FAWNL Division One North

Chester Le Street Ladies 1 (Winter 12’)

Leeds United Women 5 (Soares-Martins 10’, Bartup 21’, 24’, Bass 42’, Danby 77’)

Chester: Young (GK), Henderson, Elliott (Thompson 55), Winter, Prudhoe, Winter, Clark, Taite, Ellison (Proud 83), Hocaday (Burke 78), Mayes. Subs not used: Harvey.

Leeds: Joyce (GK), Smart (Hindle 57), Hamill (C), Bass (Hunt 53), Robson, Underdown, Danby, Williams, Ramsden, Soares-Martins, Bartup (Smith 61).

Venue: Moor Park 

Referee: D Watson

Leeds United finished the season with a five star performance away at Chester Le Street Town Ladies, by showing a clinical touch in front of goal to take the three points. 

In a season which has seen Liverpool Feds crowned as Champions, with Newcastle United Women finishing second and Durham Cestria in third, Leeds finished in fourth position with Laura Bartup as joint top scorer in the league on 21 goals, following Sunday’s win in the North East.

As for the game itself, Leeds started quickly and looked to open the scoring when both Katie Ramsden and Paige Williams had efforts on goal to give the early warning signs.

The opening goal did arrive in the game inside the first 10 minutes, when Sandra Soares-Martins cleverly finished a cross from Williams, however, the hosts levelled almost straight away through Anna Winter, 

After two goals in two minutes, it was all Leeds from then on in the match and in response to the leveller, Bartup headed just over before Soares-Martins curled just psst the post. 

The rest of the half became the Bartup show as she hit her 20th and 21st goals of the season with two low drives into the back of the net to establish a commanding 3-1 lead, before the striker was then denied a hat trick by hitting the post with the Whites well on top. 

An impressive first half display from Williams saw the winger go close again, before Ramsden also hit the post for Leeds.  

There was time for another goal before the interval, when Rebekah Bass made it four with a thunderous shot that dipped under the bar from 30-yards out, as Leeds went in at the break with a 4-1 advantage. 

HALF TIME: Chester Le Street Town Ladies 1-4 Ladies Leeds United Women

The second half started at a much slower pace with Ramsden curling one just wide and the recently introduced Rachel Hindle - who came on in place of Olivia Smart - was denied by a last ditch challenge from the hosts.  

Dan O’Hearne’s side were keeping the pressure up as they looked to finish the season strongly and they deservedly made it five when Sarah Danby headed in from a brilliant Ramsden centre.  

Not content and going in search of more, Soares-Martins was denied a sixth by a fine save as she attempted to get her second of the game in this season finale. 

The whistle did go to signal the end of the match, meaning Leeds ended their campaign with seven points from the last nine in this five-goal showing in the North East.

New challenges will lay ahead next season with Hull City and Middlesbrough coming down into the division, along with York and Merseyrail coming up. 

FULL TIME: Chester Le Street Town Ladies 1-5 Leeds United Women