Lowly East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division side, Rise Park Ladies, and Division One North leaders, Arnold Eagles, were the weekends’ biggest winners across the regions, women’s football scene.
Rise Park, second bottom in the league’s top division, picked up a big win on Sunday afternoon when at home to Rotherham United Women, and, in doing so, picked up their first success of the season, in their fourteenth game (in all competitions).
A goal down inside fifteen minutes, the hosts never gave in, putting on a gutsy, hard-fought performance to claim a well-deserved win, goals coming from Katie Platts, Danielle Sanderson, and substitute Ashleigh Hind; Rotherham replied via Rayanne Haywood and Lori-Anne Tart.
Now, with four games still to play, three on the road (they finish the season at home to bottom club, Leicester City Ladies), Rise Park will aiming to finish as high as possible.
Neil Matthews’ Arnold Eagles were the other big winners, and lifting the Division One North title is now, surely, in their hands, having seen off lowly Sherwood Women in a local derby.
A brace from Amy Gauvrit, and the customary, Natasha Leach goal, afforded them all three points, Zoe Meyrick replying for the visitors, who remain second bottom, a point above Cleethorpes Town Ladies (they held mid-table Notts County Women Development to a goalless draw), but having played two games more.
With the game between SJR Worksop Women, and Grimsby Town Women, postponed, Nottingham Trent University Women kept up the pressure at the top of table, narrowly edging past hosts Grimsby Borough Ladies, 1-0, the only goal of the game coming from Jodie Lodge.
Meanwhile, in Division Two South, Nottingham Forest’s third string, their development side, crashed to a 3-1 East Midlands derby defeat when hosting leaders, Derby County Academy.
Immediately avenging last months’ sole, league loss, Derby would take all three points with goals from Holly Otter, Marli Rhodes-Andrews, and Amelia Towers, Forest netting though Jayda Jenkins midway through the first half.
Speaking of Forest, Andy Cook’s senior side, on FA Women’s National League Premier North duty, away to Brighouse Town Women, conjured up a last minute, 1-0 win, keeping a handle on fourth place, with a couple of games remaining.
Following a tight encounter, and no quarter really given from either side, Becky Anderson having a number of chances, but to no avail in the first period, and Niamh Reynolds the only real chance of the second, ahead of the goal, it was left until the 88 minute when Rachel Brown forces her way through the home defence, and fires home the winner.
Forest’s Reserves however, they went nap in the Midlands Reserve league, Sarah Richardson’s side registering a comfortable, 6-0 home win, over visitors, mid-table Leicester City Reserves, to keep a comfortable, eight point advantage, over third place Loughborough Lightning Development.
Bea Hembrough would register twice for the Reserves, doubling her tally for the season, whilst further goals were added through Eloise Hembrough, Jessica Waplington, and Isabella Hodson, the Reds’ second string, with a game behind, a sizable, fourteen points behind runaway leaders, Wolverhampton Wanderers Women.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @riseparkladies the girls celebrate a huge win against Rotherham United.
