Nottingham Forest maintained their four-point lead at the top of The FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division after victory in one of just two games in the league on Sunday due to adverse weather.
Forest made the trip to Loughborough Foxes looking to make it eight wins from 12 games played this season.
The Foxes, meanwhile, are struggling at the opposite end of the table, with just the solitary victory so far – and as the form book would suggest, it was the visitors who came out on top 5-1.
FA Women's Premier League
Northern Division
Sunday 8 November 2015
Round-up
They did not have things all their own way, however, and while Forest edged ahead through Annabel McKechnie, Loughborough Foxes replied immediately from the restart.
Natasha’s Mead’s assist then played in Andi Bell who chipped the keeper from distance to put Nottingham Forest back in front at the break.
And it was soon three when Alana Copeland headed home a Demi Greenan free-kick, while Bell went from goalscorer to provider when her flick set up McKechnie.
The Forest player saw her initial chance parried but she made no mistake with the second effort to make it 4-1, while Greenan added the gloss with a chipped effort to make it five to Forest.
Ahead of the day, it had been Derby County who were the nearest challengers in second place but their away game with Sporting Club Albion was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
It was a similar story in the game between Bradford City and Huddersfield Town, while Guiseley’s home game with Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End’s clash with Nuneaton Town also suffered the same fate.
One team who did profit from the postponed games were Stoke City as they defeated Newcastle United 3-1 to leapfrog Derby into second spot on goal difference.
Newcastle started strongly but it was Stoke who took the lead against the run of play just before half-time.
The play broke down the right and when keeper Laura Wareham came out and missed her clearance, Stoke’s Laura Garside showed her composure to slot into an empty net.
Newcastle started brightly after half-time with Jess Havelock and Dannika Purdham both going close, before the latter eventually found the net with just over 15 minutes remaining following a good cross by Ellie Dobson.
However Stoke were not about to roll over and the Potters equalised on the counter attack only a minute later with a looping cross-shot from the edge of the box by Garside before they sealed the win when Ashleigh Hayes headed from a corner.
The result leaves Stoke four points behind Nottingham Forest with two games in hand, while Newcastle remain eighth on 12 points.
