Three games and 14 goals – there was a lot packed into a weather-affected weekend in the FA Women’s Premier League.
Fylde and Leicester City both won in the Northern Division, whilst on the south coast Portsmouth kept pace with the top four thanks to a five-star performance.
Here’s our wrap of all the action…
NORTHERN DIVISION
The home side led after half-an-hour when Alys Hinchcliffe got the ball rolling, Ellie White equalised for the visitors and Jenna Carroll then made it 2-1 from the spot following a handball.
Elsewhere in the Northern Division, Leicester are up to second after their big 6-0 win at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Leigh Dugmore put the hosts ahead after just 14 seconds with a delightful chip from the edge of the box and Rosie Axten doubled the lead from the spot on 32 minutes.
Nicole Nymoen added an excellent third, Axten got her second - from the spot once again – Dugmore then doubled her tally and Ellie May rounded things off in the 69th minute.
SOUTHERN DIVISION
The weather left just one fixture to be played in the Southern Division but there was still plenty of goals as Portsmouth downed Swindon Town 5-0 to bring themselves within a point of fourth-placed Lewes.
Shannon Albuery got Pompey’s first after 22 minutes and a backheel from Daisy McLachlan, and then went on to get her second five minutes later, heading in from a corner.
Sammy Quayle made it 3-0 on 39 minutes, finishing off from McLachlan’s effort that had cannoned off the post.
Swindon then rallied for a large chunk of the match but Albuery was able to complete her hat-trick with three minutes remaining.
There was still time for Katie James to put the icing on the cake on 90 minutes as she slotted home from Charley Boswell’s ball in behind the opposition defence.
GOAL OF THE WEEK
Leicester star Nicole Nymoen gets the goal of the week for a spectacular effort that combined a team effort with a sublime finish.
Attacking on the edge of the area and after some neat passing between her teammates, the ball eventually found its way to Nymoen, who took stock and promptly decided to chip the ball into the top corner of the goal.
MANAGER OF THE WEEK
Conrad Prendergast gets the nod as manager of the week following Fylde’s 2-1 win over Bradford.
The two sides are placed next to each other in the Northern Division table, but Prendergast’s side now have a five-point lead over Bradford, who lie eighth.
The match was a hard-fought affair at Kellamergh Park but Fylde edged themselves ahead as the game wore on, and could have made it 3-1 with a shot that hit the crossbar in the 90th minute.
