Match Report: Derby Day Ends All Square
Norton & Stockton Ancients Ladies vs Middlesbrough Women
Report By Jordan Clarke
Norton & Stockton Ancients and Middlesbrough played out a 1-1 draw on derby day in matchday two of the 2024/25 FAWNL Division One North season.
Chris Burton made one change to his starting line-up from that who started in Stockport last weekend, with Lucy Jamieson starting at left back in place of Izzy McEwen.
It was the visitors who had the first attempt of the affair, with captain Sarah Burn finding space inside the box but Kelsie Moore got down low to push her strike away from danger.
Moments later, in the eighth minute, a quick attack led to Bianca Owens feeding an inch-perfect through ball over the top, which Louise Atkinson took in her stride and powered past Ruby Cook for the Ancients’ first goal of the season.
Boro quickly livened up, and attempted to push forward for an equaliser, but the Norton backline weren’t allowing the visitors to get good sights of goal.
Norton nearly found a second five minutes before the interval, when Sophie Curle’s fantastic ball control beat her marker, she drove towards goal but her eventual attempt was collected by the Boro number one.
Half-time: Norton & Stockton Ancients 1-0 Middlesbrough
Three minutes after the restart, Louise Atkinson was again unleashed towards goal by Bianca Owens, but this time around Ruby Cook, in the Boro net, quickly rushed out to meet the winger before she could get a strike at goal.
In the 50th minute, the visitors found an equaliser when a shot from the left was well stopped by Kelsie Moore, but Ellen Turnbull was quickest to react to the rebound and forced the ball home.
Boro found a spark following their equaliser, and had a great chance to take the lead in the 59th minute when Jess Mett headed a corner goalwards which was met by a remarkable stop by Kelsie Moore who had to be at full stretch to tip the ball over the crossbar.
Mett again was causing problems, and broke away on goal in the 61st minute, but as she lined up a strike, the attacker was met by a perfectly timed challenge from Vicki Burton.
With five minutes left on the clock, after soaking up a large amount of Boro pressure, it Norton’s turn to push for the lead. Bianca Owens forced Ruby Cook into a fine save with a powered free-kick from near the halfway line.
Deep into added time, Norton two good chances to secure the three points. The first fell to Louise Atkinson as the ball fell to her in the six-yard box from a corner and her left footed volley clipped the crossbar. Moments later Atkinson turned provided when she played a ball across to Sophie Hodgson. The forward fired first time but her strike was very well stopped by the foot of Ruby Cook, leaving both sides with a point in a windy Teesside derby.
Full-time: Norton & Stockton Ancients 1-1 Middlesbrough
Player of the Match: Louise Atkinson
Norton & Stockton Ancients: Kelsie Moore, Ash Coyle, Georgia Rae, Vicki Burton, Chloe West, Shannon Reed, Bianca Owens (C), Louise Atkinson, Sophie Curle (Sophie Hodgson 75'), Lucy Jamieson, Estelle Clarke
Unused Subs: Rachel Chisnall, Izzy McEwen, Anna McArthur, Annaleigh Wynn
Middlesbrough: Cook, Guy, Packham, Towers, Turnbull, Mett, Robson (Maxwell 75'), Giles, Bell, Burn (C), Boyes
Unused subs: Wareham, Dale, Foster, Wilkinson
There’s little time to rest for Chris Burton’s side, as a trip to York City awaits on Wednesday evening in the FAWNL Cup Determining Round.