LADIES FOOTBALL: Iredale heads cup final winner for Star

The Northants county cup winners took the honours 3-2 against Premier Division rivals Bedworth United in the final at Arnold Town FC.

And Dean Steward’s side did it the hard way, fighting back from 2-0 down to clinch victory with a goal in the last mninute.

Star started well but saw efforts from Georgia Coulson and Louise Barbour go wide and hit the woodwork respectively.

However, it was Bedworth who took the lead after 16 minutes. The league’s top scorer, Kirsty Farnsworth, latched on to a mishit from her fellow striker to break the deadlock.

Farnsworth added her second of the afternoon after beating the offside trap and slotting the ball past the oncoming Sarah Hudson.

Star responded instantly after great build-up play on the left from the Steward sisters, Cassie and Katie, which allowed Vicky Gallagher to reduce the deficit with a diving header in to the bottom of the net on the stroke of half-time.

Star started the second half the way they ended the first and drew level after 19 seconds through Coulson.

Bedworth had two clear-cut chances in the second half to regain the lead but they blasted one effort wide and the other was brilliantly saved by Hudson.

Overall though the second half was dominated by Star. Barbour was denied twice by the Bedworth keeper in one-on-one situations before they got the goal they desserved in the nick of time.

Star racked up an impressive nine corners in the second half and made the final one count in the 89th minute as Samara Iredale leapt higher than any of Bedworth’s defenders to head the winner.

Star: S. Hudson, J. Hopkins-Duckhouse (T. Anderson 51), L. Frederick, S. Iredale, S. Stanford (S. Hurst 51), L. Barnes, K. Steward, V. Gallagher, G. Coulson, C. Steward, L. Barbour.