This Week's Opposition: Nottingham Forest Women

Photo Credit: Nottingham Forest Women

There is a huge opportunity for the Pompey Women this weekend, who are just 90 minutes away from a place in a national cup final!

Jay Sadler’s side have come from the shadows in the FA Women’s National League - Southern Premier Division recently, claiming a big run of results to soar to the top of the division.

They’ve also this season bowed out with pride to the London City Lionesses in The FA Cup and put on some impressive displays in the FA Women’s National League Cup, in which they find themselves in the Semi-Finals of.

The Blues take on leaders of the Northern Premier Division of the National League, Nottingham Forest this weekend with a place in the final on the 23rd of April up for grabs.

MANAGER

Teessider Andrew Cook is the head coach of the Nottingham Forest Women and has been since his appointment to the role in the middle of 2019.

Cook is a former student of Teesside University and graduated in 2010 with an honours degree in both Sports and Exercise Sports Studies.

During his 3 years of education, Cook was a coach with the Middlesbrough Foundation, a role which came after experience in the game with Darlington as youth development coach, as head coach of the Durham Women and shortly before his move to Forest, as youth development coach at Sunderland.

He also held roles at Arsenal and Oxford United, as well as having 2 spells with the Football Association.

ONE TO WATCH

Reds number 9, Yasmin Mosby is one to watch this weekend.

The former Concord University Soccer team and Doncaster Belles player agreed a professional contract with Forest last August and has since gone on to score 10 goals in 16 league games.

TOP SCORER

Leading goalscorer of the Northern Premier Division, Charlotte Greengrass is of course also Forest’s top scorer.

So far this season, the striker has bagged 17 goals from 22 league appearances, 19 of which have been starts.

Greengrass was on target as recently as last Sunday when Forest played host to Huddersfield Town, scoring twice in that meeting at Halbrooke Stadium.

CURRENT FORM

Andrew Cook’s side are top of the Northern half of the 3rd tier, accumulating 37 points from 15 matches so far, winning 12 and losing just 2.

Forest are 5 points clear of Wolves in 2nd place, although their title rivals do have a game in hand and were victorious by 3 goals to 1 in last month’s encounter between the 2 sides.

Last time out, the Reds recorded a 3-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town, that game saw top scorer Charlotte Greengrass claim a second-half brace after her namesake, Charlotte Steggles had given the hosts the lead on the 20th minute.

To reach this round of the FA Women’s National League Cup, Forest saw off Burnley in a 2-1 victory at the Quarter-Final stage.

Can the Portsmouth Women secure victory and progression to a national cup final, or is this where the journey ends?

Pompey Live will be on air this Sunday, the 5th of March from 1pm with full coverage of Nottingham Forest vs Pompey in the Semi-Finals of FA Women's National League Cup - Robbie James hosts with Henry Deacon and Jake Smith on the commentary from 2!