Reds Beat Sheffield To Stay Unbeaten

Nottingham Forest Women 3-1 Sheffield Ladies (FA Womens National League North) 26.08.21

Andy Cook’s Garibaldi side maintained their unbeaten start to the new campaign with a comfortable, 3-1 home win, under the lights, against visiting Sheffield FC, and did so whilst making several changes to the starting line-up.

Aja Aguirre returned in goal, and Alice Higginbottom made her debut for the Reds, whilst Charlotte Steggles and Georgia Hewitt both started in what was a dominant performance for the hosts.

There was chances aplenty in the opening quarter as Jade Arber, Mai Moncaster, and Steggles, both tried their luck, but to no avail, even right before the opening goal was registered, Rosie Axten attacked down the left, beat three visiting defenders, pinged the ball to the back post where a lurking Moncaster was on hand, only for her to see her free header go agonisingly over.

In taking the lead, after 23 minutes, Steggles was the instigator, intercepting the ball and releasing Axten who takes pleasure in doing the rest, finishing well from the left, a lead that would be doubled just ten minutes later when, following a foul on Freya Thomas, Steggles bursts her way through the visiting backline only to be thwarted not once, but twice, by the ‘keeper.

In saving well from Steggles’ first effort, the ‘keeper could only watch as the rebound, again from Steggles, would smash against the upright, falling nicely into the path of the oncoming Georgia Hewitt, who wasted little time in finishing off the attack and putting the ball into the goal.

It was an all-round, dominant performance from the Garibaldi, and they could have had more, both Steggles, and Arber, both seeing chances go begging, but they went in comfortable at the break with a two-goal cushion.

The restart though didn’t quite go according to plan, and, within a matter of minutes of the restart, the visitors had pulled a goal back, this, in turn, leading to several changes from Cook as he brought on Poppy Scholefield, Sophia Bonser, and Sophie Tudor, for the final half-an-hour or so.

The visitors though, having got themselves back into the game with that goal early in the second period, were restricted to free-kicks that would go over Aguirre’s bar, although there was to be a number of them, it mattered not.

A late substitution for the hosts would see Amy West brought into the mix, a move that nearly afforded instant reward when she found herself in amongst the action, supplying a cross for fellow sub, Bonser, who puts narrowly wide.

But there was still time for one more goal, Forest love a late bit of drama or two and, yet again, it was Mai Moncaster grabbing the spotlight.

With five minutes remaining Moncaster gains possession on the left, cuts inside, keeps possession, and lets fly, drilling one home into the bottom, left-hand corner to make it two-in-two for her, and two-wins-in-two for Forest (three unbeaten after the opening day draw).

It was a victory that puts them clear in third, two behind the joint-leaders AFC Fylde Ladies and Wolverhampton Wanderers Women, with relatively similar goal differences; next up for the Reds, a trip to Hull City Ladies on Sunday 29 August, they languishing in ninth with a draw and a loss from their opening two fixtures.

Forest: Aja Aguirre, Naomi Powell, Lyndsey Harkin (c), Charlotte Steggles, Georgia Hewitt, Rachel Brown (Sophia Bonser 54), Alice Higginbottom (Amy West 81), Freya Thomas (Sophie Tudor 54), Mai Moncaster, Jade Arber, Rosie Axten (Poppy Scholefield 54).