A much-changed Forest starting eleven fell to a lone-goal reverse when on Merseyside at the weekend, losing 1-0 to hosts Liverpool Feds in the Determining Round of the FAWNL League Cup, the only goal of the game coming shortly after the half-hour mark.
It would be the second successive outing in which Andy Cook’s side lost by that lone goal, following the previous weekend’s loss in the Black Country, against Wolves Women, the hosts again proving tough to break down in the final third.
An opening quarter of the contest yielded very little in regards attempts to break the deadlock with the visitors’ first, real chances, seeing Naomi Powell slide-pass to Katie Middleton, the latter just missing the connection, before Poppy Scholefield was afforded a great opportunity to open the scoring, only to find her effort saved well by home ‘keeper, Rachel Darbyshire.
Not long after that passage of play, the visitors would rue not taking chances when the opening, and only goal of the game, was registered; Ellie Fletcher the recipient of some good play by the Feds and, with a little space, fired home from the right-hand side of the box.
An opportunity, right before the interval, presented itself to the visiting Garibaldi, but Charlotte Steggles would see her effort hit the upright from a free-kick, the hosts going into the break with the slender of advantages.
Forest had a chance to equalise early in the second period, but Georgia Hewitt saw her effort go wide, before Aja Aguirre, in the visiting goalmouth gets herself down well to save amidst a goalmouth scramble just before the hour.
Right before Forest Coach, Andy Cook, made a number of changes, his side would be presented another chance to equalise, this time Scholefield forcing Darbyshire into another fine save before, and moments after taking to the field of play, Amy West would have an effort from the edge of the box – it would have been some first touch, but to no avail.
Continued, and sustained pressure from the Garibaldi failed to pay dividends, even a late penalty shout not going their way as Aguirre saw out the game in some mid-air action, she pulling off a last-gasp save, tipping a shot from the hosts, over the crossbar.
It wasn’t to be however, and Cook’s charges find themselves dropping into the FAWNL League Plate competition, whilst the Feds progress to the next round of the League Cup; next up for the Reds, it’s a return to league action, and a home game with Fylde Ladies, on Sunday 26 September.
Forest: Aja Aguirre, Georgia Hewitt, Olivia Cook, Charlotte Steggles, Katie Middleton (Niamh Reynolds 71), Mai Moncaster (Charlotte Greengrass 71), Sophie Tudor, Poppy Scholefield, Sophia Bonser (Sophie Bramford 71), Alice Higginbottom (Amy West 71), Naomi Powell.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @NFFCWomen action from the Reds cup defeat in Liverpool.
