Loughborough Lightning look to strike twice | OneFootball

Northampton Town and Loughborough Lightning players battle to win the ball. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

Loughborough Lightning again face FA Women’s National League Division 1 Midlands title rivals Northampton Town after edging them 1-0 just two weeks ago.

With the WSL and Championship on a break this Sunday due to the Nations League fixtures on Friday and next Tuesday, attention turns more on the third and fourth tiers. Wolves can again go level on points with Northern Premier Division leaders Nottingham Forest but face a Stoke City side just two points further back. The only other match in the division sees Derby County host Rugby Borough.

Southern Premier leaders Hashtag United go to basement side MK Dons, looking to knock Ipswich Town off the top again. Oxford United and Exeter City have also played two more games than Ipswich, as they meet mid-table opposition in Lewes and Wimbledon respectively. Watford hope to close in on the top four when visiting Cheltenham Town, Plymouth play Billericay in a relegation ‘six-pointer’ with Argyle two points better off from a game more.

There is just one point between the Division 1 Midlands top four, with Loughborough Lightning home to Northampton Town whom they beat 1-0 away two weeks ago. Leafield Athletic and Peterborough United are the other title-chasers, hosting Lincoln United and Solihull Moors respectively.

Lauren Purchase of Loughborough Lightning controls the ball watched by Hannah Samuels of Northampton Town. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

The Division 1 North top six play among themselves, with leaders Cheadle challenging a Chorley team three points behind them, Huddersfield Town hosting Middlesbrough and Durham Cestria entertaining Leeds United.

Non-playing Real Bedford could lose their Division 1 South East top spot to Norwich City – who take on Chesham United – or Chatham Town who visit QPR, while Actonians versus London Bees is a clash of fifth and fourth.

AFC Bournemouth go to Bridgwater United aiming for a 14th win in a row in Division 1 South West, Bristol Rovers in fifth play home to second-placed Moneyfields.

Sunday 23 February (2pm)

Northern Premier Division

Derby County v Rugby Borough (Mickleover Sports Club) Wolverhampton Wanderers v Stoke City (AFC Telford Utd)

Southern Premier Division

Cheltenham Town v Watford (Bishops Cleeve FC) Exeter City v AFC Wimbledon (Devon FA, Newton Abbot) Lewes v Oxford United (Lewes FC) Milton Keynes Dons v Hashtag United (Willen Road Sports Ground) Plymouth Argyle v Billericay Town (Home Park)

Division 1 Midlands

Barnsley Women v Sutton Coldfield Town (Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park) Lincoln United v Leafield Athletic (Lincoln Utd FC) Loughborough Lightning v Northampton Town (Holywell Sports Complex) Notts County v Worcester City (Eastwood CFC) Peterborough United v Solihull Moors (Bourne Town FC) Boldmere St Michaels v Lincoln City (Boldmere Community Stadium, 3pm)

Division 1 North

Barnsley FC v York City (Oakwell Showcase Pitch) Cheadle Town Stingers v Chorley (Cheadle Town FC) Durham Cestria v Leeds United (Graham Sports Centre) Huddersfield Town v Middlesbrough (Shelley CFC) Norton & Stockton Ancients v AFC Fylde (Norton Sports Complex) Stockport County v Doncaster Rovers Belles (Stockport Sports Village)

Division 1 South East

Actonians v London Bees (Rectory Park, Middlesex FA) Ashford Town v London Seaward (Ashford Town [Middx] FC) Dulwich Hamlet v Cambridge United (Dulwich Hamlet FC) Norwich City v Chesham United (The Nest) Queens Park Rangers v Chatham Town (Hayes & Yeading FC)

Division 1 South West

Portishead Town v Swindon Town (Portishead FC, 1pm) Abingdon United v Maidenhead United (Abingdon Utd FC) Bournemouth Sports v Southampton Women (Chapel Gate) Bridgwater United v AFC Bournemouth (Bridgwater Utd FC) Bristol Rovers v Moneyfields (The Memorial Stadium) Worthing v Keynsham Town (Worthing FC)

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