Basford & Mansfield Through In Cup

This past Sunday (11 February) would see the quarter-finals of the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League’s League Cup and League Plate competitions played out, with five Nottinghamshire-based clubs in action.

In the League Cup, Basford United and Mansfield Town both reached the final four following comprehensive, home wins, the former being in a 3-1 derby success over Arnold Eagles, and the latter winning 3-0 over Stamford.

At Basford, the hosts led 2-0 at the break, Izzy Sullivan with the opener fifteen minutes in when she got on the end of a whipped cross from Megan Wood, that was punched into the air by the visiting shot-stopper, for Sullivan to head home; with the hosts hitting the bar just minutes later, the lead was eventually doubled in first half stoppage time when Laura Porritt beautifully controlled a chipped pass from Sullivan before slotting home.

Porritt then added United’s third, twelve minutes after the restart when she squeezed an effort into the net from a somewhat tight angle; minutes later and visiting Arnold found themselves being awarded a penalty, only to see the resultant spot-kick blazed over.

Credit to the visitors, they never gave up the ghost, and their tenacity was rewarded with a late consolation, Natasha Leach pulling one back with seconds remaining, however it would be Basford who reached the final four.

Premier Division rivals, and annual promotion hopefuls, Mansfield Town, also reached the final four when they eased to a 3-0 success at home to Division One side, Stamford.

Olivia Wheatcroft and Maia Taylor gave the Stags a two-goal interval lead, Olivia Standeven wrapping up the result, and progression, in the second half; the two Notts clubs finding themselves joined in the final four by a rampant Lincoln United side (won 7-0 at home to Dronfield Town), and New Bradwell St Peter’s (beat Thrapston Town 2-1).

Mansfield Town – Amy Price, Mathilda Evans, Alaya Price, Chloe Hutsby, Monica Bowley, Eve Shaw, Olivia Wheatcroft, Chrystal Smiley, Maia Taylor, Millie Edwards, Olivia Standeven

Notts involvement in the League Plate meanwhile ended at the quarter-final stage as both Sherwood (1-0 against Northampton Town), and Nottingham Trent University (2-0 against Rotherham United) were beaten at home.

Three Notts clubs were in league action, in Division One, as West Bridgford fell to a lone-goal loss against visiting Loughborough Foxes Vixens in the Central, and Retford were beaten by the same score, when home to Gainsborough Trinity, in the North.

Also in North action was promotion hopefuls SJR Worksop, they eventually seeing off visitors Skegness Town, to pick up a valuable three points.

Goalless at the break, Worksop netted three, second half goals, via Emily Myatt, Lauren Cundy, and Abbie Lister, the visitors netting a late consolation.

SJR Worksop – Olivia Walker, Abbie Lister, Lucie Spendiff, Rachael Bell, Naomi Childerley, Amy O’Brien, Sarah Harvey, Lauren Cundy, Aimee Roper, Emily Myatt, Emily Murphy

There was only one game played in the Nottinghamshire Girls & Ladies League Seniors 1, and that saw Arnold Eagles Flyers ease to a 4-1 home win over Keyworth United, Chloe Cockayne with a hat-trick, Fern Williams also netting.

Meanwhile, in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Fifth Round, Carly Davies’ FA Women’s National League Northern Premier title challengers, Nottingham Forest, suffered a heavy exit for the second time in a couple of years (they lost 8-0 at home to Manchester City), losing 7-1 at home to Women’s Super League side, Everton.

Forest made a battle of it, on the main, trailing by just the two at the break, and halving that deficit within minutes of the restart when Charlotte Greengrass raced onto a pass from Sophie Domingo to fire home.

WATCH GREENGRASS’ GOAL HERE

The WSL side though, they led through first half goals from Kathrine Kuhl and Martina Piemonte, before restoring their two-goal advantage five minutes after the Forest goal when Justine Vanhaevermaet scored.

It would not be until the final twenty minutes though that the WSL asserted the dominance, adding a further four goals, Emma Bissell and a Toni Duggan penalty being added to by a late brace, in the final ten, from Hanna Bennison.

A great cup for Forest though is now over with, and, although one they can be proud of, an attendance of 1,130 at Grange Park testament of that, focus now turns to one thing, the FAWNL Northern Premier title, as they look to chase down leaders Newcastle United.

Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Lyndsey Harkin, Natalie Johnson, Olivia Cook, Sophie Domingo, Mai Moncaster, Holly Manders, Louanne Worsey, Becky Anderson, Charlotte Greengrass, Abi Cowie

Forest’s next three league games sees them on the road, beginning with a trip to Merseyside, and Liverpool Feds, on 18 February, prior to away days at Halifax (3 March), and rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers (10 March); Wolves also saw their FA Cup journey come to an end on Sunday gone when they lost 4-1 at home to another WSL outfit, Brighton & Hove Albion.

Notts County on the other-hand saw their game in the FAWNL Division One Midlands, away to Leafield Athletic, postponed, County looking to succeed in a relegation battle.