LADIES FOOTBALL: Star bounce back to get promotion bid back on track

They entertained Mansfield Hosiery Mills at Chestnut Avenue and bounced back from defeats by Kettering and Nettleham to win 3-0.

That pushes them up to fourth in the table, seven points behind leaders Mansfield Town but with four games in hand.

Star had most of the possession in the first half but didn’t manage to make the most of it with the only notable chance falling to Sophie Hurst, who drew a full stretch save from the opposition keeper.

After a goalless first half the game sprang to life.

Mansfield came close to opening the scoring five minutes after the restart but Holly Cox had to watch her effort rebound back from the frame of the goal.

Star made a substitution in the search for a goal which saw Donna Nicholls being introduced to the pitch. Her delivery from a corner moments later was a peach and met the head of defender Jodie Bartle, who rose like a salmon to break the deadlock for the hosts.

Star could have extended the lead further but the Mansfield keeper pulled out another wonder save following a Jodie Hopkins-Duckhouse long range effort.

Star doubled their lead through another bullet header from an unmarked Bartle from a Nicholls corner.

Chanade Henderson rounded off the game as she steamed her way through the Mansfield defence and rifled a shot across the keeper and into the corner of the goal.

Star: S. Hudson, N. Anderson, L. Frederick, J. Bartle, J. Hopkins-Duckhouse, C. Henderson, D. Rawlings, V. Gallagher, S. Hurst, C. Steward, L. Barnes. Substitutes: S. Iredale, D. Nicholls.