The mood was positive as the team met at the minibus for the trip north to Stockton on Tees where Norton & Stockton Ancients awaited. A top of the league table clash, and an opportunity for Barnsley to close the gap to three points with two matches to go.
Playing conditions were perfect, the sun was out and the pitch looked like it had hardly seen a competitive contest all season. Norton and Stockton lined in their Gold and Black strip, with Barnsley Ladies in Red for the Respect handshake. Barnsley lost the toss, so were asked to play into the sun for the 1st half but had the kick-off.

They wasted no time coming out of the traps, as Kathryn Smith played a slightly too heavy pass over the Norton defenders for Amy Woodruff to run onto, but the goal keeper was alert to come out to gather.
Then after 3 minutes from a Barnsley corner taken by Amy Woodruff short into Darcie Greene and back to Amy looping round. She played a square pass for Danielle Lowe to take a shot from 25m out which the goal keeper gathered securely.
Brittany Sanderson block tackled a Norton midfielder to win the ball back on 4 minutes, but it fell to Norton who then played a cross field pass down the right wing channel behind Darcie Greene and crossed long past the back post and headed wide.
5 minutes gone Kathryn Smith drove strongly from midfield playing Drew Greene in from the right wing, when she was tackled by the defender the ball bounced back to Abby Parkin whose cross/shot was caught by the goal keeper.
Rebecca Wilson was called into defensive action after 7 minutes blocking a shot out for a Norton corner, from which she then headed clear, but the ball came back into the penalty area and was strongly headed by Victoria Hutchinson over the top of Bryony Hudson, with Abby Parkin not quite able to stop it going into the goal. 1-0 Norton & Stockton Ancients.
9 minutes gone, Drew Greene and Holly Findlay linked up on the right wing, but when their way forward was blocked the ball was played back to Abby Parkin to cross into the penalty area, just too high for the jump of Amy Woodruff, but recovered by Kathryn Smith, whose shot was blocked with the rebound falling to Amy Woodruff who attempted to lift it over the goal keeper, but it also went over the cross bar.

A midfield Barnsley throw after 13 mins into Brittany Sanderson was played forward to the feet of Holly Findlay, she held off a defender and played it out to Kathryn Smith to shoot first time, just wide.
A heavy challenge on Brittany Sanderson after 19 mins saw her withdrawn to catch her breath and replaced by Laura Shepherd.
23 minutes gone and from a Norton defensive throw Danielle Lowe pressured to win a Barnsley corner, which Abby Parkin took and was cleared by Norton only to Darcie Greene who swung the ball back in and was hand balled by Norton central just outside the penalty area. Danielle Lowe took the free kick and smashed it into the top right of the goal past the diving keeper. 1-1 Barnsley equaliser.
24 mins Holly Findlay replaced by Brittany Sanderson.
Danielle Lowe received the ball from a Barnsley throw and played Brittany Sanderson in down the left channel, spotting the keeper off her line she tried a lob which went just wide. The same combination linked up but this time Brittany played square into Amy Woodruff whose shot was blocked out for a corner after 31 minutes, which Brittany took long to the back post where Abby Parkin met it perfectly to head home, 1-2 Barnsley.

Norton attacked from the restart down the right, finding a gap between Rebecca Wilson and Darcie Greene to get a shot away but a strong left handed save by Bryony Hudson turned it round the near post for a corner, which was cleared to safety.
Holly Findlay returned for Amy Woodruff after 34 minutes.
38 minutes gone Abby Parkin and Drew Greene linked up to cross the ball over but it was gathered by the goal keeper, then Amy Woodruff replaced Kathryn Smith.
Brittany Sanderson drew in and then beat her midfield marker on 40 mins to play through the defence for Amy Woodruff to link up with Holly Findlay, then back to Danielle Lowe to shoot just wide of the right hand post from 20 metres.
45 minutes Danielle Lowe played into Amy Woodruff who dribbled past two defenders, but had her shot was blocked on the edge of the area by a third.

The half was brought to a close with Norton pressuring Darcie Greene at right back, she played the ball back to Bryony Hudson who feinted to clear then calmly took the ball round the on rushing forward before clearing the ball up field.

HT: 1 - 2

The start of the second half saw more Barnsley changes with Emily Ward and Georgina Wilson coming on for Drew and Darcie Greene, with Rebecca Wilson moving to left back.
Then down the right Holly Findlay played in Emily Ward, finding a pass to Amy Woodruff at the edge of the penalty area. She squared the ball to Brittany Sanderson to shoot just wide of the right post.
But when Norton attacked on 47 minutes, Lucy Turner was alert to slide across and clear the ball out for a throw, from which Brittany Sanderson won the ball back and was fouled for a free kick to Barnsley. Holly Findlay received the ball playing into Laura Shepherd then out to Rebecca Wilson on the left wing to win a corner. Holly beat a defender and the ball broke to Brittany Sanderson, who played it square to Amy Woodruff, but her shot went over the crossbar.
56 minutes Lucy Turner cleared from the back, releasing Brittany Sanderson wide left to attack forward, it was defended well, but Barnsley pressed. Holly Findlay and Emily Ward quickly closing down midfield and won a throw from which Brittany Sanderson threaded a ball into the right wing channel which the goal keeper reached just in front of Emily Ward.
Then after 59 minutes Brittany threaded a ball through the left wing channel for Holly Findlay to chase down before playing it back into Laura Shepherd to shoot but it was blocked by a diving defender.
60 mins and Brittany drove forward beating 2 defenders and into the left hand of the penalty area before watching her shot saved by the goal keeper’s hand out for a corner. Danielle Lowe took the corner and Brittany Sanderson rose to head it in front of the tall Norton centre back to score 1-3.

From a Norton indirect kick for offside on 63 mins Laura Shepherd headed it straight back into Brittany Sanderson who was through with only the goal keeper to beat, she dummied with her left foot before striking it with her right past the keeper 1-4 Barnsley. Norton were reeling on the ropes a little under wave upon wave of Barnsley pressure.
More changes for Barnsley with Brittany Sanderson, Abby Parkin and Holly Findlay substituted for Any Woodruff, Darcie and Drew Greene, Rebecca Wilson moving to left back and Emily Ward to right back. Danielle Lowe was also called off, but when someone counted only ten players on the field, she quickly returned.
67 minutes and Norton broke down their left wing, a foot race between Emily Ward and the Norton winger ensued, but it was Lucy Turner sliding across to once again clear the danger out for a Norton throw.
Bryony Hudson took a goal kick on 69 mins, which cleared the midfield, out to Darcie Greene on the left wing, she played in Kathryn Smith who was thwarted by the goal keeper saving bravely at her feet, only pushing the ball out to Drew Greene to cross for Kathryn Smith to head into the goal, as she turned to celebrate though the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside. From the free kick Barnsley pressed high and a back pass to the goal keeper was just cleared as Amy Woodruff closed down, but again only as far as Darcie Greene who played it back for Laura Shepherd to cross into Drew Greene to shoot just wide.
70 minutes Kathryn Smith went off again for Holly Findlay to return.
71 minutes, Holly Findlay and Darcie Greene linked up on the left culminating in Darcie Greene shooting from 21m out just over the crossbar.

72mins after another solid central defensive performance Lucy Turner was replaced by Abby Parkin. Amy Woodruff received a pass from Georgina Wilson, she broke through from midfield with Holly Findlay on one side and Darcie Greene on the other, the defence did not know who to cover, allowing Amy to progress and unleash her shot, disappointingly over the cross bar.
As Norton broke down the left wing, Emily Ward was able to get her body in to shield and calmly play back to Bryony Hudson, whose clearance released Laura Shepherd down the left wing channel, threading a ball through to Holly Findlay to hit first time to force the goal keeper into a near post save and out for a Barnsley corner, from which the ball was cleared to Emily Ward but she shot over the cross bar.
74 minutes Kathryn Smith returned for Danielle Lowe
Barnsley were still maintaining a high tempo pressing game which was not allowing Norton to build anything significant or even feel comfortable on the ball. This nearly paid off when the ball rebounded off Kathryn Smith in her own half, chasing it down she drove at the Norton defence, into the penalty area to shoot towards the top right corner of the net, only for the goal keeper to reach out a hand to push it out for a corner.
A rare Norton attack on 81 mins down their right saw Abby Parkin throw her body across to block a shot on the edge of the area, she was quickly back on her feet to close down another attempt, stopping it this time with her bottom. Kathryn Smith was quick to the rebounding ball and released Darcie Greene down the left wing, she drove into the area, trying to take it around the keeper who managed to get a hand to push it away, but Darcie recovered it on a very tight angle, hit it across the face of goal to Holly Findlay to put it into the back of the net, but once again the offside flag was raised.
84 minutes saw Laura Shepherd pick up the ball to release Drew Greene down the right wing, she took it forward and played in Darcie Greene centrally one on one with the keeper, she managed to take the ball around and tap the ball goal wards before losing her balance. A covering defender was just able to race back under pressure from Amy Woodruff to clear it off the goal line.
87 minutes once again Laura Shepherd picked up the ball on half-way, playing it into Emily Ward who looked to play in Amy Woodruff before being clattered into from the side and clashing heads with a Norton player, both went down but she was awarded a Barnsley free kick. Clearly shaken Brittany Sanderson came on for Emily Ward. From the free kick Brittany received the ball from Drew Greene and drove to the edge of the area before being fouled. From the central position Brittany managed to get the ball up and over the defensive wall to force the goal keeper to tip it over the cross bar for a Barnsley corner but it was dealt with by Norton.
Drew Greene from the right played into Laura Shepherd centrally, she threaded a lovely weighted pass just in front of Darcie Greene, but was flagged just offside after 91 mins.

92 mins gone Kathryn Smith drove forward, passing it across to Brittany Sanderson, she dribbled and teased a couple of defenders to win a throw, from which won a corner that Amy Woodruff headed just wide.
95 mins and it was all over, 1-4 win to Barnsley Ladies FC, Brittany Sanderson named player of the match. It satisfying to see the Ladies playing some lovely, high tempo football and the Norton & Stockton Ancients manager commented after that he could not believe the team had lost games in the season playing like that. He obviously was nervous now that any slip up in the last two matches would see the league title slip from his grasp and into Barnsley’s if they managed to continue their winning run against EY Carnegie next Sunday and Oughtibridge War Memorial Ladies on the 30th April.

Barnsley Ladies also found out their League cup semi-final is away to Mallet Lambert FC Ladies on the 23rd April after they beat Sheffield Wednesday 6-3, one week at a time Reds and keep playing lovely team football.

FT: 1 - 4