There were League Cup shoot-out wins for AFC Dunstable and Brentwood Town, a Leicester City WD comeback in the clash of the East Mids top two. plus notable wins against in-form sides for Leek Town and Wigan Athletic.
EASTERN – Brentwood & Dunstable make Cup semis on pens
PREMIER – Writtle went fourth with a 3-0 result over Colney Heath, all the goals coming in the second half after the winless visitors had missed a penalty.
1 NORTH – Ipswich Town DS comfortably won the basement battle, 8-0 over Silver End United
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINALS – Two ties went to penalties, as AFC Dunstable won a shoot-out 6-5 after a goalless draw with AFC Sudbury and Brentwood Town came through 5-4 after finishing all square at 1-1 away to Bedford. Billericay Town got the only goal in the match with Wymondham Town, substitute Hope Strauss making the difference.
PLATE QUARTER-FINALS: Histon hit Hertford Town 4-0 with a hat-trick from Abigail Davies. It was 0-0 between Stevenage Reserves and Little Thurrock Dynamos in 90 minutes but the former progressed 3-0 after extra-time. Bishops Stortford bowed out 3-1 at home to Hoddesdon Town Owls, who ended up with ten players. Kristina O’Connell scored either side of an effort by substitute Hannah Kelly, while another sub – Natasha Crick – received two bookings in the last 5 minutes.
EAST MIDLANDS – Leicester fightback to win top two’s cup clash
PREMIER – Peterborough Northern Star are 2 points off the leaders following a 2-0 win at Loughborough Students, where Emma Pollard and Cassie Steward struck. Mansfield Hosiery Mills edged Arnold Town 3-2 with a Bethany Wilcockson winner on 72 minutes, while Mansfield Town and Kettering Town drew 0-0.
1 NORTH – Market Warsop beat lowly Clifton All Whites with a single Kelly Clayton-Cuthbert effort.
1 SOUTH – Heather leapfrogged Corby Stewarts & Lloyds by beating them with the best of five goals, two of those by Rebecca Dobney.
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINALS – A clash of the league’s top two saw Leicester City WD come from 2-1 down at half-time to beat Oughtibridge War Memorial 4-2 with a treble from Gabriella Reid. Eastwood also trailed at the midway point at Corby Town but Courtney Walters levelled to force the additional 30 minutes and remarkably score four more times herself for a 5-1 result. Hayley Brown got all four goals for Calverton Miners Welfare in their 4-3 victory at Loughborough Foxes Vixens. Northampton Town cruised through 9-0 at Arnold Town DS, with Emma Dunmore netting seven of them.
PLATE QUARTER-FINALS – Woodlands went through with a 6-1 thrashing of Lincoln Moorlands Railway, four goals coming from Jody Scott. Oadby & Wigston Dynamo eliminated Thrapston Town by a similar scoreline in which Emma Aspinall’s brace was matched by sub Lucy Phillips-Poole. In the other tie, Rise Park had a walkover at Cosby United.
LONDON & SOUTH EAST – Late winner keeps QPR on leader’s tail
PREMIER – London Kent Football United were held 3-3 by Aylesford, for whom Niamh Jestin got a double. Parkwood Rangers’ 2-0 win at Eastbourne Town had Jamie Leigh Dixon and Jade Whiteman on their scoresheet. Fulham rose to sixth on goal-difference after putting four away against Watford DS.
GREATER LONDON PREMIER – With two games to go each, Whyteleafe still hold a two-point lead over QPR DS in the title race. While the leaders were 2-1 winners at Hampstead, Rangers edged a seven-goal thriller at Hemel Hempstead Town where Bethany Smith got a last-minute decider. Regents Park Rangers had an impressive 2-1 victory over third-placed Spurs DS, with goals from Rachel Brown and Fiona Carter. AFC Wimbledon DS hit Hackney 6-1 with Sabrina McCann contributing twice, while Victoire got off the foot of the table at Colne Valley’s expense, beating them 3-1 with two goals for Josie Elliott.
SOUTH EAST COUNTIES PREMIER – Kent Football United stayed on course for the championship with a 3-0 success at Chichester City DS. Second-placed Worthing won 3-1 over third in the table Meridian and Bexhill United beat Ashford by the odd goal in seven.
NORTH EAST – Harrogate’s hat-trick trio hit Belles
PREMIER – Durham Cestria continue to set the pace with a 7-0 win at Wakefield, where Jenny Bitzer claimed a second-half hat-trick. Hartlepool United moved into second spot after also netting seven – against RACA Tynedale’s two – Jenni Duffy-Smith and Lucy Hammond-Garrington with two apiece.
1 NORTHERN – Boro Rangers closed to within two points of leaders South Shields, with a 6-0 win at Guisborough, Alex Hodgson and Robina Todd with two each. Blyth Lions matched that outcome against Prudhoe Town as Lauren Robson found the net four times. Cramlington United gained only their second win of the season, Sarah Fairlamb and Emma Graham scoring to see off York RI 2-1.
1 SOUTHERN – Harrogate Town went ten points clear with a dozen goals at bottom side Doncaster Belles, Jade Pennock, Sophie Tinson and Rachael White all scoring three.
LEAGUE CUP 2ND ROUND – A second-half goal was enough to put Farsley Celtic into the quarter-finals with victory over Harrogate Railway and a Lucy Lendhill brace saw York City beat Boldon CA Villa 2-1. South Shields progressed with a 3-1 result at Consett, while Norton & Stockton Ancients ran riot with seven goals after the break in thumping Wallsend 9-0, Nyci Thorns netting six.
NORTH WEST – Wigan end Stockport’s unbeaten run
PREMIER – Wigan Athletic went second when sending Stockport County to their first defeat by three goals to two. Tranmere Rovers took their chance to go top with three unanswered goals at Blackpool. Accrington Sports picked up their sixth point in holding Manchester Stingers 1-1, with MSB Woolton 2-1 winners over Blackburn CSC.
1 NORTHERN – Cammell Laird held second with a 2-0 defeat of Preston North End, while third-placed Bury won 2-0 at a Morecambe side one position beneath them. Carlisle United’s 6-1 score at Leigh RMI put them fifth on goal-difference, as Carly Stevenson and Gillian McGimpsey both scored twice.
ARGYLE SPORTS CUP – Altrincham’s 2nd Round 2-1 success at West Didsbury & Chorlton is rewarded with a home tie against Stockport County in the last eight. Burnley needed extra-time to win 3-1 at Fleetwood Town Wrens and make the semi-finals. FC United got there with a 3-0 victory at Merseyrail Bootle, while CMB sent Sir Tom Finney home beaten 6-3.
ARGYLE SPORTS PLATE QUARTER-FINALS – Liverpool Marshalls Feds Reserves knocked out Stockport County Blues 5-2. Crewe Alexandra DS stormed through 9-1 against Burscough Dynamo and Curzon Ashton hit double-figures at Bolton Wanderers U-21 Reserves.
SOUTHERN – Chesham make it a dozen straight wins
PREMIER – Having won 7-0 at Winchester City Flyers with a five-goal haul for Gemma Fraser, Chesham United now only need seven points from four games to become champions. New Milton Town lost more ground when held 1-1 at Newbury. Milton Keynes City moved seven points ahead of hosts Shanklin, whom they defeated 4-1.
JUBILEE CUP – AFC Bournemouth’s 7-1 score at home to Southampton WFC Reserves featured four goals for Chloe Tape and gave them a fourth straight win in Group A. Eastleigh’s fixture with Wycombe was abandoned early in the second-half with Wanderers 1-0 up, following a serious injury to the hosts’ Carys Thornton. Woodley United’s fourth Group B win on the spin was by the only goal at Winchester City Flyers Reserves, with Katharine Lowther on target. Warsash Wasps walloped Oxford City Nomads 12-1 with Megan Fox top-scoring with a treble.
SOUTH WEST – Top three separated by goal-difference
PREMIER – Marine Academy Plymouth and Torquay United went level on points with leaders Buckland Athletic, after MAP had a walkover against Middlezoy Rovers and the Gulls ended goalless at home to Keynsham Town DS. Ilminster Town’s single goal at Downend pushed them up two places to fourth and sent Flyers to the bottom. AEK Boco gained a fourth point of the campaign to move off the foot of the table, sharing four goals with Forest Green. The scoring was done by the break, Ellie Keedwell with two for the hosts, Holly Thomas netting a brace for Rovers.
1 EASTERN – Wootton Bassett Town kept a four point advantage at the top with as many goals against St Nicholas Reserves, Laura Gammon and Hayley Huckin sharing the spoils. Swindon Town DS stayed in touch with a walkover at Cheltenham Town DS, likewise Portishead with a Ruby Lowe brace in the 3-0 defeat of Cheltenham Civil Service. Almondsbury ran in five second-half goals to send Oldland Abbotonians home beaten 6-0.
1 WESTERN – Activate could only field nine players but lost by just a single goal to Exeter & Tedburn Rangers, for whom Samantha Burnham broke through. Alphington were awarded a home win over Newquay Celtic.
WEST MIDLANDS – Sutton’s 100% record ends at Leek
PREMIER – Leaders Bedworth United were given a walkover at Kingshurst Sporting, while Leafield Athletic easily maintained the chase, winning 8-1 over Wolverhampton Sporting. Crusaders came through 2-1 at Coundon Court and Stockingford AA Pavilion stung hosts Leamington Lions 10-0, which included three from Amanda Turnbull.
1 NORTHERN – Leek Town became the first to take points of Sutton Coldfield Town, holding the leaders to a 2-2 tie with a Laura Baskerville leveller from distance.
1 SOUTHERN – Solihull Sporting had a creditable 2-2 home draw with Redditch United, who had only previously failed to win once. Gornal gained ground by racing to an 8-0 victory at Rugby Town, with braces by Katie Moore, Sarah Lojko and Kelly Shirley. Kidderminster Harriers crashed to a 5-1 home reverse against Solihull United.
LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINALS – Droitwich Spa reached the last four with a 3-1 victory at Coventry Development, while Goldenhill Wanderers had a walkover against Wyrley.
