EAST MIDLANDS WOMEN’S REGIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Sunday March 13th 2022, 2.00pm
Sixfields Stadium
NORTHAMPTON TOWN WOMEN 1
Leah Cudone 16
LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS WOMEN 1
Eve Sutcliffe 52
Cobblers: Jo Daniel, Eden Brown, Sara Wait, Bianca Luttman, Zoe Boote, Rachael Mumford, Fay Noble, Emma Billenness, Abbie Reboul, Alex Dicks, Leah Cudone
Substitutes: Alex Bartlett, Georgia Tear, Gracie Williams, Chloe Martin, Cesca Partridge
Attendance: 838
Northampton Town celebrated International Women’s Day with a 1-1 draw against Loughborough Students at Sixfields on Sunday afternoon.
Leah Cudone scored the Cobblers’ goal as they added another point towards their title challenge in front of 838 fans.
Joint-managers Lou Barry and Josh Oldfield made three changes to the team that played in the League Cup semi-final last week, as Emma Billenness, Abbie Reboul and Alex Dicks replaced Georgia Tear, Gracie Williams and Chloe Martin in the starting line up.
The Cobblers created a couple of chances early on, Cudone shooting into the side-netting after linking-up with Zoe Boote and Dicks being denied by a low save at the near post.
Fay Noble’s dangerous ball in beat everyone in the middle on the quarter-of-an-hour mark, but Reboul was unable to turn home at the back post.
Cudone opened the scoring less than two minutes later, racing through on goal and beating the goalkeeper one-on-one for her 11th goal in her last nine games in all competitions.
Dicks beat a defender and swung in a dangerous cross 10 minutes before the break, but no one could head home in the centre.
Loughborough equalised with their first attempt of the game when Eve Sutcliffe turned in from a corner early in the second half.
Noble rattled the cross bar on the hour mark as the Cobblers looked to restore their advantage.
The visitors were reduced to 10 when a defender brought down Dicks as she ran through on goal. However, Noble missed from the penalty spot.
Dicks thought she had put the hosts back in front when she converted from a deep free-kick with a quarter-of-an-hour to go, but Cobblers celebrations were cut short when the flag went up for offside.
Eden Brown tested the goalkeeper from long range as Northampton continued to push forward late on. Substitute Cesca Partridge kept the move alive and Cudone's effort was blocked on the line.
Despite the Cobblers’ pressure, the points were shared. Barry and Oldfield’s side travel to third-placed Mansfield Town next week.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (5) 8
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 6
CORNERS: (4) 8
FOULS: (3) 7
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 2
LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 1
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (3) 10
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0