The FA Women’s National League 2023/24 season is underway and amongst the drama Ipswich Town netted a 102nd-minute winner at Cardiff City LFC.
NORTHERN PREMIER DIVISION
Derby County 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town 4-2 AFC Fylde (Att: 102)
Liverpool Feds 2-3 Burnley (Att: 105)
Newcastle United P-P Halifax
Nottingham Forest 7-0 Stourbridge (Att: 636)
West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Stoke City
What a start for The Reds! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5hZI4gltqp
— Nottingham Forest Women (@NFFCWomen) August 20, 2023
Reigning Northern Premier champions Nottingham Forest put seven past promoted Stourbridge with well over 600 fans in attendance, Wolves’ two first-half goals at Derby County proved sufficient, Burnley got the better of Liverpool Feds 3-2 away.
SOUTHERN PREMIER DIVISION
Cardiff City LFC 1-2 Ipswich Town (Att: 250)
Milton Keynes Dons 2-2 Oxford United
Plymouth Argyle 0-6 Billericay Town (Att: 47)
Portsmouth 5-0 Cheltenham Town (Att: 482)
Rugby Borough 3-0 London Bees
Chatham Town 1-3 Hashtag United (Att: 478)
⏱️ And breathe.#itfc pic.twitter.com/S4yMW29Vpg
— Ipswich Town FC Women (@ITFCWomen) August 20, 2023
Cardiff City Ladies had Kylie Nolan stretchered off in a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town. Megan Wearing got the winner 12 minutes into the 18 added at the end of the second 45.
MK Dons were two down to Oxford United to fought back to draw with an injury-time leveller. Portsmouth had Isobel Collins sent off on 68 minutes but Sophie Quirk completed a hat-trick to help send Cheltenham Town to a 5-0 defeat.
DIVISION 1 MIDLANDS
Lincoln City 6-2 Notts County
Northampton Town 2-1 Peterborough United (Att: 322)
Sheffield FC 1-1 Loughborough Lightning
Solihull Moors P-P Boldmere St Michaels
Sporting Khalsa 3-1 Leafield Athletic (Att: 70)
Sutton Coldfield Town 3-1 Leek Town
Sutton Coldfield Town made a winning debut against Leek Town, Notts County went down 6-2 at Lincoln City. Lauren Purchase’s 17th-minute goal had Loughborough Lightning ahead at Sheffield FC, until Eden Hinchliffe rescued a point 11 minutes from time.
DIVISION 1 NORTH
Barnsley 4-0 Chorley
Chester le Street Town 0-3 Durham Cestria (Att: 158)
FC United of Manchester 1-7 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Leeds United 2-1 Stockport County (Att: 411)
Middlesbrough 0-0 Norton & Stockton Ancients (Att: 696)
York City 3-4 Hull City (Att: 105)
Full time- Belles start the season with a 7-1 away victory. 💙💛#BackTheBelles#ProudHistoryNewBeginnings#PickUpThePen pic.twitter.com/aNUxz7tvqA
— Doncaster Rovers Belles (@donnybelles) August 20, 2023
Doncaster Rovers Belles sank returning FC United 7-1, Hull City won the seven-goal thriller at York City, Middlesbrough drew 0-0 watched by nearly 700.
DIVISION 1 SOUTH EAST
AFC Sudbury 1-2 Norwich City (Att: 203)
Cambridge City P-P Cambridge United
Haywards Heath Town 1-3 Ashford Town
London Seaward 3-1 Actonians (Att: 62)
Worthing P-P AFC Wimbledon
AFC Sudbury suffered heartbreak on their FAWNL debut, Norwich City taking the points in added time, Ashford Town came from behind to win at Haywards Heath Town.
DIVISION 1 SOUTH WEST
Bridgwater United 1-5 Exeter City
Keynsham Town 3-4 Maidenhead United (Att: 70)
Portishead Town 4-2 Torquay United (Att: 170)
Selsey 0-13 AFC Bournemouth (Att: 60)
Southampton Women P-P Moneyfields
Swindon Town 4-2 Abingdon United (Att: 158)
FULL TIME
Zoe Watkins hits four and Jenna Markham gets the fourth as we start with three points #ECFC pic.twitter.com/86ysLACNc0
— Exeter City Women FC (@ExeterCityWFC) August 20, 2023
AFC Bournemouth ran riot with 13 goals at Selsey where Gemma McGuinness claimed a treble, Maidenhead United won by the odd goal in seven at Keynsham Town. There were 4-2 debut defeats on the road for Torquay United and Abingdon United at Portishead Town and Swindon Town respectively. Annys Turner bagged a barce for Portishead, likewise Annabelle Colston for Swindon who had substitute Holly Randall sent off.
