Mistakes Cost Town the Ultimate Penalty

 

Huddersfield Town Women fell to a second defeat in a row as they lost 2-1 at Nottingham Forest courtesy of two Precious Hamilton penalties.

 

Town travelled to Eastwood looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 4-1 home defeat to Sunderland and, initially, settled into the game well, but two first half mistakes proved costly.

 

Hamilton was Forest’s stand out player and time after time, she was played in behind the Terriers’ defence down the right flank and, despite Town’s full backs blocking the majority of crosses from wide positions, two penalties cost them dear.

 

First, Beth Stanfield caught Katie Middleton with an attempted clearance and, just seven minutes later, Rebecca Rayner was taken late inside the area to give Precious Hamilton to give the hosts a commanding and deserved two-nil lead when the half-time whistle went.

 

Town needed a response in the second forty-five and nearly got it within two minutes of the restart when Kate Mallin fizzed a wicked delivery across the box, but neither Lucy Sowerby nor Leah Embley could get goal-bound contact on the ball.

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And midway through the second half, they got themselves right back in the contest.

The ball ran free for Leah Embley who beat her man with ease before whipping in a brilliant cross which Lucy Sowerby powered into the bottom corner for her ninth of the season.

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Town pressed relentlessly for an equaliser, but with little under ten minutes remaining, Vicky Abbott received a sin bin which would rule her out for the remainder of the regulation ninety.

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Despite the man disadvantage, however, Huddersfield maintained their dominance and were the better side through to the full time whistle and should have had a penalty in the 89th minute when Embley appeared to be fouled in the box from a corner.

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Alas, for all their effort, they could not find what would have been a deserved equaliser and fell to successive defeats and remain three points off Sunderland at the top of the table, who now also have a game in hand.

Next up for Town, they host Derby County at the Stafflex Arena as they look to get back to winning days and reignite their fight for the title next weekend.