Shopping Money
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Watford (Women’s Super League 2)
I’ve got an agreement with the wife. If I work Sundays, a proportion of the money I make goes to her and is (I’m told) put towards our weeks shopping. So with that in mind, and with the City Ground just a couple of miles away from my house, I see covering Nottingham Forest’s first home match of the season against Watford, as a bit of easy, extra shopping money for our household.
I was here for the Forest women’s last match of last season, a disappointing 3-1 defeat against Southampton which left the Reds seventh in the WSL2 table, their first campaign at the level for some years, that underwhelming outcome however left Manager Carly Davies leaving, replaced by one of the clubs own, Tom Mallinson, the man to replace Davies as Head Coach, is one slightly left field, with no previous experience in women’s football, he has been at Forest for over 20 years though and most recently was in charge of the men’s under eighteens.
Watford gained promotion to the WSL2 in the summer after winning the third-tier National League South, they opened up their campaign with a scoreless draw against Burnley, whilst Forest drew at Ipswich 1-1, both teams are looking for their first win of the campaign.
It’s 1pm, kick off is 2pm, I live five minutes down the road so hop in the car and trot down the Melton Road before pulling up on Musters Road which has just about enough parking available, it’s a ten minute or so walk as I pass Trent Bridge Cricket Ground and cross over the Radcliffe Road, sun out, partially cloudy, it’s twenty degrees today but I’m in a hoody and jeans, as I know it can get pretty chilly in the low roofed shaded Peter Taylor Main Stand where I’ll be sat.
The Venue
It’s relatively quiet until I turn into the Pavilion Road and walk into the club shop where there's a few fans in red, I have not been inside for a while and they are always changing things about here, more floor space than ever it’s full of home shirts, away shirts, third shirts, training shirts, retro shirts, a few scarves and hats, and not much else.
Nothing for me (I refuse to pay modern football prices) after a short browse, I’m outside and walking towards the turnstiles passing the dwellers with backpacks who haven’t yet got their phone tickets ready. I’m hoping to make it without distraction but am stopped for a quick scan by a steward ahead of entrance, then it’s up to my seat, right on half way, next to the press benches where there’s a couple of people sat already, two independent analysts, a girl who tweets for Forest next to the fella who writes the match report, a couple of commentators, but not much else, no hierarchy from TalkSport or the BBC in attendance.
Inside the whole ground in fact is quiet today, maybe not enough people know the game is even on, the first of the season of course, a thousand or so filling the Main Stand (which probably holds 5,000 plus alone) with all other stands empty, Trent End on the left, Brian Clough Stand straight ahead, the recently named John Robertson Stand (Bridgford End) to my right, it’s all very red, although the low roof on this 60 year old stand means I can’t see above the first tiers (which I presume are empty), luckily however I get to see plenty of the flat wide green playing surface down below.
The Game
I’m joined a few seats down by the Watford analyst who’s miked up ahead of kick off instructing what he sees to the dugouts, both teams come out to a bit of Mull of Kintyre and both huddle ahead of start, Forest all red, Watford in yellow and black, the game underway feels as slow and lethargic as it did the previous day between Boston and Wealdstone, the women’s game is a much slower tempo than the men’s which makes it often much easier to follow.
Forest have a lot of the ball, but Watford are the ones doing more with it, they have a corner after 13 minutes played, swung in from the left, right under the crossbar, and Zara Bailey gets a touch, the loudest shout of gooooooooooalll is heard to my right? I’m not even sure where it’s from? Some fella in a Forest shirt is sat with his little girl with not much else around, surely it’s not him? Is it?
Forest continue to press and Watford sit in, a relatively high line is sometimes exposed down the right but they look more than capable of containing the Reds threat, and as they push forward themselves, Perry whips a wonderful ball in, Saoirse Noonan is left unmarked inside the area, she flicks her head and the ball nestles home, the Brazilian commentator is at it again… Gooooooooaaaaalllll is the shout! I’ve looked to my right and noticed that it’s the Watford analyst who’s beside himself punching the air. I’ve never heard anything like it! Everyone is looking around as he puts his hands up in the air and apologises for his excitable outburst.
2-0 to the away side who have had two shots, the Forest players go in for another huddle ahead of kicking off for a third time already in just 20 minutes, I’m thinking of the new Reds manager, who stands alone in a rather quirky grey hoody, baggy chinos, white trainers vibe, he looks like a feminine Oliver Glasner, which I suppose is the look that he probably wanted to go for? Different, yes, stylish? Whatever... Not a great home debut for him?
The Score
Having watched the girls shooting in the warmup I’m not convinced that Forest have the firepower to get back into this game but in cruise control, on the stroke of half time, the Watford goalkeeper plays a goal kick straight to a defender on the edge of her own box, Reds midfielder Alana Murphy nips in to steal the ball and fires low, a hugely significant goal to give Forest hope.
The Reds rally in the second half uplifted from that moment of fortune before the break and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah who I think is Forest’s best forward player, is suddenly free inside the area, it’s a tight angle cutting in from the left but she’s one on one, nobody near her, she takes aim, shoots low, scores, and Forest are level after 54 minutes played.
There looks to only be one winner, Watford have probably had 10% ball possession all game, their only two shots seem a long time ago, Forest have had all the ball and territorial advantage, and now they keep piling on the pressure with shot after shot.
Boye-Hlorkah tries again from the angle, this time it’s saved, Rachel Rowe spots Middleton-Patel off her line and tries her luck from range, agonisingly wide, a goal mouth scramble has Lucy Lion heroically block two goal bound shots from inside the area, Watford are feeling the pressure, are using every stoppage to their advantage which slows the game down, they’ve used all five subs but their players keep falling injured, each time hindered by a minute on the side line following treatment, there’s seven added and Forest are still at it, they have been brilliant since letting in two soft goals, suddenly a foul on the edge of the area gives one last big chance, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah stands over the free kick, right footed, she steps up, curls over the wall, over the desperate diving keeper, but crashing the ball against the bar, Watford survive, it’s a point they’ll be happy with, despite at one point having somehow had two goal advantage.
The Stars
‘Chaney’ as she’s known was Forest’s best attacking outlet, cutting in off the left wearing number eight, Boye-Hlorkah is a technical footballer who operates well in the final third.
Alana Murphy is another in midfield who I rate highly, the twenty year old Australian international always puts a shift in but does so with quality in possession, nothing beyond her capabilities, simple progressive football and a good attitude to win the ball back.
I think Forest do lack creative spark, perhaps a goalscorer short of being a top team in the division but I do like them from a defensive perspective which is alarming as they conceded two goals from Watford’s only chances today, Emily Batty usually solid in goal, Cerys Brown is very good going forward from right back and in particular had a good first half, Abbie Lafayette is a decent technical operator at left back, whilst I’m liking the size and stature of the leggy Reds new centre half signing Hannah Coan who is previously of Blackburn and Portsmouth. Coan partnered Swede Ebba Hed and skipper Georgia Brougham who is very neat and composed on the football often starting plays from the back.
For Watford, they attacked sparsely but in Irish duo Saoirse Noonan and Aoibheann Clancy they had two good players in the final third, in defence Lucy Lyon and Hannah Greenwood in particular gave their all.
The Verdict
Both sides are unbeaten, but both await their first wins, I don’t see many differences in the Forest from last season, and I doubt without investment that they’ll finish any higher than middle of the pack again, whilst Watford will be plucky, hard to beat as proven, middle to lower end is where I have them held, the twelve team table is currently topped by Sunderland, Leicester and Newcastle, who are all probably a level above, I doubt either Forest or Watford will trouble those at the top, their own eyes should be more focussed on staying above those below.
The Teams
Nottingham Forest: Emily Batty, Cerys Brown (Codie Thomas 89), Georgia Brougham, Hannah Coan, Ebba Hed (Ilona Walta 79), Abbie Lafayette, Aimee Claypole (Tove Almqvist 79), Alana Murphy, Freya Thomas, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Tuva Espas (Rachel Rowe 61).
Watford: Safia Middleton-Patel, Hannah Greenwood, Lucy Lyon, Zara Bailey (Tianna Teisar 60), Karin Muya (Eva Gray 65), Anna Filbey (Megan Chandler 60), Aoibheann Clancy (Eden Skyers 40), Ellie Noble, Madison Perry, Saoirse Noonan (Phoebe Pool 66), Poppy Wilson.
2:00pm Kick Off. Sunday 13th September 2026, City Ground, Nottingham (att 1,178).
Comments