REPORT: Halifax Women 2-2 Derby County Women

Derby County Women secured a dramatic late draw in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division at Halifax thanks to a penalty from Georgia Stevens.

In a direct, physical encounter, the Ewes took an early lead through Olivia Edwards, who drove a low shot past Maddie Crosbie from range.

Halifax turned the game on its head with second-half goals from Phoebe Hollin and Maddie Norton, but a late roll of the dice earned Sam Griffiths’ side a point to move six points clear of Loughborough Lightning in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division relegation zone.

The draw earned a vital point in a tightly contested division where just two points split 12th to sixth spot.

Key Moments

Derby took the lead after five minutes when Ché Thomas burst down the right and drilled the ball low for Edwards, who found the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box with an unorthodox outside-of-the-foot shot.

There was soon another chance to threaten when Becky May lifted a free kick into the box from 40 yards out, but no one could get a shot away.

Halifax’s first real chance of the game fell to Phoebe Hollin, who latched onto a cross-field pass and drove inside from the right flank, but Edwards got back to block her shot.

With the hosts’ momentum building, May made a strong clearance following a scramble on the goal-line, after which Lucy Jones required treatment.

Hollin remained Halifax’s main outlet, shooting across goal and wide in the 23rd minute, before Emily Joyce was forced to intervene by intercepting an incisive pass to halt another right-sided breakaway.

The game continued to be a physical, battling affair, with the Ewes staying solid at the back when Ward cleared another effort from Hollin.

May then worked goalkeeper Crosbie with another strike from distance, but the save was comfortable for the hosts’ number one.

Halifax started the second half brightly but were thwarted again; former Ewe Dolcie O’Connor was marked well by Minnie Wilson, who prevented her from getting a cross away.

May then shot straight at Crosbie from a free kick 30 yards out, before Hollin fired over the bar from a similar distance at the other end.

Lucy Jones made a brilliant reaction save to tip a header over the bar following a corner in the 64th minute.

But Rob Mitchell’s side drew level two minutes later when Hollin curled the ball in at Jones’ right-hand post from a close-range free kick.

Pushing to restore their lead, Derby put in a number of teasing deliveries from set pieces, but they were just beyond the intended targets.

Next came a Halifax corner, which Edwards confidently headed clear before Derby had one of their own with eight minutes to play, from which Kate Oakley’s shot was cleared.

Halifax broke and got their noses in front through Norton. Just a minute after coming on, she made a mazy run from deep before slotting the ball past Jones.

The closing stages were end-to-end, with Sam Griffiths bringing on multiple attackers to roll the dice in search of a leveller.

And this paid off when Stevens won a last-minute penalty, which she drilled into the bottom-left corner, beating Crosbie despite her diving the right way.

Team News

Derby County Women: Jones (GK), Edwards, Thomas (Skeldon 90), Joyce (C), Ward, Wilson (Stevens 88), Wheeler (Oakley 67), Locke, May, Sparkes, Muir.

Unused Substitutes: Morgan (GK), Bryan, Shepherd, Donnison.

Words: Jack Bryan

Images: Terri Lee

Next Fixture

Derby County Women are back in action on Wednesday night, when they travel to Wellbeing Park to face Stoke City in the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division (7.45pm kick off).