Nottingham Forest Women win East Midlands derby | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest defeated Derby Countyat The City Ground. (Photo: @NFFCWomen)

A derby win extended Nottingham Forest’s lead in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier, Ipswich Town closed in on the Southern Premier leaders.

Northern Premier Division

Hull City 2-1 Stourbridge (Att: 268) Nottingham Forest 2-0 Derby County (Att: 3,396) Rugby Borough 2-2 Sporting Khalsa West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Burnley

Nottingham Forest went five points clear at the top with victory in the East Midlands derby match, Charlie Wellings completing a brace after opening the scoring from the penalty spot. Forest have four games left, likewise nearest title rivals Wolves.

Burnley halved the gap on third-placed Stoke City with three goals and three points away to West Brom. Naomi Hartley got the breakthrough after the hour mark, Aimee Kelly and a Brenna McParlan free kick adding two very late goals.

Hull City moved ten points ahead of next-to-bottom Stourbridge after seeing them off two goals to one. Rachael Ackroyd’s opener was cancelled out on half-time by the visitors’ Freya Clark but Helen Lynskey hit a 90th-minute winner.

Sporting Khalsa took a very good point from a 2-2 draw at fifth-placed Rugby Borough, to go eight points above the relegation zone. Mai Moncaster put Borough ahead but Khalsa turned it around through Layla Kennerly and a Laura Smith penalty, only for Moncaster to level with her second in the last 10 minutes.

Southern Premier Division

Gwalia United 0-2 Ipswich Town (Att: 168) AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Cheltenham Town (Att: 123) Watford 5-0 Plymouth Argyle (Att: 2,019)

Ipswich Town’s awayday win at Gwalia United positioned them within three points of leaders Hashtag United, over whom they still have two games in hand. Sophie Peskett scored via the post and netted again in the last few minutes to confirm the victory.

Watford went fourth with five goals in front of over 2,000 fans at Vicarage Road, as Plymouth Argyle stay in the drop zone. Jessie Gale, Flo Fyfe, Bianca Baptiste and Lucy Lyon all netted in the first half-hour, Madison Perry completing the scoring in the second half.

Cheltenham Town’s victory on the road at AFC Wimbledon took them four points above the bottom two. Lia Lue had them ahead, Ashlee Hincks equalising for the Dons but Henna Butcher’s goal at the end of the first half proved decisive, while the visitors were reduced to ten players in added time with a red card for Kaitlyn Morgan Hemmens.

Division 1 North

Middlesbrough 4-0 Norton & Stockton Ancients (Att: 511) Stockport County 3-0 AFC Fylde (Att: 78)

Middlesbrough’s 4-0 defeat of Norton put them level on points with leaders Cheadle Town Stingers, three behind them on goal-difference. Millie Bell’s goal had Boro up at the break, Ellen Packham, Leanna Giles and Armani Maxwell also finding the net.

Stockport County are up to seventh with a 3-0 beating of Fylde, who remain five points from safety with only three games remaining, Jess Brady’s opener was added to late on by a three-minute Nat Watson brace.

Division 1 South East – Ashford Town 0-2 Real Bedford

Real Bedford struck two very late goals at Ashford Town, Amber Gaylor breaking the deadlock after 87 minutes and Breon Grant nutmegging the keeper to present Abbie Bensted with a tap-in. While Bedford now lead the table by four points from Norwich City, Ashford are on the verge of the drop.

Division 1 South West – Bournemouth Sports 2-0 Southampton Women (Att: 65)

Bournemouth Sports were ahead in the first minute, when Liane Folkenstern closed down the goalkeeper and the attempted clearance hit Olivia Palmer in the stomach and crossed the line. Palmer doubled her tally before the half-hour, on the rebound from Katie Kingshott’s parried effort. The result lifts Sports up to ninth and three points from danger, while the Sirens relegation is confirmed.

Midweek Match – Wednesday 19 March

Division 1 South West – AFC Bournemouth v Moneyfields (Ringwood Town FC, 7.45pm)

Crystal Palace Women win crucial clash of bottom two