The Round-Up

Norfolk – Sunday 25th September

Norfolk Women’s Division One

 After losing their opening fixture of the season 9-2 away to early table toppers Thorpe United Ladies, Kings Lynn Town Ladies have had to wait a fortnight to play their next competitive game in Division One. Were on the road again taking on 2nd placed North Walsham Angels Ladies who have won both their opening league games scoring 6 goals in each since winning promotion to the top tier of women’s football in the county. Were at their new home North Walsham High School. Luci & Hope Middleton have been amongst the goals at the start of the season, both scored again on Sunday one in each half. King’s Lynn Town Ladies took the 3 points getting their 1st win of the season under their belts, Josie Turner (pictured) scoring a hat-trick with Shelley Woods also grabbing a goal in a 4-2 victory.

 Brandon Town Ladies & Bungay Town Ladies had lost their opening weekend fixtures, were involved in the Women’s FA Cup 2nd Round Qualifying last Sunday both advancing in the competition. Bungay Town Ladies with a 3-1 win away to Bishops Stortford Ladies. Brandon Town Ladies without kicking a ball after opponents Great Wakering Ladies pulled out of the competition. Faced each other at the weekend with Bungay Town Ladies travelling to Brandon. The score was level at 2-2 at half-time. More goals followed 2nd half Bungay scoring a 3rd goal, Brandon going on to score 2 more to win the match 4-3 to take the 3 points. Millie Bales with a brace for Brandon plus a goal for captain Tiffany Forshaw. Emily Leach netting a brace for Bungay with Inna Marx also on target.

The match between Aylsham FC Ladies and Fakenham Town Ladies was abandoned just after half-time with the score 2-2 after a collision between two players lead to a worrying injury. Fakenham’s Karina Townsend was taken to hospital however the injury isn’t as bad as 1st feared bruised and battered a spinal injury a two week lay off from football, wish er well in her recovery.

Norfolk Women’s Division Two

Norfolk Women’s Division Two is where the Supporting Women’s Football Blog, match report from the weekend comes a trip to watch Briston Wanderers Ladies a new name this season for an old team the new club having formerly been the Red Rose Ladies 1st team. A change needed the club were playing their 1st competitive fixture at home taking on Gorleston FC Ladies newly promoted to Division 2 as Division 3 Champions, have started the season well 2 wins from 2. Got off to a flyer against Briston, Beth Turner (pictured below) put clear by Hannah Croft to score on the break. Briston didn’t take long to reply, Anna Ohde scoring a bullet of a header from a well taken corner her 1st goal ever. Drama then as Gorleston were reduced to 10 players, Jennifer Snell kicking out at an opponent receiving a straight red. Briston took the lead Sophie Tipper scoring from the penalty spot as Sophie Lubbock was tripped in the box. Late in the 1st half Millie Brook cleared the ball for Gorleston setting up Turner to go on a run up the left into the box and send the ball into the back of the net.

All square at 2-2 at the break, Briston get back in front early on the 2nd half, Stacey High chipping the ball over the keeper from outside the box. Again Gorleston came back to level, captain Hayley Muir allowed to carry the ball up field from the back letting fly from inside the D sending her effort in over the keeper to make it 3-3. Despite having 10 players Gorleston went on to take the lead Turner completing her hat-trick with a header off a corner to make it 4-3. Turner then capitalised on a mistake at the back to win the ball take it on into the box and send her shot across the keeper to score her 4th Gorleston winning the game 5-3 the whole match report can be viewed on the SWF Blog by clicking on the link below. 

Briston Wanderers Ladies v Gorleston FC Ladies 25/09/16 

Bohemians Ladies were awarded a home win against Harleston Town Ladies in Division 2. Long Sratton Ladies were on the road playing their 2nd league game of the season having lost their 1st at home to Sprowston Ladies last Sunday their opponents, Stalham Town Ladies. The visitors got their 1st 3 point haul coming away with a narrow 2-1 win. Charlie Head and Taylor Whiting with the goals to their name.

Norfolk Women’s Division Three

  In Norfolk Women’s Division 3, new side East Coast Ladies were playing for the 2nd time this season having won 11-0 in their 1st ever competitive game were at home playing Freethorpe Ladies on Sunday. Another convincing win sees them go clear at the top of the table, Paige Baker with 2, as well as Rosie Cook with goals too from Abbie Knights and Victoria Ottey seeing East Coast Ladies win 7-0.

  For the 2nd successive Sunday it was a Dereham derby with Tavern Ladies hosting Toftwood United Ladies at Northgate High School. That game ended all square a 1-1. Toftwood United Ladies held the advantage at half-time leading 2-0. Tavern Ladies came back 2nd half, Roxy Coomber and Lucy Kean scoring to see the game finished all square once again at 2-2.

The Round-Up

Norfolk – Sunday 18th September

   Norfolk Women’s Division One

  The Norfolk Women’s football season moves into it’s 2nd weekend with 2 matches in Division One featuring the 4 sides that had all won on the opening day. Thorpe United Ladies settled into top spot then with a 9-2 home win against Kings Lynn Town Ladies. Were on their travels on Sunday to Youngs Park to face Aylsham FC Ladies who had won at home 3-2 to Brandon Town Ladies. It’s Thorpe who go on to make it 2 wins from 2 as they beat Aylsham 5-1 to move onto 6 points at the top with Shanice Sutton scoring twice with Charlotte Groves (pictured below) and Nicole Read also amongst the goals. Abbie Charlton with the goal in the 1st half for Aylsham.

Both Fakenham Town Ladies and newly promoted North Walsham Angels Ladies scored 6 goals to win on the opening day, Fakenham 6-0 away to Kirkley & Pakefield FC Ladies and North Walsham 6-4 at home to Bungay Town Ladies. This weekend saw Fakenham Town Ladies host North Walsham at Clipbush Park as they suffered a complete reversal of fortunes on Sunday. It was hard enough to stop one Middleton from scoring for North Walsham over the past 2 seasons now they have two! Luci Middleton scoring a hat-trick to add to the 4 she scored on the opening day. Hope Middleton scoring 2 goals to add to the goal she scored last weekend too. Emma Allsopp netting also for the away side as they won 6-0 to make it 2 wins from two. 

  Bungay Town Ladies and Brandon Town Ladies were involved in the Women’s FA Cup at the weekend (well Bungay were) and their fortunes will be covered in that Round-Up later. 

Norfolk Women’s Division Two

Gorleston FC Ladies, promoted to Division Two as Division Three Champions have the alphabetical advantage over Sprowston Ladies as the 2 have identical records after the playing their 2nd league games on the season this Sunday. Gorleston FC Ladies followed up a 5-0 away win against Stalham Town Ladies with a victory in their 1st home game at Emerald Park, were taking on Bohemians Ladies who having forfeited their opening game took the lead in the match, their joy was short-lived as Mary Croft scored for Gorleston to equalise before they when on to win with a convincing score line Bethany Turner netting a hat-trick, Kelly Allen and Leanne Muffet also on target in a 6-1 win.

   Sprowston Ladies had won 6-0 at home to newly promoted Harleston Town Ladies on the opening day. This Sunday they travelled to Long Stratton Ladies who were playing their 1st league game of the season having sat out the opening weekend of fixtures with 7 sides contesting the league. Sprowston scored 5 goals on their way to victory, Olivia Leggett with a brace plus goals for Joanna Davey, Annika Skoog and Leysha Bangura. Long Stratton currently rebuilding their squad after relegation last season scoring through Ashleigh Keenaghan to just nudge Sprowston off top spot.

   Stalham Town Ladies bounced back from a 5-0 home defeat to Gorleston FC Ladies last Sunday to win big away to Harleston Town Ladies on Sunday and move into 3rd spot in the Division Two table. A strong 7-0 result to wipe out the -5 GD and get the 3 points. Have no information on the goalscorers.

Norfolk Women’s Division Three 

Just the one match in Division Three this Sunday a local derby with Tavern Ladies (formerly Dereham Ladies) taking on Toftwood Ladies at Northgate High School (I’m originally from that area myself Northgate being my old school). Tavern Ladies sat out the opening weekend were playing their 1st game of the season against Toftwood who led the way after a crushing 12-0 home win against Red Rose United on the opening day. Different story this time around the sides goalless after the 1st half going on to secure a point each with a goal for each 2nd half 1-1 the final score. Freethorpe Ladies were awarded a home win against Cromer Town Ladies to get their 1st 3 points on the board too.

The Round-Up

Norfolk – New Season Sun 11th September

A new season of County league football across the country began this weekend, teams putting a long pre-season behind them and playing their 1st competitive games of the season. A new look to The Round-Up this season breaking it down into smaller sections, everything still covered, this edition focuses on Norfolk.

22 sides competing in the Norfolk Women’s Divisions for the 2016/17 season. Across 3 Divisions with 8 sides in Division 1, and 7 in both Division 2 & 3. This season a change in the number of fixtures with sides playing each other 3 times instead of twice.

   Norfolk Women’s Division One

Wymondham Town Ladies won the title last season and have taken promotion to the ERWFL Division One. Have formed a new Reserves side which began its season in Division 3 on Sunday. All of the 8 sides contesting Division 1 this season played on the opening Sunday.  

  Thorpe United Ladies with a new manager in charge this season off to a fantastic start as they welcomed Kings Lynn Town Ladies now affiliated with the men’s club to the Thorpe Recreation Ground on Sunday. Captain, Rebekah Lake (pictured right) netting a hat-trick along with Shanice Sutton 1 of her three goals from the penalty spot. Charlotte Groves also bagging an opening day brace with Vivian Moyo completing the scoring as they romped to a 9-2. Kings Lynn Town Ladies were optimistic of achieving good things in the league this season a bombshell to start the season far from what they expected will regroup and go again. Jordan Turner and Shelley Woods with their goals one in either half.

Fakenham Town Ladies started their season with a trip to the east coast to play newly promoted Kirkley & Pakefield FC Ladies who went undefeated dropping just 2 points on their way to the Division 2 title last season. Fakenham have been busy over the summer brought some new players in 4 of which made their debuts on Sunday as they put in a strong performance Sam King scoring inside the opening 2 minutes. Rochelle Woods making it 2-0 on 20, led 3-0 at half-time. Extended the lead 2nd half 4-0 on 59 minutes before Emily Woodhouse scored from the penalty spot with 10 minutes to play , Woods scoring her 2nd goal of in the 90th minutes, winning 6-0 to go 2nd in the table the only side not to concede a goal on the opening day too.

  Also promoted from Division Two last season having chased Kirkley & Pakefield all the way were North Walsham Angels Ladies. Were at home taking on Bungay Town Ladies on Sunday. Luci Middleton (pictured left) was North Walsham’s top goalscorer last season with a total of 38 from 17 appearances. Didn’t hang about this season to get started either helping herself for 4 goals. Younger sister Hope also got her name on the scoresheet on the opening day along with Emma Allsopp. North Walsham didn’t have it all their own way however Bungay having been 4-1 down in the 1st half came back 2nd half to score 3, Emily Leach amongst the goals the final score 6-4 to North Walsham.

Two of the favourites for the Division 1 title went head to head on the opening day with Brandon Town Ladies travelling across the county to Youngs Park to play League Cup Winners, Aylsham FC Ladies. The home side getting off to a blistering start going 3-0 up inside the opening 5 minutes, Kiera Squires with 2 of the goals Michaela England with the other. Brandon fought their way back into the game found the back of the net twice, captain Tiffany Forshaw and Ruby Robertson with the goals, wasn’t enough however Aylsham holding on for the 3-2 win.

Norfolk Women’s Division Two

7 sides contesting Norfolk Women’s Division 2 this season. A new name in the league Briston Wanderers Ladies, a familiar squad however they are the former Red Rose Ladies 1st team, have renamed following their manager breaking away from the old club at the end of last season. Were scheduled to play Bohemians Ladies away on the opening day of the season the home side unable to fulfill the fixture saw Briston awarded the away win.

Leading the way after the opening weekend are Sprowston Ladies, were at home at the Open Academy on the opening day taking on newly promoted Division 3 runners-up, Harleston Town Ladies. Got their season off to a brilliant start winning the match 6-0, Olivia Leggett with two of their goals. Rebecca Kirby, Joanna Davey, Keri Boorman and Lois Irving also opening their goal scoring accounts for the season.

Gorleston FC Ladies formed last season won the Division 3 title, began life in Division 2 with an away trip to play Stalham Town Ladies. Samantha Hunn netted 2 goals for the visitors with Leanne Smith, Kayleigh Byrne and Beth Turner also scoring in a 5-0 win to see Gorleston start with 3 points. Long Stratton Ladies the side sitting out the opening weekends fixtures in Division 2.

Norfolk Women’s Division Three

As with Division 2 there are 7 sides contesting Division 3 this season. 2 new sides in the league, Wymondham Town Ladies new Reserves side along with Lowestoft based, East Coast Ladies. Tavern Ladies are the renamed Dereham Town Ladies who were the side sitting out the opening weekend.

Red Rose United might have wished they’d sat out the opening weekend of fixtures too as they were soundly beaten on their travels away to Toftwood United Ladies. The home side scoring double fixtures hitting 12 goals without reply.

 Cromer Town Ladies fared little better as they welcomed East Coast Ladies to Cabbell Park on Sunday the newly formed side with some impressive pre-season results took that form into the league Rosie Cook scoring 4 goals in the 1st half, with Jodie Ellis to make it 5-0 at the break. Cook going on to add a 5th goal 2nd half. Lucy Robbens who had been keeping goal in the 1st half got in on the goal scoring action 2nd half scoring 4 herself, Chelsea Shorten with a goal in the last 10 minutes too the final score 11-0.

Wymondham Town Ladies Reserves began with a home fixture, Freethorpe Ladies travelling to Kings Head Meadow. Scored 2 goals in each half to secure their 1st win, Gemma Hamilton getting a brace, Kelly Ayers and Helen Watts amongst the goals too final score 4-0.