Northampton Town Ladies started 2019 with a top of the table clash hosting second placed Oadby & Wigston at Blisworth.
Oadby are just 6 points behind the table topping Cobblers and do have a game in hand.
The atmosphere was tense with both sides knowing how important the three points could be to their season. After the Christmas break both teams initially struggled to find their rhythm but it was Oadby who took the lead, scoring from a corner.
The Cobblers took the Oadby goal as a wake up call and started to show some dominance pressing higher up the pitch.
On the 30 minute mark, the Cobblers were awarded a corner which saw Kellie Billenness and Sara Wait both have efforts saved on the goalline but on a third attempt saw Leah Stacey volley the ball into the back of the net to mean half time was reached with the scores level.
The second half, much like the first, was an even contest but it was clear Cobblers weren’t content with a draw with their second half performance much better than the first. It took until the 66th minute for Cobblers to get their reward as a through ball from Kellie Billenness was controlled and volleyed in by Leah Stacey to beat the Oadby keeper and put Northampton Town ahead.
The Cobblers looked set to take all three points but Oadby had one last opportunity in the final minute of added time. The Cobblers failed to clear a long ball forward and the Oadby striker confidently scored to ensure the points were shared.
It was great to see a large crowd cheering on the ladies in the cold conditions!