Isabel Sheridan’s first goal for Derby County Women helped seal a 2-0 home victory over Stourbridge in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division on Sunday.
After last weekend's high-profile Adobe Women’s FA Cup defeat to Women’s Super League side Leicester City on home turf, it was back to the cut and thrust of league action for Sam Griffiths’ side this time around.
It took an own goal to give Derby a first half lead in front of vocal support from both sides before youngster Sheridan struck late on to confirm the win.
On a windy Sunday afternoon at the Don Amott Arena, Derby did enough to pick up all three points against a side they had beaten 7-1 earlier in the season and had only won once away to bottom of the league AFC Fylde.
The opening exchanges were pretty uneventful, and Derby took the lead just after the half hour mark when a corner was floated into the box by midfielder Rebecca May. Her delivery was turned into the back of the net by a Stourbridge head under pressure from Emelia Wilson.
Stourbridge gave it their all and came close on multiple occasions with Hannah Fishwick’s audacious lob and Jade Grove’s shot both testing Anna Draper in the Ewes goal.
Just before half-time, Fishwick tested Draper once again with a curling shot towards the far post that required Derby’s number one to make a two-handed catch while Glassgirls captain Kelsey Richardson had floated in a cross that clipped the woodwork on its way over.
Just before the hour mark, captain Amy Sims clipped in a cross that failed to reach its target and instead clipped the post and went wide.
A shot from May came close to doubling the lead on the hour mark but the ball did not have enough dip to nestle into the goal.
In a half that was sparse of opportunities, the best went to Sheridan who only succeeded in hitting her shot straight at Jamie-Lee Bamford in the Glassgirls goal.
Derby’s second goal, which confirmed the win, came eight minutes from full-time when substitute Kira Rai pinged in a cross that was thumped home by Sheridan after a sharp half-turn.
Sam Griffiths’ side return to FA Women’s National League Plate action next Sunday when they head to Sutton Coldfield Town in the Quarter Finals of the competition.
Derby County Women: Draper (GK), Timms (Steggles 74), Jackson, Wilson, Joyce, Ward (Meadows 66), Ashton, Jenkins (Sheridan 46), Sims (C), Rhodes-Andrews (Rai 74), May.
Substitutes Not Used: Hilliard.
Stourbridge FC: Bamford (GK), Embley, Heaslegrave, Murphy (Bennet-Steele 56), Clarke, Clements (Bate 90), Richardson(C), Moran, Dicken (Omenazu 88), Fishwick (Rogers 65), Grove (Robinson 70).
Substitutes Not Used: None
Words: Ryan Robinson.