There was double success for Nottingham clubs in the Determining Round of the FA Women’s National League Cup on Sunday afternoon as Nottingham Forest continued their red-hot start to the season with a big win away to Solihull Moors, and Notts County went through following a rain-soaked penalty shoot-out win at Chester-le-Street Town.
Having notched seven without reply in their opening day league win, Carly Davies’ Forest side continued their mean start to the campaign with a successful, opening defence of the League Cup as Chloe Dixon, on her first start for the club, opened the scoring after just five minutes.
Both Mai Moncaster and Reds captain, Lyndsey Harkin, had opportunities to extend the visitors’ lead, but saw their efforts saved well by the home ‘keeper, Lucy Bicknell, before the final fifteen of the half saw the home gates battered open.
Holly Manders was the recipient of the first brace of the afternoon, she registering after 28 and 37 minutes, the Reds putting on another, dominant display, going in at the break three goals to the good.
A couple of changes were made by the Forest Head Coach during the second period including, with a little under fifteen remaining, a debut for Mollie Green, she replacing Charlotte Greengrass who’d made her 70 appearance for the club.
It was to prove an inspired change as Green knocked in two in a minute; six minutes after taking to the field she collected a great through-ball from Hayley James to fire home, then, just a minute later, had her quick-fire brace with a composed strike to complete the scoring.
The 5-0 score-line, which could have easily been more, took the Reds’ tally to a dozen goals in their first two outings, with zero conceded, and has seen new signings Holly Manders, Natalie Johnson, Chloe Dixon and Mollie Green all netting.
Having won in Warwickshire, Forest return to league action this coming Sunday, 3 September, when they make to trip across the Midlands, to West Bromwich Albion, followed by a home game a week late as they host AFC Fylde (10 September).
NOTTINGHAM FOREST – Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Natalie Johnson, Olivia Cook, Mai Moncaster, Holly Manders, Chloe Dixon (Laura-Jayne O’Neill, 83), Freya Thomas (Niamh Reynolds, 46), Becky Anderson, Hayley James, Charlotte Greengrass (Mollie Green, 76)
Meanwhile in a rain-soaked North-East, Notts County edged past hosts Chester-le-Street 4-2 on penalties, following a 2-2 draw.
County finished the game with ten following the withdrawal of Audrey Huskisson-Moore early in the second period and, with the hosts having netted through Lucy Jameson and Laura Hockaday, County taking the tie to extra-time following goals from Emily Brett and Mollie Crump.
In the shoot-out, County missed their first but proceeded to score their next four attempts, the last of which required a re-take with Katie Potter eventually sending the Notts side through to the next round of the League Cup.
Next up for County, it’s back to league duty, and a hope of building momentum for Adam Dunleavy’s side when they hosts Sheffield in Division One Midlands.
NOTTS COUNTY – Ashleigh Hind, Mollie Crump, Holly Fowler, Emma Scoffham, Emily Stretton, Amy Colledge (Audrey Huskisson-Moore, 55), Elle Rowson, Laura Steele (Katie Potter, 78), Annie Taylor (Skye Lakin-Wright, 83), Takiah Burnett (Emily Brett, 64), Nicola Russell (Nya Chambers, 70)
Elsewhere in the League Cup there was plenty of big scores, Forest’s Northern Premier rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers, winning 11-1 at home to Doncaster Rovers Belles in a game that was, surprisingly, just 1-0 to the hosts at the break, running riot in the second with Amber Hughes (3), Destiny Toussaint (2) and Tammi George (2); Portsmouth also hot eleven when at Ashford, Sophie Quirk and Danielle Lane with braces in an 11-0 win.
West Bromwich Albion outed hosts Derby County 4-2, Liverpool Feds won 4-0 at Norton & Stockton Ancients, Loughborough Lightning claimed a 7-2 win at Sutton Coldfield Town, Huddersfield Town edged an eight-goal thriller at home to Middlesbrough 5-3, Halifax won 6-1 at FC United of Manchester, Rugby Borough eased to a rare win when seeing off hosts Haywards Heath Town 4-0, MK Dons thrashed visiting Selsey 7-0, Ipswich Town edged visiting Billericay Town 4-2, Norwich City won 5-0 at Cambridge United, and Oxford United beat Abingdon United by the same score.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @NCFC_Women the Notts girls celebrate a dramatic cup win.
