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The Guardian
13-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Manchester United reach Women's FA Cup final after Bizet and Clinton sink City
It would be wrong to suggest there has been a seismic shift in momentum in Manchester, but United's 2-0 defeat of a beleaguered City to set up an FA Cup final against Chelsea showed a maturity and composure that has sometimes proved elusive in the fixture. City bowed out of the tournament with, ultimately, a whimper, their last hope of a trophy over within 22 minutes but written off by many before a ball was kicked at a windswept Academy stadium. Nick Cushing's squad has been torn apart by injuries, their squad so threadbare that just four outfield players were named on the bench, including 17-year-old Sacha Lewis, who joined Derby on a dual registration in January to get playing minutes in the National League Northern Premier Division. Kicked out of the Champions League by Chelsea, 13 days after they suffered a League Cup final defeat to Sonia Bompastor's side, and seven points adrift of third-placed United in the WSL, the FA Cup had offered a chance to salvage something from a disastrous season. It took six minutes for United's aggressive press to reap rewards against the depleted City though, Ella Toone's ball over the top was brought down by Celin Bizet who wrongfooted Gracie Prior before firing past Khiara Keating. Furious, Keating booted the ball in the direction of the centre circle, Kerstin Casparij playing Bizet onside likely out of her eyeline. City were already without Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord, who were added to their heaving injury list during the international break, and they would be shorn of another key player in the 17th minute, Australia forward Mary Fowler clutching the knee of her heavily strapped right leg after it looked to collapse inwards as she extended with her left. After some treatment off the pitch, it had looked like Fowler might return. By the time Naomi Layzell came on to replace Fowler, City were two goals down, Gabby George's corner met by Grace Clinton who turned it in with her head after she escaped some lax marking from Kerolin. Fowler was able to walk around the edge of the pitch and back to the tunnel, hopefully indicating that her injury isn't as bad as it first appeared, and with a crowd of injured City players watching from up behind the dugout, that included Khadija Shaw, Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Aoba Fujino alongside the newly added Dutch duo, any sniff of positivity will be gladly welcomed. It was almost pedestrian from Marc Skinner's side, who were well organised, efficient and clinical when it mattered, but they were also reliant on goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce to maintain their two-goal advantage at times too, the American saving well from Kerolin before the break and the pulling off a stunning double stop just before the hour mark, keeping out Yui Hasegawa's free-kick and Lily Murphy's close-range follow up. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion That City didn't collapse completely after the break, with Skinner turning to his bench and inserting fresh legs to up the pressure, was a testament to the resilience of the players on the pitch, players that have been let down by a club that has underinvested in the playing squad to the extent needed for a club of its stature and expectations. An overhaul and truckload of cash is needed to turnaround City's fortunes next season. They need to build a squad capable of competing in four competitions and weathering injury storms, whether they manage to book a place in next year's Champions League or not. Their struggle should act as a cautionary tale to the United board, who need to back Skinner in the summer as they likely head into the Champions League and have to attempt to maintain this consistency across four competitions.
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Forest boss Davies eyes double after 'elation' of cup win
Head coach Carly Davies says Nottingham Forest were "elated" to reclaim the Women's National League Cup, and what the Reds hope is the first piece of a trophy Reds overcame Stoke City 3-1 in Saturday's final at Bescot Stadium to claim the cup for the second time in three who are top of the National League Northern Premier Division, are now well placed to emulate what they did in 2023 when they won the cup and league double."That is one of two now, and hopefully we can go and win the league," Davies told BBC Radio Nottingham. "We are on for the double." Unlike 2023, however, the league title will guarantee promotion back to the second tier first the time time since who have a game in hand on second-placed Wolves, are two points clear at the summit with four matches still to Reds are yet to be beaten in the league and have won 15 of their 18 matches in the third tier since first moving towards full-time professionalism last have conceded just five league goals in 18 matches so far, and scored 60 of their own."Momentum is really important," Davies added. "We are unbeaten in the league and that is an unbelievable feat."Winning is a habit and you have seen that again today [in their cup final win]."I'm elated. We found a way to win. It was probably not our best performance but when you are not at your best and still score three goals, that shows the quality of this team."
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Forest want trophies after 'astronomical progress'
Captain Lyndsey Harkin wants Nottingham Forest to turn the "astronomical progress" the club have made into Reds' first chance to collect a trophy this season comes on Saturday as they meet Stoke City in the Women's National League Cup final at Walsall's Bescot could be the first piece of a league-and-cup double for Forest, who are five points clear at the top of the National League Northern Premier Division table with four matches remaining."We just have to keep pushing on," Harkin told BBC East Midlands Today. "We have beaten Stoke twice in the league but we are not going to be complacent because we know a cup final brings different things. It's a nothing to lose sort of game, we have to go for it."We know they can play football, but so can we. They are aggressive, but so are we." The Reds are yet to be beaten in the league and have won 15 of their 18 matches in the third tier since first moving towards full-time professionalism last is the club's longest serving player, having made more than 300 appearances for the side either side of a six-year spell with Doncaster Rovers Belles, where she featured in the Women's Super has already captained Forest to a double, with the club clinching the National League Cup in 2023 before going on to win the league league success, however, did not bring automatic promotion, as it now does, and they went on to lose their promotion play-off final against Watford."The progress the club has made has been astronomical," Harkin said."With the players we have signed and where the club is at now, it's just amazing."The next step is that we want to get promoted."
