EAST MIDLANDS WOMEN’S REGIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
Thursday 5th May 2022, 7:45pm
Studland Road
NORTHAMPTON TOWN WOMEN 11
Rachael Mumford 28
Gracie Williams 33, 71, 74, 79
Alex Dicks 52, 54, 58
Leah Cudone 62
Charlie Cooper 65
Zoe Boote 84
RISE PARK LADIES 1
Katie Platts 60
Cobblers: Jo Daniel, TJ Warren, Sara Wait, Bianca Luttman, Abbie Brewin, Georgia Tear, Rachael Mumford, Chloe Martin, Rachael St John Mosse, Alex Dicks, Gracie Williams
Substitutes: Zoe Boote, Favour Omenazu, Beth Artemiou, Leah Cudone, Charlie Cooper
Northampton Town secured a dominant 11-1 win over Rise Park in the East Midlands Women’s Regional Football League Premier Division at Studland Road, the home of Spencer Community Trust, on Thursday evening.
Gracie Williams scored four, Alex Dicks a hat-trick and Rachael Mumford, Leah Cudone, Charlie Cooper and Zoe Boote the Cobblers’ other goals as they moved back to the top of the table with three fixtures remaining.
Joint managers Lou Barry and Josh Oldfield made four changes to the team that won against Mansfield Town at the weekend, as Bianca Luttman, TJ Warren, Abbie Brewin and Rachael St John Mosse came into the starting line up.
The Cobblers were dominant in the first half but were unable to take the opportunities they created.
Dicks hit the bar from the edge of the area early on and Chloe Martin looped an effort inches wide of the far post midway through the opening period.
It took the hosts until the half-an-hour mark to make a deserved breakthrough, Mumford nodding home Brewin’s corner from close range.
Dicks’ powerful shot from a tight angle was beaten away by the goalkeeper a few minutes later, and Williams swept into the bottom corner to double the lead soon after.
The Cobblers were more clinical after the break and it was four 10 minutes into the second half, Dicks firing low into the bottom corner and slotting home straight from kick-off.
The striker completed an astonishing six-minute hat-trick to make it five, but the visitors pulled a goal back with their only shot on target on the hour.
The Northampton lead was six just five minutes later, substitute Cudone heading Williams’ cross into the roof of the net and fellow replacement Cooper smashing into the top corner after Rise Park failed to clear a set-piece.
Williams scored twice in four minutes to complete her hat-trick with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining, tapping in from a cutback and converting a looping cross on the line.
Her fourth was the pick of the bunch, a curling effort that went in off the underside of the bar, and Boote rounded-off the scoring late on when she beat the goalkeeper with a long-range free-kick.
The victory is Barry and Oldfield’s first win at Studland Road at the fourth time of asking.
A win against Lincoln United on Sunday will confirm the Cobblers’ promotion to the FA Women’s National League Division One Midlands. The fixture will be played at their usual home, Harpole Playing Fields.
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (3) 13
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (13) 21
CORNERS: (6) 10
FOULS: (4) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (4) 4
RISE PARK MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 1
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (0) 1
CORNERS: (0) 0
FOULS: (1) 2
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0