It was the Nottinghamshire FA Women’s County Cup semi-final day on a freezing cold, Sunday afternoon, as both visiting oppositions progressed to the final, after hard-fought battles.

At Eastwood’s Coronation Park, Notts County Reserves welcomed Mansfield Town for what a really tight tussle between two talented, hard-working sides, the visitors edging the contest on penalties, following a 1-1 draw after ninety minutes.

In an end-to-end game throughout, both sides seeing plenty of the ball, in-roads were being made in the first quarter by the industrious County player, Rhea Bailey, as she constantly attacked Chloe Hutsby and Monica Bowley in the Mansfield defence.

At the other end meanwhile, County club captain, Holly Fowler, took the brunt of some challenges from the visitors, both sides looking to make their mark, one which nearly came, inadvertently, for the hosts, around the half hour mark.

Mansfield’s Monica Bowley, who got away with it twice in the game, saw this, first half clearance, go awry, and crash back off her own crossbar, much to the relief of Amy Price in the goalmouth.

As Fowler continued to take some strong challenges, and the hosts’ possession increasing as the half wore on, it would be the visiting Stags who snatched an interval lead, Olivia Wheatcroft finding herself both in space, and through on goal, slotting the ball past Holly Brough in the home goal, for the opener.

Changes aplenty in the second period, the hosts founding themselves levelling when one of those, Chloe Newins, fired home a free-kick, around twenty-five yards from goal, her right-footed, curled effort, slotting into Price’s bottom corner.

Both sides continued to create chances as the search for the winner wore on, the visitors having penalty appeals waved away by the referee, the hosts getting closer and closer with each attempt, and the visitors being restricted to efforts from range.

A late rally for Mansfield saw them drop one just over Brough’s bar in the closing minutes, the game headed straight to penalties, for a place in the final; it was to be Mansfield’s day from twelve yards, they slotting all four of theirs to 4-2 on penalties, whilst the hosts missed two, both of which crashed back off Price’s bar.

Notts County Reserves – Holly Brough, Holly Fowler, Summer Baxondale, Summer Reece, Emma White, Katie Martin, Neve Hincks, Takiah Burnett, Brooke Emmerson, Rhea Bailey (subs – Ellisia Douglas-Needham, Aurelia Burdett, Summer Oliff, Chloe Newins, Layla Smith)

Mansfield Town – Amy Price, Georgina Clements, Chloe Hutsby, Monica Bowley, Martha Roper, Maia Taylor, Ava Williamson, Mathilda Evans, Olivia Standeven, Grace Shipman, Olivia Wheatcroft (subs – Shannon Purdy, Charlotte Tate, Gabriella Foulkes, Millie Edwards)

Mansfield will face Basford United in the County Cup final after they overturned a one-goal deficit, twice, before putting on a second half onslaught to win 4-2.

Hannah Daniel and Kitty Ward both scored for Arnold Eagles, they leading within ten minutes of kick-off; however, Basford, despite an understrength side, progressed thanks to a four-goal blitz in the final thirty minutes.

Having had an earlier effort disallowed for offside the visitors’ first equaliser came via Maja Kocik just after the hour mark then, with fifteen minutes left, they equalised for a second time, this through Katie Platts, with her first of the afternoon.

After that, the wind was knocked out of Arnold’s sails and Basford quickly added a third through Georgia Gladwin before Platts wrapped up the win with her second, eight minutes from time, again with the assist from Tasha Leach.

Only one league game, in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division, involving a Notts club, was played, Nottingham Trent University falling to a 6-2 loss when home to Stamford – Ainsely Allan and Sarah newton both netted for the hosts, with Emma Pollard netting a hat-trick for the victors.

The draw for both the EMWRFL League Cup, and League Plate, semi-finals was also made over the weekend, ties to be played on Sunday 9 March (13:30 KO). With three Notts clubs left in the Plate, there’s guaranteed one in the final, the draw being as follows –

SJR Worksop vs. Nottingham Trent University; Chesterfield vs. Mansfield Town

A couple of games were also played in the Notts Girls & Ladies League Seniors One, Mansfield Town Development returning to the top after disposing Radcliffe Olympic 2-1, they dropping to second – Molly Allsop and Paige West both netted for the Stags’ second string, Taylor Johnson replying.

In the other game played, Hucknall Town moved into third place following a goal blitz at home to joint-bottom, Retford, Alex Franics firing six goals in a 13-1 success, along with seven other scorers – Olivia Bainbridge, Shannon Caske, Bailee Manners, Rebecca Pepper, Hannah Yeomans, Tegan Eaglefield and Millie Rose-Huckle, Milly Shepherd with the consolation effort for the shell-shocked visitors.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @petermannwriter Notts County and Mansfield Town ahead of cup battle on Sunday.