FAWNL Weeks Twelve and Thirteen

Two weeks of FAWNL action to catch up on as I was away at the start of last week, blog to follow, and never quite caught up. The day job has kept me particularly busy recently but I'm hoping to get back on track with this blog as the winter break approaches. 

Following the first round proper of the FA Cup on 3rd November, clubs returned to league action Sunday 10th November. 

When we left league football before the cup weekend, Wolves has jumped ahead of Bridget Galloway's Nottingham Forest to go 2 points clear at the top of the Northern Premier Division although Forest had a game in hand. 

Week 12 saw Forest travel to West Bromwich Albion and keep the pressure on league leaders Wolves with a 0-2 away win. Bridget was on the bench for this match and, apologies if I'm incorrect, I don't believe she got on the pitch. Forest opened the scoring early on with a 15th minute goal from Mel Johnson, her 9th of the season. The score stayed at 0-1 until the 86th minute when a fantastic Mollie Greene free kick from the edge of the box was driven into the top corner to secure all 3 points. 

14 goals in 14 games so far this season for Johnson, including cup matches and 6 wins in a row for Forest. Following the match, the club announced head coach Carly Davies had signed a new contract until June 2027. 

A 94th minute winner saw Wolves come away from Liverpool Feds with all 3 points to maintain their 2 point lead. A county cup match for Wolves in Week 13 so a chance for Forest to return to the top of the league. 

Erin Nelson came on as a 75th minute substitute for Stoke City in a 0-4 away win at Halifax. She almost got an assist with an 83rd minute pinpoint cross into the box but the resulting header was stopped by the Halifax keeper. That's 8 consecutive wins in all competitions for Stoke scoring 36 goals, a 10 match unbeaten streak and an October manager of the month nomination for Marie Hourihan. Next up, Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. 

Rounding out tier 3, Daisy Burt came on for the last 15 minutes of a 3-0 Derby County win at home against Stourbridge. The 97th minute saw a first goal of the season for Ella Hilliard hitting a 30 yard free kick over the wall and into the top corner of the net with the last kick of the match. 

In Division One North, league leaders Middlesbrough, who are undefeated in all competitions this season, in a huge upset suffered their first defeat of the season in a 3-0 loss to Doncaster Rovers Belles who were second bottom in the league and in the relegation zone at the start of the match. 

On loan NUW forward Becky Ferguson made her first start for Boro alongside Ellen Turnbull, Lauren Robson, Leanna Giles, Sharna Wilkinson, Millie Bell and Grace Boyes. 

Almost a first Boro goal for Fergie after 9 minutes but her shot was cleared off the line. Chances for both sides in the first half but goalless at the break. 

Against the run of play, Belles take the lead on the 62nd minute.

10 minutes later, Sharna Wilkinson almost levels things up with a classic Sharna goal. A free kick from well outside the box goes narrowly over the bar, would've been some goal if it had gone in. 

5 minutes later a second for Belles then, despite Boro pressure, a 3rd Doncaster goal in the 90th minute secured all 3 points and Doncaster's 3rd win of the season. 

After putting 4 past Norton & Stockton Ancients in the FA Cup, a second consecutive 4-0 win for Durham Cestria at home to bottom club AFC Fylde. 

Quick start for Cestria, a corner routine straight from the training ground sees Erin Nicholson and Daisy Clarke combine to set up Anya Prested who's ball into the box is powerfully headed home by Lucy Noble for her second of the season. 

Nicki Gears once again involved in Cestria's second. After receiving a long ball from Mia Gibbon, Gears with her second touch plays in Daisy Clarke who narrowly avoids straying offside to put a well taken half volley into the bottom corner. 

Bringing the first half to a close, Grace Collinson, who came on as a 45th minute sub, beats the Fylde keeper from the penalty spot, despite the keeper going the right way, to make it 3-0 at half time. 

Final goal in the 82nd minute via Lucy Noble. Again coming from a corner, a Mia Gibbon header forced a great save from the Fylde keeper but the ball fell to Noble 3 yards out to finish off the goals for the day. Anna Soulsby with 6 goals remains Cestria's leading scorer. Now that she's successfully had her ACL surgery hopefully it won't be too long until we see Anna back on the pitch. Anna's Ecstatica retro football top company will be at Ouseburn Winter Marker and It's All Goods Christmas Market (at World Headquarters) on 7th December. 5 new designs available at World Headquarters so pay one or both markets a visit if you're in town. 

Moving on to last weekend.

Bridget Galloway and Erin Nelson were on their respective benches as Forest welcomed Stoke City to the City Ground in the home side's last league match of 2024. 

Two goals in each half saw Forest end their league campaign for 2024 with a 4-0 win that sees them return to the top of tier 3 at the halfway point of the season. Bridget came on for the last 10 minutes but on this occasion she didn't add to her goal tally for the season. Erin was an unused sub for this match. If Daisy Burt's Derby County can take points of Wolves on 1st December then Forest are guaranteed to go into 2025 top of the league. 

Sunday's loss brings to an end Stoke City's impressive 10 match unbeaten streak but it was confirmed today, 19th November, that Marie Hourihan has been named tier 3 manager of the month. 

20 minutes for Daisy Burt in Derby County's last home league match of 2024, a 0-0 draw with Sporting Khalsa. Entertaining match by the sound of things, despite the lack of goals. Not for lack of effort on Derby's side but a solid performance from Khalsa's defence. 

Only 4 tier 4 matches this past Sunday due to county cup fixtures. 

After their first loss of the season against Doncaster, Boro went with the same starting 11 at home to Barnsley. Whilst teams in the Women's Championship and WSL played at their respective men's teams' stadiums during the men's international break, it was nice to see Boro men's Twitter page take on live update duties for this match. 

After a few early chances for Boro it was Barnsley who took the lead via an own goal after 10 minutes. Boyes and Ferguson almost combined 3 minutes later to level the score and Ferguson again almost finding an equaliser on 15 minutes but couldn't quite get on the end of a cross. The equaliser did come on 17 minutes. From a throw in, Ellen Turnbull got to the byline and put a cross into the box which the oncoming Leanna Giles met at the near post ahead of the Barnsley centre back to volley home a well taken goal. 

Against the run of play, a second for Barnsley on the stroke of half time sent the visitors into the break ahead. 

Just after the hour, a second Boro equaliser this time from Millie Bell is ruled out for offside. Penalty shout for Boro on 70 minutes due to handball in blocking a Lauren Robson shot is waved away by the ref. 

Heading towards stoppage time, an 88th minute Lauren Robson free kick from the halfway line is put into the box, after a scramble in the penalty area the equaliser finally comes courtesy of a Barnsley own goal. A 90th minute Ellen Turnbull ball to the back post doesn't see anyone get on the end of it to secure a win and a Sharna Wilkinson stoppage time free kick doesn't quite stay low enough to grab a last minute winner. 

Wins for Leeds United and Cheadle Town Stingers see Boro slip to 3rd but they are only a point behind league leaders Cheadle with a game in hand. Boro are still, for me, favourites to go up to tier 3. 

A 0-6 win for Cestria against Chester Le Street United in the county cup. The draw for the next round sees Cestria, for the 3rd time this season, take on Norton & Stockton Ancients, Norton with a 1-0 win in the first league meeting of the season, Cestria with a 4-0 win in the FA Cup. Tie to be played 15th December.