, 78), Sophia Bonser (Katie Middleton, 78), Alice Higginbottom, Wilson (Annabel McKechnie, 63), Rosie Axten, Charlotte Greengrass (Bolu Fisher, 78).

East Midlands Women’s League Roundup

The quarter-finals for the East Midlands Regional Women’s Football League Trevor Clifton Trophy League Cup and League Plate competitions are now set in stone following the weekends’ Second Round matches.

As Mansfield Town Ladies and Notts County Women Development received byes to the quarter-finals in the League Cup, Notts’ first string would see themselves exit the competition at the hands of Chesterfield Women, the victors now opposing the other Notts side at the weekend whilst Mansfield Town make the trip to Derby County Women Academy.

In the League Plater meanwhile, SJR of Worksop progressed to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at home to Lincoln Moorlands-Railway, Brooke Chapell and Ashleigh Galley with the goals, they’ll face Sherwood Ladies in the next round.

Elsewhere, two other Nottinghamshire clubs make up the final eight in the Plate; Rise Park Ladies, and Arnold Eagles, received byes in the Second Round, and they find themselves on the road this Sunday, the former away to Loughborough Students Women, and the latter at Thrapston Town Ladies.

Affecting Nottinghamshire clubs, the quarter-finals, to be played this Sunday 16 May, are as follows – League Cup Quarters: Derby County Women Academy vs. Mansfield Town Ladies; Notts County Women Development vs. Chesterfield Women

League Plate Quarters: Sherwood Ladies vs. SJR of Worksop Women; Loughborough Students Women vs. Rise Park Ladies; Thrapston Town Ladies vs. Arnold Eagles.