Forest all but assured of title after 18th-straight win

Action from Saturdays 8-1 win against Garstang

Forest beat Garstang 8-1, and now sit 12 points clear at the top of the table, with 12 to play for, and a goal difference 49 better than second place University of Liverpool.

They are all but assured of a place in the Division 1 play-offs, as they look to make it third time lucky with their promotion hopes.

Remarkably, their eight goals took them past the 100 mark for the season.

Forest needed a home win to see off their close rivals Garstang.

They started off at an exhilerating pace, but not quite managing to convert some of the excellent chances created.

The break finally came when a deceptive penalty corner strike by Lisa Crewe saw the ball played in towards Charlotte Hartley, who deflected it past the goalkeeper.

Kayleigh Vickers’ speed on the ball netted the second after a strike from the edge of the D.

Then Karen Wignall, always in the goalmouth action, added to this season’s tally with a close range shot finding the centre of goal.

Player of the match Crewe drag flicked the fourth goal at a penalty corner, finding the bottom left of the net, closely followed by Vickers getting her second just before half-time.

After the break, Forest showed no mercy, and a quickly-taken free hit on the edge of the D left the Garstang defence stood still, allowing Crewe to weave through and find a narrow angle for a shot on target to score Forest’s 100th goal this campaign.

Garstang still couldnt find their footing in the game, and as Forest pulled away with ease, Freya Bythell took the ball around the goalkeeper and shot from an awkward angle for goal number seven.

Garstsang did manage a consolation goal late on in the half from a penalty corner, but Forest finished it off when Crewe’s one-two movement with Bythelll saw her take her shot on the spin and complete her hat-trick, sealing Forest’s 8-1 win.

Forest are at Preston Ladies tomorrow, at 1-15 p.m.

The second team had a rearranged game against Lancaster Nomads on Saturday.

They went 2-0 ahead through Judith Hind and Charlotte O’Brien, before being pegged back to 2-2.

The second team would like to thank Functional Fit and especially Neal Richards for their continued support this season.