Forest Hit Lightning For Four

Nottingham Forest Women 4-0 Loughborough Lightning (FA Women’s National League North) 18.11.21

A dominant performance, for the second, successive outing , would see Andy Cook’s Forest side see off visitors, lowly Loughborough Lightning, 4-0, under the Thursday Night Lights at Eastwood.

Georgia Hewitt and Sophie Tudor returned to the starting line-up, in place of Niamh Reynolds and Mai Moncaster, the latter moving to the bench, as the hosts again registered four goals in what as a comfortable showing for the Reds, and moved them joint-third with Huddersfield Town Ladies, after ten games.

Summer signing, Becky Anderson, who scored his first for the club at the weekend against Lichfield City (in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup) was fast, and first, out of the blocks as, within the opening five minutes, she’d latch onto a loose ball before lobbing the visiting ‘keeper, Webb, to open the scoring.

It would be a goal that would set the tone for the remainder of the contest, Cook’s Reds putting in a dominant showing both in front of goal, and shutting up shop at the back.

Captain Lyndsey Harkin, who has been seen to make several forays forward this season, was at it again in the game, putting Rosie Axten away before ten minutes were even on the clock, the Forest striker would then feed the ball to Rachel Brown whose final cross was, unfortunately for the Reds, well-collected by the visiting shot-stopper.

The visitors had a couple of great chances in which to equalise, shortly before the Reds doubled their lead, first a counter-attack just after the quarter-hour mark however the home ‘keeper would get to the ball quicker than Renken, then, a few minutes later, a free-kick from Steele would miss its target and the hosts would clear well.

Charlotte Greengrass would then see an effort fly over the bar following a pass from Georgia Hewitt on twenty minutes before the hosts, five minutes later, doubled their lead, this time Axten creating some good room for herself in the visiting box, and fires home off the post for an two-goal, interval lead.

As was the case against Lichfield, Forest did the same with Loughborough, maintaining a high intensity throughout, increasing the pressure as the game wore on.

As the clock ticked into the final twenty minutes, that two-goal advantage became three as Tudor adds her name to the scoresheet, starting and finishing a great move; Tudor would play a delightful ball to Naomi Powell, and, whilst continuing her own forward momentum, would be there when Powell put in a low cross to smash home from close range.

A flurry of late substitutions from Cook, kept things fresh throughout the Forest team, more with their next match being a trip to the Black Country in a little over a week’s time before Batty was called into action to save from a rare, visiting attack, pushing the ball wide for an opposition corner following a chance by Petley.

After all the home substitutions were done and dusted, and with the game headed into stoppage time, one of those, Sophia Bonser, would provide the cross the led to the fourth, for the second successive outing; taking a free-kick, the ball missed all in Red in the box, but connected with the head of one of the visitors, and nestled in the back of Webb’s net.

It was hard-luck on the Lightning, but for Forest, the momentum is firmly in their favour as they moved level with Huddersfield, in third, this seeing them reach the twenty-point mark, from ten games and within five points of leaders Derby County Academy.

Next up for Andy Cook and Nottingham Forest Women, a trip to the Black Country on Sunday 28 November, for the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Second Round clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers Women (the two sides clashed at the same stage of last season’s completion, Forest losing on penalties).

Ticket information for the big cup game will be available via Facebook and Twitter soon…

Forest: Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Georgia Hewitt (Sophia Bonser, 71), Rachel Brown (Grace Walters 79), Charlotte Steggles, Rosie Axten (Mai Moncaster 85), Sophie Tudor, Becky Anderson (Olivia Cook 79), Hayley James, Charlotte Greengrass, Naomi Powell (Alice Higginbottom 71)