Sheffield Ladies were denied the chance to steal a march on second-placed Coventry City, not by their host Sporting Club Albion but by a postponement due to a frozen pitch.
The battle for third spot, between Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City, was also delayed as the north was hit with severe weather.
Sarah Chadwick scored a hat-trick as eight-place Preston North End won 6-2 at Huddersfield Town, in sixth. Chadwick opened the scoring with an early brace but Huddersfield pulled level just before the break.
Chadwick then added a third, and afterwards Preston pulled well clear after a series of fine saves from their keeper Danielle Brown kept Huddersfield in check.
Newcastle United won their first game since November and ended a four-game losing streak, defeating bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0.
Nottingham Forest had to settle for a 2-2 draw with arch-rivals and fellow strugglers Derby County. Forest were eager for revenge, after losing 5-3 in September, but Derby took the lead through a long-range strike.
Forest made two changes early in the second half, and they paid dividends as another long-range strike drew them level.
Then Audrey Moore headed a 90th-minute goal to put the Reds in front. But Samantha Griffiths's stoppage-time free-kick ensured a share of the spoils for Derby.
Stoke City were also in action in the County Cup, defeating Bradwell Belles 9-0.
All the games in the Southern Division, the last round of fixtures until the New Year, went ahead as planned.
Second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion may have felt the pressure when they visited 11th-placed Copsewood (Coventry) to regain top spot after Charlton Athletic claimed it last week.
But if they did, it did not show with a comfortable win 3-0.
Sunday morning's leaders Charlton Athletic drew 3-3 with West Ham United to slip back to third, although Kit Graham bagged a brace for the Addicks.
Bottom-of-the-table Keynsham Town received an early Christmas present as they gained their first point of the season at home to eighth-place Plymouth Argyle.
Keynsham looked to be in trouble after conceding two goals inside 10 minutes, but they never gave up and with some great interplay found themselves 3-2 up at half-time.
Plymouth piled on the pressure in the second half, creating several chances, one of which was cleared off the line by the defender Kierra Minall.
But it was a quick free-kick that, with two players down injured, caught Keynsham off-guard to make it 3-3.
Tenth-placed Queens Park Rangers defeated Lewes 2-1 after a highly entertaining second half with both teams putting everything into the game.
Tottenham Hotspur, in fifth, had the chance to go above their hosts Portsmouth Ladies with a win, but Pompey prevailed, winning 4-1.
Third-placed Cardiff City continued their domination of Gillingham, winning 7-1 to follow on from their 6-2 victory in October. Kelly Aldridge and Naomi Clipston. both bagged braces.
