Forest Women Win Again

Carly Davies’ Nottingham Forest side stretched their unbeaten, Grange Park home record this season to ten-wins-from-ten following a battling, 2-1 win, over visiting Burnley in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier.

It was a victory that sees the Reds move up to second in the table, and just four points behind leaders Newcastle United; in addition an unbeaten January also sees the Reds on a seven-match winning streak (scoring 24, conceded 7), thanks to second half goals from Alice Keitley, and a late second from substitute Mai Moncaster.

Goalless at the break, Davies only made two changes in the second half, bringing on first, Louanne Worsey (for Charlotte Greengrass), and five minutes later, Keitley was replace by Moncaster, the former of those having opened the scoring just before the hour mark.

Sophie Domingo added another assist to her impressive stats for the season, playing a lovely through-ball for Keitley who weaves through the visiting back-line to slot home the opener; further goals, of which there was two, didn’t arrive until stoppage time when first Moncaster looped an effort beyond the visiting ‘keeper in the fifth minute of added time, and the visitors grabbed a late effort themselves through Ginny Lackey’s first for the club, in the eighth minute of added time.

That though was, just about, too little too late, Forest earning themselves another three points as they warm-up for their big, Adobe FA Cup clash, in the coming weeks; before that though it’s an away day at AFC Fylde, in the league, on 4 February, before hosting Everton, in the Cup, the following week (11 February).

Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin. Natalie Johnson, Sophie Domingo, Holly Manders, Mollie Green, Freya Thomas, Becky Anderson, Charlotte Greengrass (Louanne Worsey, 70), Alice Keitley (Mai Moncaster, 75), Abi Cowie

In the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division, Andi Bell’s Mansfield Town kept a fourth successive clean-sheet, and moved into third place in the table, a point behind second place Ilkeston (with a game in hand), and nine off unbeaten leaders, Lincoln United.

Victory, at home to local rivals Basford United, was achieved courtesy of a lone effort from Eve Shaw, ahead of what is a big February for the club, they at Lincoln on 4 February, before a pair of cup matches – at home to Stamford in the League Cup quarter-finals (11 February), and a County Cup semi-final, against Basford United the following week (18 February).

In Division One North, SJR Worksop are second, two behind leaders Gainsborough Trinity, with a game in hand, following a 1-1 draw at Sleaford, Emily Myatt with Worksop’s goal; Retford meanwhile sit bottom of the North, they won 2-0 at home to Lincoln United Development, Emily North and Isabelle Thorpe with the goals.

The top two in Division One Central also both won, leaders Arnold Eagles winning 2-1 at home to Loughborough Foxes Vixens, Natasha Leach scoring twice, and Notts County Development edged an eleven-goal thriller, winning 7-4 at home to Beaumont Park thanks to goals from Lily-May Jacobs (2), Tia Richards, Seren Staley, Erin Tinson, Anne-Sophie Bokomano Bogongo, and Olivia Bradley, County leading 4-2 at the break.

Elsewhere in the division, in the Eagles lead County Devs by three, West Bridgford Colts won 2-0 at home to Sandiacre Town, and Sherwood were beaten by the same score when away to Asfordby Amateurs.

Numerous Notts clubs were in action in the Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies League, Arnold Eagles Flyers leading second place Newark Town by two points, both scoring five on the road as the former won 5-1 at Keyworth United, Claire Goater and Caitlin Keetley with braces, and the latter took a 5-2 success at Radcliffe Olympic, Jessica Parker with a brace for the victors, and Sommer Button the same for the hosts.

Helen Clee hit a four-goal salvo in Nottingham Trent University’s 6-2 win at Teversal, and the game between Hucknall Town and Mansfield Town Development finished in a 2-2 draw.