South Shields Women pulled off a significant 3-1 win against fellow promotion challengers Spennymoor Town Ladies on Sunday.
The lasses responded in style to the team’s 8-2 defeat at The Brewery Field last month and they went two goals up in the first 20 minutes.
First, Jaz Elliott-Wood off an Eve Gatens corner, and second Sophie Curle who scooped up a mistake at the back and drifted around Sophie Miller before finding the net for the seventh game in a row.
Spennymoor did pull one back thanks to Autumn Colledge, but the game was seen out, not before Shields added to their tally through Curle who slotted home her penalty, which was awarded for a foul on Eve Gatens in the box.
In terms of the line-up heading into the fixture, Sophie Greener returned to the starting eleven, while pair Ebony Longstaff and Phoebe Dixon came back from a trip to America and were named on the bench for this game.
Shields couldn’t have asked for a better start and Elliott-Wood became the hero at the back a handful of times, but first of all because her connection with the ball resulted in a deserved lead.
It was easy to see why both teams are in the reckoning for promotion as the quality showed - the Moors tested Shields’ keeper Scarlett Gowans a number of times but she was able to get to them.
Shannon Reed tried from range but her effort sailed past the post, and well out of danger.
Greener wonderfully played a ball through to Curle who was inches away from getting to it, which would have almost certainly given her an empty goal past Miller to shoot into.
The visitors found their goal when Courtney Mole's ball reached Colledge who managed to slide it into the bottom corner before Gowans had a chance to react.
Ex-Shields forward Caitlin Bates was next to try her luck from distance but to no avail.
Abi Kisby, just like Curle earlier in the half, was inches away from rounding the opposition keeper but Gowans got a glove on it.
Half-time came and went, and there wasn't a lot to mention in the second half besides the only other goal.
Lucy McIntosh appeared to drag Gatens down in the box and the referee awarded a penalty to Shields.
Curle, of course, made no mistake and provided the Mariners with an unassailable two-goal advantage which they held onto.
That win puts Shields up to third in the table on 38 points, just two points behind Spennymoor who currently sit top.
Barnsley FC Women are just one goal behind the Moors - also on 40 points - and the Reds will visit Shields on Sunday May 5th for a truly spectacular showdown.
But up next for the lasses is Wallsend BC Women on Sunday April 28th at 1st Cloud Arena.
South Shields Women: Gowans, Innes, May, Greener, Legg, Gatens, Curle, Wootten, Norton, Elliott-Wood, O. Mole.
Substitutes: Ali, Dixon, Taylor, White, Longstaff.
Spennymoor Town Ladies: Miller, N. Jackson, McIntosh, C. Mole, Reed, Colledge, Bates, Middleton, Knox, Hemingway, Kisby.
Substitutes: Enguita, L. Jackson, Drinkald, Gray, Seymour.
Featured image credit: Craig McNair (@ideventphoto)