Reds Women Win Cup

Nottingham Forest 3-2 Watford *aet (FA Women’s National League Cup Final) 23.04.23

Well, in our preview of this cup final we said, and we quote: “Separate the two sides if you dare, we could be in for going the distance in this one,” and we couldn’t have been any closer, both Nottingham Forest and Watford battling to a quality, 2-2 draw, after ninety minutes.

The Reds though, kept going until the very end, with Gianna Mitchell slotting home what became, a 115 minute, extra-time winning goal, to lift the 2023 FA Women’s National League Cup.

An entertaining, end-to-end final, saw the opening goal come in the opening minutes, Gemma Davison giving the visitors the lead, the Southern Premier side dominating the opening fifteen minutes of the game.

Chances ebbed and flowed and Forest midfielder, Mai Moncaster, crashed an effort off Jacqui Goldsmid’s crossbar at one end, whilst Emily Batty pulled off a save at the other end from their Japanese forward, Faye Brough, shortly after.

The equaliser though, arrived minutes before the interval, Charlotte Greengrass, who else, firing home her 22 goal of a very productive season, the sides going in level at the break.

Forest started the second period strongly and, within minutes of the restart, Yasmin Mosby saw an effort blocked with the rebound from Moncaster flying over Goldsmid’s bar; then followed a game of ping-pong with the Forest attack, the triumvirate of Greengrass, Becky Anderson, and Hayley James, both saw efforts blocked.

The relentless attacking prowess of Andy Cook’s side continued, and they got their reward when taking the lead, for the first time, in the 52 minutes, Becky Anderson’s effort, from distance, comes back off the crossbar again, this time with Yasmin Mosby is on hand to head home the rebound.

Just ten minutes later and, with both sides very evenly matched, Watford snatched an equaliser of their own, albeit a little wind-assisted following a cross which led to a goalmouth scramble, a shot is knocked onto the bar by Batty, and Poppy Wilson is on hand to head home.

A penalty claim for Watford is waved away minutes later, following a coming together just inside the Forest box, before a deep cross from Amy West, is cleared at the back post, both sides hunting for a winner that never came, the tie headed into extra-time.

The end-to-end nature of the original, ninety minutes, just about continued throughout extra-time, both sides continually plugging away at each other, but again to no avail, until some simple play through the Watford defence saw Anderson knock a ball through to substitute, Mitchell, and she slots home a 115 minute winner, much to the delight of the Reds support in Burton’s Pirelli Stadium.

And with it, a first, League Cup final victory, adding to last season League Plate….

Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Olivia Cook, Charlotte Steggles, Sophie Domingo (Gianna Mitchell, 66), Mai Moncaster (Niamh Reynolds, 75; Naomi Powell 119), Yasmin Mosby (Arryana Daniels, 66), Amy West, Becky Anderson, Hayley James (Georgia Hewitt, 109), Charlotte Greengrass

Cook’s side go again next Sunday (30 April) when nothing really, less than a win, will give them the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier title, and a shot at the Barclays Championship next season.

Forest, they host mid-table, Stoke City, whilst rivals, Daniel McNamara’s Wolverhampton Wanderers, who moved level on points following a 2-1 win at Burnley, are away to Brighouse Town; Burnley can also still lift the title, if Forest and Wolves lose, and they defeat visitors Liverpool Feds.

Forest’s Reserves meanwhile, they were edged 1-0 when opposing rivals, and Midlands Division leaders, Derby County Development, Isabel Sheridan’s penalty the decider.

Victory for the leaders sees them move four points clear of their East Midlands rivals, with two games left to play – Forest Reserves at home to Loughborough Lightning Development, then away to West Bromwich Albion Development, with Derby County host Sporting Khalsa Development, before finishing at Lincoln City Development.

Several Nottinghamshire clubs were in action in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League, both Andi Bell’s Mansfield Town, and Neil Matthews’ Arnold Eagles, finishing their respective, league campaigns.

Mansfield, sitting in fourth place, were held to a 1-1 draw when away to Oughtibridge War Memorial, and Arnold, they finish the league season with zero victories on the board, following a 3-0 loss away to Rotherham.

Both sides have cup finals, next month, in which to look forward to, Mansfield playing Notts County in the Nottinghamshire FA County Cup, whilst Arnold have the tough prospect of a League Cup final against Lincoln United.

Two games were played in Division One involving Notts clubs, Notts County Development being held to a 1-1 draw with Asfordby Amateurs in the Central, whilst SJR Worksop lost 1-0 away to Grimsby Town in the South.

Three games were also played in the Notts Girls & Ladies League Seniors One, Retford being crowned champions and celebrated with a 6-1 win away to Terversal.

Retford finished six clear of runners-up Mansfield Town Development, winning thirteen and losing three of their sixteen outings, the Stags’ second string meanwhile, they lost their last game of the season, 2-1 at Arnold Eagles Flyers, and Nottingham Trent University won 2-0 against visiting Keyworth United.