Coventry City preserved their lead at the top of The FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division table with a 3-0 win at struggling Newcastle United.
Sheffield FC are still just three points back – with a game in hand – after their narrow triumph at Stoke City but Coventry are in possession of top spot with two games to play.
Destiney Toussaint got the Sky Blues up and running at Northumbria University when she found enough space at the back post to meet Callan Barber’s corner and turn it goalwards.
Danni Selmes then doubled their lead on the hour mark when she reacted first to a loose ball in the Newcastle box.
Coventry suffered a setback when Toussaint was forced off injured, following a 15-minute delay to proceedings, and replaced by Maz Gauntlett.
However, the unexpected break didn’t slow Coventry down too much and they finished off the job with a third goal late on.
Jade Formaston was the scorer, flicking the ball into the roof of the net after Ashleigh Neville had done well to turn Helen Dermody’s corner back into the danger area.
FA Women’s Premier League Cup Finalists Sheffield are still well in the hunt, however, after they returned from Stoke with all three points.
In a tight-fought contest with their mid-table hosts, Sheffield triumphed 1-0 courtesy of Emma Johnson’s strike to keep pace with the leaders.
An excellent tackle from Stoke skipper Meg Bowyer denied the visitors an early goal-scoring opportunity, while Stoke produced a number of dangerous deliveries at the other end.
Laura Garside was first to test the Sheffield defence with a cross before Abby Hunt’s corner looked to cause problems but the title-chasers coped admirably.
Bowyer sent in a teasing free-kick just before the break but the first half ended goalless. Garside saw an effort well saved early in the second half before Stoke goalkeeper Natalie Hall – who joined this year from Wolverhampton Wanderers – was quickly off her line to snuff out a chance at the other end.
However, the decisive moment came 20 minutes from time when Johnson found the breakthrough for Sheffield.
The visitors perhaps looked more likely to add to that than to concede an equaliser as the clock ticked down but it remained 1-0, preserving the three-point gap to Coventry.
However, the table-toppers will now have the opportunity to pull six points clear next weekend – when Sheffield take on Charlton in the Premier League Cup Final.
Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, saw their title challenge officially come to an end despite putting bottom club Wolves to the sword in a comfortable 6-0 victory.
Rovers made light work of brushing relegated Wolves to one side as club captain Amie Fleming and teenager Georgia Stanway grabbed a pair of goals apiece.
Alex Taylor and Jess Holbrook also found the net for the home side but, after Coventry also picked up maximum points, they are now 11 off the top with just three league games left to play.
Results
Blackburn Rovers LFC 6-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers WFC
Newcastle United WFC 0-3 Coventry City LFC
Stoke City LFC 0-1 Sheffield FC Ladies
