Jemma Brown scored in the cup game away at Sheffield (Photo by Mark Bird Sports Photography)
Sunday 2nd February 2025 – WNIHL Division 2 North Cup: Sheffield Shadows 7 - Widnes Wild Women 3
It look as if the Widnes Wild women’s team will be able to “concentrate on the league” after a frustrating 7-3 cup defeat away to Sheffield Shadows on Sunday.
This is the first time that the women’s league have organised a separate cup competition and the three-way tournament between Widnes, Sheffield and Telford offers additional games to pad out the regular league schedule. However, despite doing well in the league and currently topping the Division 2 North table, Widnes have struggled in the cup and lost their opening match 2-10 at home to Sheffield back in December.
The away game on Sunday was a much better performance and was closely fought for much of its duration. Widnes actually scored first, with Rachael Pearce firing home in the 3rd minute and it took Sheffield right up until the 19th minute to equalise, leaving the score at a finely-balanced 1-1 at the first period break.
The only goal of the second period saw Sheffield take the lead on 23 minutes and, despite numerous chances at both ends, they remained 2-1 ahead at the second interval.
Widnes equalised 9 minutes into the third period – some 25 minutes after the previous goal – with a strike from Leen de Decker but they were unable to push on from this breakthrough and take control of the game. Sheffield edged back in front on 50 minutes and two more goals within 77 seconds saw them open up a 5-2 lead.
Jemma Brown pulled a goal back for the Wild Women on 53 minutes but the damage had already been done and two late strikes for the Shadows gave the final score a more lop-sided look than the Widnes performance possibly deserved.
The Wild Women still have two more cup games to play – at home to Telford on Sunday 16th February and away in Shropshire on 3rd May – but even if they win both of those, the results in the games between Sheffield and Telford will probably determine the winners of this inaugural cup competition.
