After a few weeks of lulling in regards goals scored in the Nottinghamshire women’s football scene, the back of the net is starting to bulge once more as the FA Women’s National League pair of Nottingham Forest, and Notts County, both had games with six goals.
Forest, they bagged six-of-the-best in the Northern Premier clash away to AFC Fylde, whilst unfortunately for County, when home to Northampton Town in Division One Midlands, they conceded six following a second half capitulation.
In Lancashire, at the Kellamergh Park, Carly Davies’ Forest not only scored six without reply, but missed a penalty when Holly Manders blasted over just after the hour, and finished with ten players after Mollie Green was dismissed ten minutes later.
By the time of the dismissal though, the visiting Reds were already three goals to the good after Alice Keitley and Sophie Domingo had them 2-0 up at the break, and regular Reds scorer, Charlotte Greengrass, bagged her first less than fifteen minutes after the restart.
Manders would miss her spot-kick five minutes after the Greengrass goal; after Green was dismissed, and a few changes were implemented, the visitors added three more in the closing stages to register an emphatic win.
Louanne Worsey grabbed the fourth with minutes left of normal time, Natalie Johnson fired home an emphatic fifth midway through the added time and, with the clock hitting the hundredth minute, a sixth was taken when Ella Haughey’s cross was slotted home by Greengrass, she and Worsey now level on 11-goals apiece this campaign.
Victory for the Reds keeps them in second place in the league, four points ahead of third place Burnley (who’ve two games in hand), and four points behind leaders Newcastle United, who picked up a big win when home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Next up for Davies’ side, it is back to the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, and the hosting, at Grange Park, of Women’s Super League side, Everton (currently third bottom, five points above the relegation place), Nottingham’s flagship side looking to continue what’s been a relatively enjoyable season thus far.
Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Natalie Johnson, Sophie Domingo (Ella Haughey, 88), Holly Manders (Mai Moncaster, 77), Mollie Green, Freya Thomas (Louanne Worsey, 38), Becky Anderson, Charlotte Greengrass, Alice Keitley (Olivia Cook, 75), Abi Cowie
On the flip-side, County have struggled since their promotion to Division One Midlands, and suffered a ninth defeat in fourteen league outings when home to promotion-chasing Northampton Town.
The visitors led by one at the break, and County proceeded to ship another five in a devastating, second half, as they sit third bottom, a point above a Sheffield side who’ve a game in hand; Town meanwhile, they sit fifth, eight points off leaders Loughborough Lightning, Kim Farrow and Alex Dicks bagging braces for Town.
In the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division as Basford United picked up a 2-1 win at home to a Grimsby Town side that led at the break, goals from Georgia Gladwin and a late winner from Izzy Sullivan, snatching the three points.
Mansfield Town on the other-hand, after four successive clean sheets, conceded four when away to Lincoln United, Ellie Gilliatt scoring twice in their 4-1 success; goals continued to flow across Division One also, although Retford conceded three when away to Grimsby Borough in the North, whilst in the Central, ten goals were witnessed in the game between Notts County Development and Nottingham Trent University, the visitors claiming a 7-3 win on the road.
Katie Fish scored the only goal of the game as Sherwood defeated visiting West Bridgford Colts 1-0. And Sandiacre Town narrowly lost 2-1 at home to Beaumont Park.
As for the Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies League, there was a mixture of Seniors One league, and cup matches played; in the former, Arnold Eagles Flyers romped to an 8-1 success away to Teversal, Chloe Cockayne bagging herself a hat-trick, and Keyworth United won a nine-goal thriller (6-3) away to Radcliffe Olympic.
In the cup meanwhile, it was also a case of away successes, Newark Town winning 7-1 at Southwell, Connie Forman with three and Jessica Hogg two, Basford United Development edged a seven-goal game at NTU Pink, and University of Nottingham IVs won 1-0 at Hucknall Town.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @NFFCWomen Nat Johnson celebrates scoring for Forest at Fylde.
