FA WNL Division One North
Norton & Stockton Ancients 0
Leeds United Women 3 (Woodruff 22’, 89’; Smith 60’)
Norton: Moore (GK), Coyle, McGuire (Jamieson 80’), Rae, Burton, West (Brown 80’), Reed, Owens (C), Atkinson, Nanga, Marshall (Atkinson 80’).
Leeds: Simpson (GK), Legge, Smart (C), Hughes, Danby (Gibrill-Keating 82’), Dobson (Jakeman 66’), Smith (Price 90’), Drew Greene, Woodruff, Darcie Greene, Guy. Subs not used: Oates (GK), Waldron.
Venue: Norton Sports Complex
Referee: Ogiemwonyi Arakpogun
Booked: Owens, Raye (Norton) Smart (Leeds)
Leeds United Women extended their winning run with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Norton & Stockton Ancients away from home.
An Amy Woodruff brace and a Kath Smith strike on a mild December afternoon ensured the Whites went top of the FA WNL Division One North standings at the half-way stage of the campaign, having picked up eight wins from their opening 11 fixtures.
Leeds dominated from the off on Teesside, with an early Sarah Danby corner causing the hosts problems. After the initial pressure was dealt with, United attacked once more and the ball almost fell for Danby to strike, but last-ditch defending prevented the midfielder from getting a shot away.
Simon Wood's side were playing some lovely football on an expansive pitch at the Norton Sports Complex and went close once more, when Alice Hughes played an inch-perfect pass through for Woodruff down the right flank.
The forward raced into space and crossed low looking for Smith, but alert goalkeeping from Kelsey Moore allowed the Norton stopper to race out and collect.
The duo were again involved moments later, when Woodruff rose highest to meet Smith’s lofted cross, though the striker was unable to guide her header on target.
Norton, keen to find a footing in the match and stop the one-way momentum, then had a couple of chances of their own. Skipper Bianca Owens initially fired a speculative effort wide from distance, before Carrie Simpson’s services were called upon as she parried away Louise Atkinson’s powerful low drive.
Just after the 20-minute mark, the Whites deservedly took the lead through Woodruff, after she latched on to Smith’s well-weighted through ball.
A superb save from Moore one on one had denied the in-form striker at first, only for the ball to kindly bounce back into the striker’s path who reacted quickly to bundle home!
Desperate defending from the Teesside outfit then prevented the Whites from extending their lead. A ball in behind looking for Woodruff caused problems with Moore left stranded after a mix up with a defender. It rolled for Darcie Greene to strike from distance, but a retreating orange shirt cleared crucially for the home side.
Chances for Louise Atkinson, Shannon Reed and Owens came and went for Norton as they looked to level proceedings approaching the break, before Ogiemwonyi Arakpogun brought the opening 45 minutes to a close.
HALF TIME: Norton & Stockton Ancients 0-1 Leeds United Women
Leeds started the second half brightly in the hunt for a second, with Woodruff seeing a powerful shot blocked after Drew Greene had expertly held the ball up inside the area and laid it off for the forward to strike.
Despite the eventual scoreline, the clash was a hard-fought contest throughout with both sides having large spells of possession and playing impressive one-touch football.
A long-distance effort from Chloe West was saved well by Simpson diving to her right as Norton drove forward.
Danielle Nanga then had a shot from inside the area blocked superbly well by Ellie Dobson, before Owens headed wide from the resulting corner in what had been a flurry of chances as the sun began to set on Teesside.
And how the hosts would rue those missed opportunities moments later, when Smith was well placed at the back post to tap home and round off a scintillating attacking move!
Drew Greene raced away down the right and in turn found Woodruff. The striker crossed low for the onrushing midfielder at the back post who kept her composure to fire beyond Moore and into the corner.
The home side had Moore to thank for keeping them in it shortly afterwards, with the stopper standing tall to deny Woodruff from close range after she had raced in behind on the left flank.
In what was a very stop-start, and often-ill-tempered affair in the North East as the second half developed, Norton then could, and possibly should, have halved the deficit when Danielle Nanga met Eve Marshall’s looping corner at the back post, though the winger was unable to convert.
As the game entered its dying embers, Woodruff grabbed her second of the afternoon and her side's third in style to seal the three points.
Drew Greene's pinpoint delivery from the right was brought down superbly by the forward inside the area who lashed a fierce strike into the top corner beyond a helpless Moore!
The result, a seventh league victory in a row, lifts the Whites to the summit of the table, three points clear of second-place Cheadle Town.
FULL TIME: Norton & Stockton Ancients 0-3 Leeds United Women
