Reds Beat Sunderland In WSL2

Carly Davies’ Nottingham Forest side continue to fight at the top end of the WSL2, registering a fifth win of the season, seeing off visiting Sunderland 3-1 at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon.

A couple of first half goals, from Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah and Aimee Claypole, afforded the hosts a two-goal interval lead, that was added to later on by Boye-Hlorkah’s second of the game, Emily Scarr netting for the Black Cats with a little over twenty remaining.

The opening goal arrived shy of the twenty-minute mark when Boye-Hlorkah burst past a visiting defender, and fired into Grace Moloney’s top corner; the lead was doubled a little over ten minutes later when Moloney parried a shot from range by Boye-Hlorkah, Nahikari Garcia pounced and laid off Aimee Claypole to bundle home a second.

Leading by two at the break, the Reds were pegged back midway through the second half when Emily Batty, in the home goal, parried Keira Batty’s effort into the path of Emily Scarr, who tapped home from close range for her fourth goal in four games.

The Reds though restored their two-goal advantage late on when Boye-Hlorkah grabbed her second, and the hosts’ third, with minutes remaining; conceding a corner proved costly for the Black Cats and Rachel Rowe’s ball into the mix was slotted past Moloney and sealing the points.

Victory for Davies’ Reds sees them sitting in fourth place, eight points off the unbeaten leaders, Charlton Athletic, and just three behind the joint-second pairing od Birmingham City and Bristol City -Forest’s next league game, away to leaders Charlton, four days before Christmas (21 December).

Before that, it’s the small matter of the Women’s FA Cup, and a clash with old foes, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and their contingent of former Reds stars, live on Channel 4, and TNT Sports – 1215KO at Keys Park, home of Hednesford Town (programme starts 1145am on 4).

Nottingham Forest – Emily Batty, Jessica Stapleton (Tove Almqvist, 61), Georgia Brougham (capt), Chloe Mustaki, Amy Rodgers, Aimee Claypole (Vivienne Lia, 90), Ebba Hed, Rachel Rowe (Hollie Olding, 90), Nahikari Garcia (Deanne Rose, 61), Kirsty Smith (Caragh Hamilton, 80), Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah

In the National League Division One Midlands, Notts County, for whom Shoniqua ‘Smurf’ Barnes played her hundredth game, fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Barnsley; County sit sixth in the table, ten points off their opponents who moved into third with the win.

Only a handful of games involving Notts clubs were played in the East Midlands Women’s Regional League, Mansfield Town registering a 2-1 win away to Anstey Nomads in the Premier Division.

Goalless at the break, Andi Bell’s side claimed another valuable three points through second half goals from Megan Brierley and Jemma Wheatley; it was a win that moved them up to fourth place, ten points off the leaders, but with 3-4 games in hand on the three sides above them – Chesterfield (ten points off, four games in hand), Loughborough Foxes Vixens (six points off, three games in hand), and Rotherham United (three points off, three games in hand).

There were mixed outcomes for the two local sides in action in the EMWRFL Division One North, bottom four pairing of Notts County Development and Newark Town both in action; the former won 1-0 away to Cleethorpes Town thanks to Seren Abbott’s effort, whilst the latter were thumped 8-0 at home to the leaders Grimsby Town Academy.

A quick look at the Notts Girls & Ladies League ahead of the winter fixtures sees Hucknall Town leading the way with maximum points from their five games played, winning 4-0 at home to Arnold Eagles Development in the only league game played at the weekend.

Beneath them is Radcliffe Olympic, Lowdham Colts, Keyworth United, and Calverton Miners Welfare rounding out the top five, with Radcliffe away to Ollerton Town, and Lowdham hosting NTU Pink, in the League Cup Group Stage.