Derby County Women defeated East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division.
Goals from Yasmin Mosby, who joined Derby from Forest in the summer, and Eleanor Ashton inside the opening ten minutes had the Ewes in dreamland although Holly Manders did pull a goal back for Forest from the penalty spot before half time.
Derby held on, in front of a crowd of just over 6,000 supporters, to pick up their second league win of the campaign and move up to ninth in the league standings after five matches.
The Ewes started the game with real energy and it saw them claim the first goal of the game after just three minutes. Mosby beat her defender to Ashton’s low cross and slotted the ball into the top right-hand corner
Ashton doubled Derby’s lead seven minutes later. Captain Amy Sims’ slotted ball into the box was met by a sliding Forest defender who didn’t get enough contact to see it clear. Ashton latched onto the loose ball and fired it home.
Referee Rebecca Halford awarded the hosts a spot kick late in the first half after Camille Jenkins made a double challenge, the second of which was deemed to be a foul, and Manders struck the ball with venom to put Forest on the scoreboard.
Just before halftime, Forest had a chance to equalize as Derby goalkeeper Anna Draper charged out of her box to win a loose ball. Draper was the first to arrive, but her clearance only reached Becky Anderson, who tried her luck from 40 yards out, but her shot sailed wide of the open net.
After finishing the first half on top, the home side was more dominant in the second, and Forest created a number of chances but struggled to find their shooting boots. Anderson wasted her second chance of the game when she found herself free in the heart of the box and blasted wide.
The Ewes’ best chance of the second half came from substitute Kira Rai. The winger drove into the penalty area after beating two players, but the hosts’ goalkeeper did well to smother her effort.
