It was a successful Sunday for Nottinghamshire’s top four, women’s football sides as Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Mansfield Town, and SJR Worksop, all registered victories.

Carly Davies’ Forest put their FA Cup exit behind them with a battling, 1-0 City Ground win in the WSL2 against visiting Sheffield United, whilst Adam Dunleavy’s County side earned a 2-0 success away to Sutton Coldfield Town in the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands.

It was a first win in four for Forest as a debut was given, from the bench, for Libby Smith, recently signed from a brief spell Stateside with Sporting JAX in the USL Super League; East Midlands born, Smith began her career with home-town club, Leicester City, before switching to Birmingham City in 2021.

She came on for the closing twelve-or-so minutes, in the win over the Blades, replacing goalscorer Charlie Willings, who’d netted the games’ only goal after seventeen minutes, heading home a deflected effort from Deanne Rose.

Having lost back-to-back league games to Charlton Athletic and Bristol City, and exited the Women’s FA Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion, the win over Sheffield United was a much-needed boost to the Reds’ hopes of a top five finish, and are presently six points off second place Birmingham City.

Meanwhile, Notts County snapped a three-game losing streak to leapfrog their hosts, Sutton Coldfield Town, following a 2-0 win; with no wins in their last six, a draw and five losses, Dunleavy’s charges took an early lead through Neve Hincks, quickly doubling it three minutes later via Lily Stevenson.

Those two goals were sufficient for all three points, and a first league win since early November’s 3-0 home success over Northampton Town, moving them up to seventh, and within seven points of fifth place Barnsley.

The East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League saw progression in both their League Cup, and League Plate competitions, of Premier Division sides Mansfield Town and SJR Worksop respectively.

And Bell’s Mansfield Town won 2-0 in the League Cup when home to Northampton Town, Elisha Whittaker and Millee Mellors netting in the first half, whilst Lee Scott’s SJR Worksop progressed in the League Plate following a 4-2 win at Cleethorpes Town as Millee Clarke’s hat-trick was added to by a goal from Jacee Fells.

In the other League Plate game, Nottingham Trent University avenged their league defeat the previous week with a 3-2 win over visiting Basford United, Sarah Newton’s brace seeing them through whilst Olivia Wheatcroft’s double for the visiting kept them in the hunt.

Elsewhere there was in action involving local clubs in the regionalised, Division One, Arnold Eagles winning 3-2 at Notts County Development in the North, and a 6-0 win for University

of Nottingham, at home to Sherwood, in the Central, whilst West Bridgford Colts lost 2-0 at home to Coalville Town Ravens.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @NFFC  another WSL2 win for Forest see’s Carly Davies side stand sixth in the table.