Jess Holbrook v Barnet

Leeds slid off the top of the FA Women’s Premier League National Division with an entertaining, but frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Barnet FC Ladies.

Carey Huegett had already hit the cross bar when she opened the scoring in the 9th minute, heading in from close range from a Jess Holbrook corner, and Leeds had by far the better of the first half. Indeed, had not Emma Davies and Renata Inniss not cleared off the line from successive shots from Hayley Sharp and Clare Sykes, Leeds would have felt that the scoreline was much more a reflection of the way the game was going.

But it was Barnet who came out the brighter of the two teams at the start of the second half, and slowly began to push the action back towards the Leeds goal. Their endeavour was rewarded in the 66th minute when a free kick floated in behind the Leeds defence, allowing sub Hannah Short to score from close range.

Barnet took the lead two minutes later when Cheryl Williams made space on the right and fired home from the edge of the box – Leeds keeper Jules Draycott got a hand to it but could nothing to stop it.

Leeds got back into the game in the 82nd minute thanks to a solo run down the right and into the box from Leah Galton, pulling the ball back for Jess Holbrook to score, before Barnet’s Vicky Boardman inexplicably flapped an arm at the ball to give away a penalty two minutes later. Regular penalty taker Sykes stepped up, but this time could only hammer the ball onto the crossbar to leave the score even.

“Barnet, I think, are the best teams we’ve played this season,” said Leeds manager Chris Welburn. “We played well for the first 45 minutes and should have scored more from the set-pieces we had, as we always looked dangerous. But in the second half, Barnet stepped up the pace and hit us hard.

“Despite going 2-1 down, it was pleasing to see the attitude and character of the players to get back into the game and nearly win it at the end.”

Next up for Leeds is a visit to the team who replaced them at the top, Coventry City, on Sunday 6 November.

Teams

Leeds Draycott, Emmonds, Sharp, Birkby, Sykes, Huegett (Rich, 73 mins), Galton, Danby (Coates, 73 mins), Holmes, Turner, Holbrook. Unused subs: Lipman, Bass, Johnson.

Barnet Rowlands, Davies, Wade, Prosser (Short, 46 mins), Dempster, Keown, Inniss, Trimnell, Sowden, Boardman, Williams. Unused subs: Reidy, Watkins.