She Kicks Magazine
·15 December 2024
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Yahoo sportsShe Kicks Magazine
·15 December 2024
Manchester United Academy celebrations during the Plate quarter-final win at Loughborough Lightning, (Photo: Andy Smith)
Manchester United U-21s made it into the FA Women’s National League Plate semi-finals, ten-player AFC Fylde stunned Leeds United in Division 1 North.
Southern Premier Division
AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Gwalia United (Att: 111) Billericay Town 1-5 Watford (Att: 150) Cheltenham Town 5-1 Milton Keynes Dons Exeter City 1-0 Lewes
Exeter City edged Lewes with an eighth-minute Sophie Gillies goal to go second on goal-difference above Hashtag United, who now have a game in hand.
Watford and Wimbledon both won to move within a point of Oxford United in fifth, Coral Haines scoring the first two of the Hornets five goals at Billericay, Emily Donovan netting for the Dons against Gwalia United.
Three of Cheltenham Town’s five goals against MK Dons came between the 12th and 16th minutes.
Division 1 Midlands
Lincoln City 1-10 Peterborough United Worcester City 0-1 Northampton Town (Att: 172) Boldmere St Michaels 3-1 Sutton Coldfield Town Leafield Athletic 3-2 Barnsley Women Solihull Moors 0-2 Lincoln United
Leaders Northampton Town had a narrow win with a Jade Bell goal at Worcester City, Peterborough United hit double figures in going second and Leafield Athletic saw off Barnsley Women – who had endured a crash on the motorway – 3-2 with a late Abi Cowie winner to climb to third.
Division 1 North
Doncaster Rovers Belles 2-2 Chorley (Att: 213) Barnsley FC 0-4 Durham Cestria (Att: 96) Leeds United 0-2 AFC Fylde (Att: 153) Stockport County 1-1 Huddersfield Town (Att: 135) York City 0-1 Cheadle Town Stingers
Millie Fugler celebrates after opening the scoring for Doncaster Rovers Belles against Chorley. (Photo: Julian Barker)
Fylde had a player sent off midway into the second period but pulled off a 2-0 win at Leeds, where Katie Bowers-Folan and Natasha Dale were on target before. Doncaster are out of the drop zone on goal-difference after twice leading Chorley for whom the late leveller – from Molly Wood’s free kick after Belles’ Ruby Pitter was sent off – was enough to go top. Cheadle Town are up to second with a 1-0 win at York City thanks to Rachel Dunlop’s breakthrough a dozen minutes from time.
Division 1 South East
Cambridge United 2-0 Norwich City (Att: 87) Chesham United 1-1 Ashford Town (Att: 45) Dulwich Hamlet 1-1 London Seaward (Att: 459) Queens Park Rangers 1-1 AFC Sudbury Real Bedford 2-2 London Bees (Att: 107) Chatham Town 0-0 Actonians
Real Bedford remain to despite being held at home by London Bees, as all the top six sides drew. Cambridge United were the only winners, defeating Norwich City with a Sarah Wiltshire penalty and Bella Simmons goal to go level on points with the Canaries.
Division 1 South West
Bournemouth Sports 0-0 Swindon Town (Att: 70) Bridgwater United 3-0 Maidenhead United (Att: 56) Moneyfields 4-1 Abingdon United Worthing 3-1 Southampton Women (Att: 98) Keynsham Town 2-1 Portishead Town (Att: 50)
Swindon Town joined leaders AFC Bournemouth on 27 points after a goalless draw at Bournemouth Sports but have played for more games than the Cherries. Moneyfields and Keynsham both won to sit just a couple of points short of Swindon.
League Cup Quarter-Final
Middlesbrough 1-2 Nottingham Forest (Att: 337)
Middlesbrough cancelled out Charlie Wellings’ opener with a Lauren Robson strike midway through the second half, but Nottingham Forest progressed as Freya Thomas restored the lead five minutes later.
League Plate Quarter-Final
Loughborough Lightning 0-3 Manchester United Academy
Manchester United U-21s secured their place in the semi-finals Aoife Farrall with a brace at Loughborough and Mared Alaw Griffiths adding the third.