Match Report: Three Points On The Road
Doncaster Rovers Belles vs Norton & Stockton Ancients Report
By Jordan Clarke
Norton & Stockton Ancients made it three league wins on the bounce with a victory over Doncaster Rovers Belles.
Chris Burton named a squad which saw Kate McGuire, Shannon Reed and Lucy Jamieson return to the starting lineup. Sophie Hodgson also returned to the bench after missing a couple of weeks due to injury.
Norton had the first big chance of the game eight minutes in, when Shannon Reed curled an effort from the edge of the area towards the far corner, but could only watch it bounce off the crossbar.
10 minutes later, the crossbar was Doncaster’s hero again when Bianca Owens attempted a similar strike, leaving the goalkeeper stranded but it didn’t dip in time to dodge the woodwork.
In the 30th minute, Norton found a deserved lead after Louise Atkinson’s pressing won the ball high up the field, and a bouncing ball eventually finding the feet of Chloe West who fired past the goalkeeper from a tight angle following a lovely one-two with Eve Marshall.
The lead was very nearly doubled in added time, when a fast breakaway led to Bianca Owens playing a pass across to Eve Marshall inside the box, but her first-time strike missed the target.
Half-time: Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-1 Norton & Stockton Ancients
Kelsie Moore was called into action on a number of occasions to open the second half, as the hosts pushed hard for an equaliser, but she was equal to a few weak efforts that the Belles had to throw at her.
Bianca Owens, unsurprisingly, caused a lot of issues for the defence, and nearly found a goal in the 67th minute when she was played through one-on-one, but her shot was met by a good save by the Doncaster goalkeeper.
Owens refused to let that be the last of her action however, and found herself on the scoresheet two minutes later when an inch-perfect free-kick from the half-way line by Kate McGuire found the striker’s unmarked. Bianca made no mistake in finding the target with a powerful header.
Doncaster managed to pull a goal back midway through injury time when Izzy Gigg found a way through a number of white shirts and slotting past Moore, but Norton held firm and saw out yet another impressive three points.
Full-time: Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-2 Norton & Stockton Ancients
Goal Scorers: Chloe West & Bianca Owens
Player of the Match: Chloe West
Norton & Stockton Ancients: Kelsie Moore, Kate McGuire, Georgia Rae, Vicki Burton, Lucy Jamieson , Chloe West, Shannon Reed (Annaleigh Wynn 58’), Danielle Nanga, Louise Atkinson (Ash Coyle 77’), Bianca Owens (C) , Eve Marshall (Sophie Hodgson 84’)
It’s time for another break from league action next weekend, as a trip to Leeds Modernians awaits the Ancients in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup.