Loughborough Lightning were again leaders of FA Women’s National League Division 1 Midlands, ending Sporting Khalsa’s 24 hours on top of the table.
Northern Premier Division
Halifax P-P Burnley
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Huddersfield Town (Att: 308)
West Bromwich Albion 4-0 Stourbridge
Holly Manders struck from distance at the end of the first half for Nottingham Forest, she later doubled the lead from a Sophie Domingo pass. Yasmin Mason pulled one back in the last quarter of an hour for relegation-threatened Huddersfield.
Our 12th win of the season at Grange Park 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pEpInsU01G
— Nottingham Forest Women (@NFFCWomen) March 14, 2024
West Brom went seventh and level on points with Wolves – albeit from five games more – after putting four goals past Stourbridge. The Baggies broke the deadlock close to half time, Delphi Cole finishing from an Olivia Rabjohn ball over the top. Simran Jhamat set up Rabjohn for the second, Fran Orthodoxou prodded home an Ash Brown cross and Jhamat ran through on goal to chip in the fourth.
Southern Premier Division
Oxford United 2-1 Cheltenham Town (Att: 111)
Oxford United came from behind to beat Cheltenham and move into fourth spot. Phoebe Poole gave Town the lead soon after the restart but Zoe Barratt swiftly turned the game in Oxford’s favour with a brace, the second from the spot after Izzy Cook was brought down in the box.
🗣️ A few words on todays win from Lily Stevens and goalscorer Zoe Barratt
🟡🔵 #OUWFC | #COYY pic.twitter.com/x4YlSud0gE
— Oxford United WFC (@OfficialOUWFC) March 14, 2024
Division 1 Midlands
Lincoln City 2-1 Sheffield FC
Loughborough Lightning 4-0 Leek Town (Att: 71)
Loughborough Lightning quickly regained the leadership from Sporting Khalsa, with a 4-0 defeat of Leek Town. Ferne Powell put away a penalty before setting up both Jade Arber and Doris Greenwood to take the score to 3-0 by the break. Lydia Tilbury-Henry later played in Arber to net her second of the night.
Lincoln City moved ten points clear of next-to-bottom Sheffield FC, when seeing them off by two goals to one. Lucy Farrow played in Maddie Green to put the Imps ahead and Millie Quaintance rifled in a second close to the interval. Moriah McIntosh cut inside before firing the visitors back into the match and Rebecca Matthews was denied an equaliser by the crossbar. But Sheffield FC then had Millie Fugler sent off and they remain five points from safety but with two games in hand on Notts County.
Division 1 North
Durham Cestria 4-0 Norton & Stockton Ancients (Att: 126)
FC United of Manchester P-P Leeds United
Durham Cestria’s 4-0 defeat of Norton put them back to within a point of leaders Middlesbrough but with both the top two under pressure from a well-placed Hull City. Abby Holmes scored the first of her hat-trick after 40 minutes, from Megan Elliott’s ball over the defence. Holmes followed up to score twice more when Ella Rowell’s shot was tipped onto the post and the keeper also saved from Grace Mackie. Holmes then turned provider for Daisy May Clarke to complete the scoring.
Division 1 South East
Cambridge United 1-1 London Seaward (Att: 38)
Cambridge United’s 1-1 draw with London Seaward put them level on points with Actonians in sixth place, as they stayed six points ahead of their visitors. Charlotte Gillies found Ruth Fox to put United ahead at the start of the second half but with three minutes left, a Seaward cross flew straight in to level the match.
Division 1 South West
Southampton Women 4-0 Selsey
Torquay United 0-2 Bridgwater United
Southampton Women sent Selsey to a sixteenth straight defeat to escape the relegation zone. All the goals came inside the hour, Oceana Adams twice on target with Laura Vokes and Maisie Aldridge netting in-between.
Torquay United slipped into the bottom two, beaten 2-0 at home by Bridgwater United. Chloe Snook broke the deadlock in the last quarter of the game, with Ellie Bishop sealing the victory on 85 minutes.