Congratulations goes to two individuals with Nottingham connections as Newcastle United won the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division title, with an emphatic 10-0 win over Huddersfield Town, at the weekend (braces from Emma Kelly, Bethany Lumsden, and Katie Barker).
Manager Becky Langley, and assistant manager Andy Cook, both have connections to the region with the latter now having back-to-back titles to his name having won the same with Nottingham Forest last season as well.
The Lady Mags have lost but once in the league all season, a 2-1 reverse at home to, Forest, back in mid-January, when a stoppage time winner from Niamh Reynolds added to Alice Keitley’s goal for the three points.
Carly Davies’ Reds however have dropped points in five outings, including three defeats, which have proved costly, although they’ve not lost in the league for eleven outings, the last being a narrow 1-0 defeat at the City Ground in mid-November last year.
Late last week (11 April) Forest played their rearranged away game with Huddersfield Town, second half goals from Freya Thomas and Sophie Domingo sealing a 2-0 win which kept the title dreams alive until the weekend.
Three Reds are in double figures, scoring-wise this campaign, Charlotte Greengrass leading the way with fifteen goals, whilst Holly Manders has fourteen and Louanne Worsey thirteen, ahead of the final three.
The first of those sees Davies’ Reds travel to rivals, Daniel McNamara’s Wolverhampton Wanderers (21 April), before wrapping up proceedings with a home finale against Stoke City (5 May), and an away date at Halifax still to be arranged.
In the FAWNL Division One Midlands, third-bottom Notts County have two games remaining in their battle for survival and welcome Lincoln City to Meadow Lane in their next outing (21 April) before finishing at Northampton Town on 5 May.
Sitting two points and one place above the relegation zone, County will, without question, be relying upon goals from top-scorer Takiah Burnett (10) and Nicola Russell (6) to keep them alive.
Andi Bell’s Mansfield Town side still harbour hopes of a top three finish in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division, but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Dunton & Broughton at the weekend.
Lincoln United have wrapped up the title, and with it promotion into the National League, but for the Stags, a goal from captain Chloe Hutsby, from range, kept them within sight of a decent finish to the season.
Mansfield Town – Amy Price, Maia Taylor, Chloe Hutsby, Monica Bowley, Eve Shaw, Georgina Beckwith, Erin James, Libby Bartlett, Olivia Standeven, Olivia Wheatcroft, Grace Shipman
Of the Notts clubs across Division One, promotion aspirations are still in the sights of SJR Worksop (Div 1 North), and for either of Nottingham Trent University or Arnold Eagles (Div 1 Central) ; in the Central West Bridgford Colts were beaten 2-1 away to Asfordby Amateurs whilst the derby clash between Sandiacre and Arnold Eagles finished goalless.
Nottingham Trent can take the North title with a point from their last game of the season away to bottom club Sandiacre whilst the Eagles need to hope on a slip by NTU and pick up wins from both away games, at Sherwood and Asfordby.
In the Central meanwhile, Worksop kept alive their title dreams with a 1-0 win at Oughtibridge War Memorial, Leah Hardy netting a solo winner with five minutes remaining (watch here), they sitting three points behind Gainsborough Trinity (who’ve finished their season) with two game remaining.
In the other game in the division Retford, with goals from Emma Gray and Isabelle Thorp, won 2-1 at home to Skegness, whilst in the Notts Girls & Ladies League Seniors One NTU Pink can still lift the title with their games in hand and drew 3-3 away to Keyworth United and Hucknall Town won 2-0 at home to Radcliffe Olympic.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @NFFCWomen Forest will stay in the third tier of women’s football next season.
