Basford United moved into third place in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League on Sunday afternoon following a routine home win over Rotherham United and now sit just a point behind second place Ilkeston Town, with a game in hand.
The hosts took the lead inside the opening ten minutes, via one of their main outlets, Izzy Sullivan, after Zoe Meyrick pounced on a mistake by visiting shot-stopper, Katrina Parsons, and crossed for Sullivan to slam home.
Despite numerous attempts, from both sides, throughout the game, the score stayed that way until the closing minutes, Basford doubling their advantage with five minutes left on the clock, Laura Porritt firing home from the edge of the area and sealing another valuable, three points.
Basford – Emma Porter, Devonn Cousins, Keeley Sanderson, Keeley Butler, Maisie Plumb, Chloe Barkes, Maja Kocik, Zoe Meyrick, Georgia Gladwin, Izzy Sullivan, Laura Porritt
Mansfield Town meanwhile have slipped to sixth in the Premier Division after they dropped a 1-0 result when home to fifth place Chesterfield, the visitors having plenty of games in hand on those above them – victory was sealed courtesy of a Millie Standen effort.
In Division One, there’s Notts title-chasers in both the North, and the Central divisions; the former sees SJR Worksop sitting second in the table, three points behind leaders Gainsborough Trinity, with a game in hand, after they picked up a 4-1 win at home to Lincoln United Development, goals coming from Emily Murphy and Amy O’Brian with a brace apiece.
As for the latter, Nottingham Trent are in a battle with Arnold Eagles at the top, and the University hit top spot, by two points, following a 7-2 home win over West Bridgford Colts, a game which saw a milestone hit by scorer, Alice Rogers.
The NTU striker has now moved level with the clubs’ record scorer, Julia Kings, having notched her 100th and 103rd goals, in a five-goal haul, against the Colts – Kings set the record back in 2022; alongside Rogers’ five was efforts from Ellie McKeegan and Mollie Mincott-Thomas, whilst Katie Rogers and Charlotte Gardiner-Banks notched the visitors’ consolations.
With the Eagles having a game in hand, a lot of emphasis will be on the meeting between the two, at the Clifton Sports Hub, in a few weeks’ time (17 March), NTU set to finish the season with four straight home games.
Speaking of Arnold Eagles, they were in Notts FA County Cup action, against their Flyers section, who lead the Notts Girls & Ladies League, and, in a back-and-forth encounter, it was the Flyers who soared into the final, where they’ll meet Basford United, winning on penalties, following a 2-2 draw.
Chloe Cockayne, who else, bagged a brace for the Flyers, whilst Holly Gibson and, of course, Natasha Leach, scored for the Eagles, the tie going straight to penalties, in which the Flyers won to hit the final.
There was also cup action in the Notts Girls & Ladies League with the First Round of the Plate taking place, Keyworth United taking the early scoring plaudits following a ten-goal demolition of hosts Gedling Southbank, Shantay Wright bagged a treble and Kelly Clayton a brace in the rout.
Bethany Jones fired in three as Mansfield Town Development eased to a 5-0 win at Sherwood Development, Emily Trueman bagged a brace as West Bridgford Development edged visiting Teversal 3-2, and NTU Pink won by the same, but following extra-time, when hosting Bingham Town.
As for the county’s top two, women’s football teams, Nottingham Forest and Notts County, both were inactive; Forest’s next outing will see them at Halifax on Sunday 3 March, followed by a trip to arch-rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers a week later, and have the East Midlands derby, at Pride Park, against Derby County, at the end of the month; County meanwhile, entrenched in a relegation-battle, are scheduled to travel to Leafield Athletic on 3 March, in what’ll be their outing since the 6-0 loss off Northampton Town in early February.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @BasfordLadiesFC action from United’s win v Rotherham.