FA Women’s National League Division One North

Norton & Stockton Ancients 2 (Owens 70’, Cairns 75’)

Leeds United Women 3 (Elliot 44’, Smith pen 55’, Valentine og 88’)

Norton & Stockton: Valentine (GK), Coyle (Birtwhistle 65’), Rae, Burton, Boyle, Owens (C), Atkinson, Green, Jamieson, Marshall (Cairns 69’), West. Subs not used: Chisnall (GK), Place, Heslop.

Leeds United: Simpson (GK), Elliott (Millard 80’), Legge (C), Cassidy, Darcie Greene, Hughes, White, Smith, Drew Greene. Gibrill-Keating (Ellis 80’), Dixon. Subs not used: Oates (GK), Williams, Lee.

Venue: Norton Sports Complex, Norton

Referee: Ali Rahjoo

Bookings: Coyle, Burton (Norton)

Leeds United dug in Sunday to pull out a gritty win in County Durham that sees them go top of the league.

Simon Wood named an unchanged 11 from the side that beat Stockport County 3-0 last weekend in the league, with Alice Hughes, Drew Greene, and Ellie White netting.

On a soaked and muddy afternoon, play got underway with little to separate the sides.

The match’s first chance came as Norton captain Bianca Owens played in Louise Atkinson, but the play was well defended by Emily Cassidy, who cleared.

Leeds’ first chance of the day came as Sian Gibrill-Keating won a free-kick for Hughes to deliver, but her strong ball was headed away from goal by Owens. Leeds stepped onto the front foot from there, and White’s marauding run through the centre produced United’s first shot on target, fielded by Elen Valentine.

It was the Ancients, though, with the next opportunity, Erin Boyle seizing on a Leeds slip in the midfield to pick up the ball and release Owens, whose thundering effort sailed high. Another Owens shot a few minutes later skidded wide right of Carrie Simpson’s net.

With both teams struggling in the final third, the visitors aimed to take the lead through set plays, with Chloe Dixon firing just over from two free-kicks. A third delivery from Dixon proved true, the winger’s corner creating confusion in the home side’s box before dropping to the foot of Izzy Elliot to poke home!

Elliot did not shirk her defensive duties either, rushing back on defence to tackle Louise Atkinson through on goal, maintaining the Whites’ lead into the break.

HALF TIME: Norton & Stockton Ancients Ladies 0-1 Leeds United Women

The start of the second half was as scrappy as the first, just muddier.

Leeds pressed for a second, and White, dancing past defenders in the box, was brought down, earning the visitors a 55th minute penalty that Kath Smith smashed home with confidence to double United’s advantage.

The home side, looking for a route back into the game, began to press higher, and Erin Green registered the Ancients’ first shot of the half off a long, looping ball from Ash Coyle.

With tackles flying in all over the pitch, Atkinson nipped in to steal the ball from Simpson and win Norton their first corner of the half, but it came to nothing. It was indeed to be the home side to score next, Owens picking up the ball in the middle of the Leeds half and releasing a long-range effort to halve the deficit.

And from nowhere, the Ancients were level. This time it was substitute Milly Cairns to unleash from 30 yards out and over Simpson in the visitors’ net. From 2-0 to the Whites, the score was level.

United looked immediately to regain their advantage, and Elliot flashed a cross into the box that Dixon hit wide. Another cross moments later was cleared before substitute Macy Ellis could get on the end of it.

Norton would have completed the comeback if not for valiant defending by another Whites substitute, Alayna Millard, whose tackle in the box stripped Atkinson, played in clear by Owens.

In a back-and-forth ending, the next chance came to Leeds as White headed just over from a Dixon cross.

And, in the game’s dying moments, United did restore their lead! Chloe Dixon once more created chaos in Norton’s penalty area with a corner. This one nearly went in from the off, and, rolling around by the goal line, was cleared off of keeper Valentine and into the Ancients’ net.

Just seconds before the final whistle, Simpson dove well to her left to save an Atkinson shot and keep the White’s lead before Owens’ follow-up went in but was ruled offside.

In the chaos and the mud, Leeds held strong, beating a strong Norton side to go top of the league!

FULL TIME: Norton & Stockton Ancients Ladies 2-3 Leeds United Women