Forest beat Hashtag to reach FA WNL cup final
Nottingham Forest reached the FA Women's National League Cup final for the second time in three seasons as they beat holders Hashtag United 1-0.Charlie Wellings scored a late winner from the penalty spot after Nat Johnson had been fouled in the box.And Forest will now face Stoke City in the final at Walsall in March after they saw off Plymouth Argyle 3-0. The match at Hashtag's ground in Aveley in Essex pitted the leaders before kick-off of the Women's National League Southern and Northern Premier divisions against each - although Wolves' win in the league at the same time on Sunday saw them move ahead of Forest later that day.And it proved to be a tight semi-final with few clear-cut chances after Sammy Rowland shot just wide of the far post for the home side in the 10th minute. Amy Sims played in Melissa Johnson as 2023 winners Forest pressed after the break, but she was denied by keeper Frankie Angel.Johnson also saw a shot deflected just over the bar before a Freda Ayisi free-kick for Hashtag - who included Derby County and Ipswich Town among their victims in reaching the semi-finals - was well saved by Forest's Emily Batty low to her left.The penalty followed two minutes later and and Hashtag, who beat Newcastle United in last year's final, could not an equaliser in the closing moments.The competition features teams in the third and fourth tiers of the English women's game.
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Metro
41 minutes ago
- Metro
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South Wales Argus
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Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
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Kept possession and the ball ticking over as the link man all over the pitch. Below his best like so many. 5 Lewis Ferguson - Didn't know much about it at the own goal which put Iceland back in front. Unlucky as a comedy pinball moment saw the ball crack off him and squirm past Cieran Slicker. 5 Scott McTominay - Started on the left of midfield, tasked with supporting George Hirst. Few flashes of what he can do but a big game player so he keeps the real heroics for when it counts. 5 George Hirst - Missed an early header then denied his first Scotland goal by two great saves from the Iceland goalie then an offside call after scoring. Showed he's got some promise. 6 Subs: Cieran Slicker (Gunn 6) - Debut didn't go to plan, that's for sure. Poor kick for the opener, flailing at the second, even worse at the third. Difficult not to feel sorry for him at times. 2 Lennon Miller (Tierney 67) - First cap. 3 Scott McKenna (Hanley 67) - Shored it up a bit late on. 3 Che Adams (Hirst 67) - No chances. 3 Nathan Patterson (Johnston 79) - Replaced Johnston. 2 Tommy Conway (McTominay 79) - On for McTominay. 2 There was George Hirst's header over an empty net from three yards out. There was the catalogue of calamities that saw John Souttar and Ferguson combine to deflect the second Icelandic past the floundering Slicker. There was a countless number of slack passes. There was a tempo that rarely got above jogging pace. There was a total lack of the togetherness that had pulled us back from that terrible start to the Nations League and very nearly kept us in the elite group – replaced, worryingly, by so much more of the disjointed, disorganised nonsense we'd shown in THAT Hampden hammering by the Greeks on the night we were eventually relegated. It was woeful. It was hugely worrying with those fast-improving Greeks to face along with Denmark if we want to make it to the top table across the Pond next summer. Advertisement And, as much as I'm a huge fan of the guy, it's another bad night on Clarke's CV as his record extends to just four wins from his last 21. Again, I've backed him through thick and thin, but it has to be said that previous gaffers have been hunted out the door with better records than that. He has a massive rebuilding job to do on this squad's confidence before Copenhagen on September 5 – and, yes, I know we're in Liechtenstein on Monday night, but what that will tell us about ourselves goodness along knows. Except maybe which players have the character not to pull out by the time you read this. As for young Slicker? He doesn't need anyone to tell him he had a nightmare. He's already a joke pub quiz question about the only guy to win two caps on the same night: His first and his last. Advertisement It wasn't his fault, though. He's played nine minutes of first team football this season for Ipswich Town, he's played six first team games in total for them and Rochdale and he's never played one single minute of top flight league action. How do you end up playing international football with that little experience? Answers on the back of a postcard from Vaduz. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
