Leading pair in FA WNL Northern Premier play top-five opposition | OneFootball

Derby County play the return match with FA WNL Northern Premier leaders, Newcastle United. (Photo: Colin Lock)

The FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division leading pair face fixtures against other top-five teams.

Newcastle United lead by seven points ahead of hosting fifth-placed Derby County, Nottingham Forest have a game in hand on the leaders and visit a Liverpool Feds side that sits in fourth position. Stoke City are seventh but could go fifth with a victory over Fylde, who are bottom and currently ten points from safety.

Chatham Town are nine points from escaping the Southern Premier relegation zone and away to Portsmouth, who are three points clear at the top. Fifth plays sixth as Ipswich Town entertain MK Dons, Cardiff City Ladies take on Cheltenham Town with the Welsh side just one point better off than their visitors.

Sporting Khalsa will go third in Division 1 Midlands should they win at Sheffield FC, for whom a draw would lift them out of the drop zone on goal-difference. A win for Solihull Moors over Leek Town would put them into the top half of the table.

If Hull City take the three points against Chorley, they will be just one behind Division 1 North leaders Middlesbrough and with two more games still in hand.

AFC Sudbury are only just a couple of goals outside the Division 1 South East bottom two and away at Chesham United, who are one place put six points ahead of them.

A number of sides are engaged in County Cup competitions this Sunday, which features a Black Country derby between Wolves and West Brom at AFC Telford United in the Birmingham Cup semi-finals.

A busy midweek programme of FA WNL games follows from 20 to 22 February.

Sunday 18 February (2pm)

NORTHERN PREMIER DIVISION

Liverpool Feds v Nottingham Forest (Jericho Lane) Newcastle United v Derby County (Kingston Park Stadium) Stoke City v AFC Fylde (Norton MWI & CC)

SOUTHERN PREMIER DIVISION

Cardiff City LFC v Cheltenham Town (Newport Stadium) Ipswich Town v Milton Keynes Dons (Felixstowe & Walton Utd FC) Portsmouth v Chatham Town (Havant & Waterlooville FC)

DIVISION 1 MIDLANDS

Sheffield FC v Sporting Khalsa (Sheffield FC) Solihull Moors v Leek Town (Studley Sports Centre, 3pm)

DIVISION 1 NORTH

Hull City v Chorley (Barton Town FC)

DIVISION 1 SOUTH EAST

Chesham United v AFC Sudbury (Chesham Utd FC)

Republic of Ireland women’s squad to play Italy and Wales