Women's Roundup: Forest Beaten At Fylde

Sunday would be a tough result to take for Garibaldi ladies, losing to a disputed, stoppage time goal when away to Fylde Women in the league.

One of Forest’s recent signings, Gianna Mitchell would create the games’ first chance as early as the opening minute, the Fylde ‘keeper, Ellie Etheridge, equal to it, whilst Rachel Brown would be seen to play Mitchell through minutes later, the visitors starting off well.

Faye McCoy and Emily Hollinshead would be seen to supply early chances for the hosts, the former off a free-kick which struck the wall, the latter firing wide of goal,

As would become obvious as the game wore on, the hosts would find themselves reduced to set-piece efforts on Emily Batty’s goal and one of their earliest opportunities was such, the visiting ‘keeper punching well, whilst at the other end, Tamara Wilcock would see her effort saved.

Both sides would see good possession, and attempts on goal, as the half wore on with Mitchell being flagged offside late on before a Forest free-kick was cleared off the line and away for a corner, the two sides level, and goalless, at the interval.

Starting the second as brightly as they had in the first, Forest would make an early opportunity count when in the opening exchanges of the restart, Charley Docherty being seen to work herself into good space and laying off Brown, who fires home.

A few, quick-fire efforts would follow by way of the hosts, McCoy, Hollinshead, and Jodie Redgrave with them, including one of those many free-kicks, Batty still proving equal to any efforts on her goal; at the other end and Docherty was still proving to be a nuisance, this time laying off to Amy West, however, her effort was held well by the home ‘keeper.

Shortly past the hour and the hosts would level proceedings, unsurprisingly, it coming from a free-kick as Laura Merrin would swing the set-piece into the Forest box for it to be met by the head of McCoy and into the back of the net.

Moving into the final half hour, and with both sides looking for a decisive, second goal, a great effort from the hosts would see Batty pull off a brilliant save to keep the scores even, Hewitt clearing the lines, Jess Holbrook, and McCoy, again from dead-ball situations, causing problems.

Having made a handful of substitutions during the second period, the visitors would, inside the final ten minutes, see a penalty decision waved away, whilst the post is also rattled one, chances which would prove costly ten minutes later, and in stoppage time at the end of the ninety.

The 94^th minute of the contest would see a goalmouth scramble in the Forest end and, although the visitors look to have cleared and taken what would have been a hard-earned point on the road, the linesman flags for the ball having crossed the line, and Fylde, in turn, were afforded what would prove to be a winning goal.

Sasha Rowe would provide an in-swinging corner and, in the ensuing scramble, and the final touch was deemed over Batty’s line

Defeat for Forest leaves them sixth (joint-fourth) on goal difference, with Burnley and Huddersfield, whilst Fylde moved top of the table, ahead of Forest’s next league opponents (27 February) Wolverhampton Wanderers, on goal difference.

Forest: Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Rachel Brown (Mai Moncaster 81), Olivia Cook, Charlotte Steggles, Amy West (Georgia Hewitt 66), Gianna Mitchell, Charley Docherty (Naomi Powell 76), Hayley James, Charlotte Greengrass (Niamh Reynolds 66), Tamara Wilcock (Rosie Axten 76).

It was a different story for Sarah Richardson’s Forest Reserves side, they romping to a comfortable, 5-0 home win over Doncaster Rovers Belles Development to move unbeaten in their last four (three wins, one draw).

Summa Betts had the Reds’ second string a goal up at the interval before an early, second half onslaught, wrapped proceedings up as Grace Walters, Arryana Daniels, and Isabella Hodson added three in ten minutes before a late fifth, and a second from Daniels, completed the rout.

Andi Bell’s Mansfield Town Ladies kept up the pressure on the top two sides in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division on Sunday afternoon when hitting hosts, bottom club Leicester City Ladies, for thirteen without reply.

Six to the good at the break, Bell’s sharp-shooters spread the wealth throughout the team with some seven players all registering, Jessica Parker taking top-scorer plaudits with a hat-trick.

Alongside Parker’s treble was braces from Georgia Gladwin and Ellie Marshall (she moving onto eleven for the season), Nikki Wigman and Georgia Gladwin, the Stagettes ruthless and unforgiving in front of goal against a side who’ve conceded 98 goals in just eleven outings this season (in the league).

Also registering for Mansfield was Shannon Purdy and Bethany Jones, they making it a round thirty in just nine league games for the Nottinghamshire-based, promotion hopefuls, they having now registered twenty-three goals so far this year.

Their cause was helped further as the top two, Chesterfield Women and Northampton Town Women, shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw at the home of the former, Mansfield two behind Chesterfield with a game in hand, and five behind leaders Northampton.

With a number of games postponed, including Arnold Eagles at home to Grimsby Town, and the local affair between SJR Worksop and Sherwood, the only Notts-related game in Division One North would see Notts County Women Development held to a goalless draw when away to Sleaford Town Ladies.

Meanwhile, in Division One South Nottingham Forest Women Development edged hosts Peterborough United Ladies Reserves 3-2 to keep within touching distance of the top four, the Reds netting through Jessica Abdy, Amber Bilous, and Jayda Jenkins, the latters goal proving to be the winner.