'Super Sunday' for Peterborough United who are back on top of the table, with a little help from Cobblers
Peterborough United Women enjoyed a ‘Super Sunday’ to climb back to the top of National League Midlands Division One.
Posh made hard work of beating Sutton Coldfield 1-0 at PIMS Park, but they received a big boost from local rivals Northampton Town who won 2-1 at Boldmere St Michaels, the team that had started the day on top.
Posh are now one point clear at the summit and have two games in hand on Boldmere ahead of a game at next-to-bottom Stourbridge next Sunday (Feb 15).
Rebecca Mears was the matchwinner for Posh by scooping a shot into the top corner after fine work from Kira Rai. Posh should have won by more, but they were never in danger of conceding an equaliser as goalkeeper Neive Corry kept her eighth clean sheet of the season.
Posh could have had an early penalty when Rai appeared to have been tripped. Rai also came closest to scoring in a scrappy opening 30 minutes with a shot that whistled past a post.
The visitors best chance of scoring arrived 60 seconds into the second half when Eva Cassidy popped up the wrong side of Anna Pitt, but Corry clawed her shot to safety.
It proved a pivotal moment as Mears struck a second goal in two games in the 48th minute just before Evie Driscoll-King smacked a shot against the crossbar. Jess Rousseau had two chances to convert the rebound, but failed.
Rousseau and Rai both then forced good saves from the visiting goalkeeper and Niamh Connor then hit the woodwork as Posh took complete control.
Substitute Tara Kirk also struck the crossbar late on, but one goal enough to secure a 12th win in 13 unbeaten games.
Posh: Corry, Connor, Driscoll-King, Pitt, James, Mears (sub Reynolds 65 mins), Brown (sub Lawlor 61 mins), Clarke (sub Stanford 61 mins), Rai (sub Wilshaw 76 mins), Rousseau (sub Kirk 76 mins), Perkins. Unused sub: Osker.