EAST MIDLANDS WOMEN’S REGIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Sunday 1st May 2022, 2:00pm
Harpole
NORTHAMPTON TOWN WOMEN 2
Alex Dicks 83
Leah Cudone 85
MANSFIELD TOWN LADIES 0
Cobblers: Jo Daniel, Zoe Boote, Sara Wait, Fay Noble, Gracie Williams, Georgia Tear, Rachael Mumford, Beth Artemiou, Chloe Martin, Alex Dicks, Leah Cudone
Substitutes: Beth Cox, Abbie Brewin, Favour Omenazu, Charlie Cooper, Rachael St John Mosse
Northampton Town won 2-0 at home to Mansfield Town in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division on Sunday afternoon.
Alex Dicks and Leah Cudone scored late goals as the Cobblers moved one point behind top-of-the-table Chesterfield with three games in hand on the Spireites and four remaining in the season.
With a number of key players struggling with injuries in the midst of a busy run of fixtures, joint-managers Lou Barry and Josh Oldfield made two changes to the team that earned three points in the reverse fixture during the week.
Fay Noble and Gracie Williams replaced Bianca Luttman and Abbie Brewin in the starting line up.
The first half was flat and low in quality, the Cobblers controlling possession without making a breakthrough.
Their first chance came early on when Cudone flicked a low cross over the bar.
Mansfield’s only opening of the first period was on the half-an-hour mark, when an attacker volleyed wide from the edge of the box following a long ball forward.
The hosts’ best opportunity before the break fell late in the half, Williams having a close range header saved before Dicks’ follow-up was cleared off the line.
The second half continued in the same vein, with three separate injuries causing long delays to proceedings.
The game finally came to life in the last 10 minutes, Dicks racing onto substitute Rachael St John Mosse’s inch-perfect through ball and firing home off the goalkeeper and post to break the deadlock.
Cudone doubled the Cobblers’ lead and made sure of another three points two minutes later, driving towards goal and calmly slotting home.
Barry and Oldfield’s side host Rise Park on Thursday night in another rearranged fixture. They scored seven in each of the league and Vitality Women’s FA Cup meetings with their opponents earlier in the season.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 7
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (4) 5
CORNERS: (3) 7
FOULS: (3) 4
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2
MANSFIELD TOWN MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 0
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 2
CORNERS: (1) 2
FOULS: (3) 4
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 1