Doncaster Rovers Belles 3 Oxford United 0

Doncaster Rovers Belles put the pressure back on Reading by going six points clear at the top of FA WSL 2 with a 3-0 victory over Oxford United.
Doncaster Rovers BellesDoncaster Rovers Belles
Doncaster Rovers Belles

Doncaster knew they would have to improve their goal difference to stand a chance of winning the title, but Oxford, having won three straight league games, showed good organisation to keep the Belles down to three goals.

Veteran winger Sue Smith converted the first from the penalty spot after Rosie Lane handled her shot midway through the first half.

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FA WSL 2 top scorer Courtney Sweetman-Kirk went clear through ten minutes later, but shot at Demi Lambourne from a narrow angle despite support from Smith and Bethany England.

The striker was in again just before the break thanks to Emily Simpkins’ excellent through ball, but her finish bounced clear off the post.

Unmarked England doubled the lead on 58 minutes, putting a diving header past Lambourne from Smith’s inswinging cross from the right.

Lambourne made two excellent saves inside the 71st minute, first denying England’s drive from the edge of the box before pulling off a superb point-blank stop from Sweetman-Kirk.

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England rounded off the scoring eight minutes from time, finding the bottom corner from Sweetman-Kirk’s pass, and would have had a last-second hat-trick had Lambourne not made another superb intervention.