Huddersfield Town Women boss Glen Preston has heaped praise on the Town higher-ups after his team ended their season in style with a convincing 7-0 victory over Sheffield FC in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup Final.

Everton loanee Jess Lightfoot was the star of the show with a hat-trick alongside goals from captain Beth Stanfield, Hannah Burgess, Laura Elford, and a first for the club from Lucy Allman.

After the game, Preston told We Are Terriers: “I’m so proud of the team. It’s 15 years since Huddersfield last won a double.

“I’ve never won one. We’ve won three league titles, multiple County Cups and made National League cup and plate finals, but I’ve never been able to get a double in as a group. It’s an immense achievement.

“All credit to Sheffield FC. They put in a really good effort today. They haven’t got the resources and tools that we’ve now got and the ability to change things like us.

“They have to make the best with what they’ve got.

“We’ve been in that position. They put up a fight but ultimately our quality shone through.”

A tail-off in form last season had seen Town ultimately finish in fifth place and a long way short of promotion, with the sting only accentuated by a disappointing defeat to Sheffield United in the County Cup final.

But new investment from the men’s side from last summer has helped the women’s side to add what they needed to go all the way and lift both the FA WNL Division One North and County Cup trophies this season.

Town are now looking forward to getting straight back to it in the third-tier Northern Premier Division after two seasons at the level below.

That means that for Preston and his staff, the work has already begun again.

He said: “I don’t really have days off. I’d like to say we’ll have a couple of weeks off to reflect, take stock and see what the plans are…but I’ve got agents and players being recommended to me already, so we need to get on a big recruitment drive again.

“We need to work harder than we’ve ever worked before because we need to identify the right players to move this club on and see what we can achieve next season.

“We have a lot to thank Kevin Nagle, David Threlfall-Sykes and Chris Markham for. They’ve come in and worked so well with us - it was great to see David and Chris at York last week to see us clinch the title.

“They’ve given us the tools to do what we’ve done this season and to succeed. They set our mission and our remit and I feel we’ve worked incredibly hard to repay their faith, so nights like tonight go a long way in showing what that means to everybody and playing a little debt back.

“Now hopefully that faith continues because something special is brewing here - you feel there’s something special we can achieve.”

Defeat? Who cares?

Well, Town do. A bit. Manager Glen Preston was determined to finish the season off with a good result but, as can be understood, his side didn’t really get going after the high of Wednesday night’s win at York.

You could call it mixed emotions after a poor performance but Preston admitted that he’s the ‘happiest man alive’ after Town got their hands on the FA WNL Division One North Trophy and their medals round their necks.

The game itself ultimately doesn’t mean anything apart from that the impressive visitors sealed fourth place in the league - their highest ever finish.

Laura Elford and Louise Biggins linked up once more for Elford to give Town the lead but Wythenshawe came roaring back and levelled through Rachel Dunlop just before half time.

Second half goals from Kirsty Chambers and Divine Obida sealed the win for the visitors but it wouldn’t take the gloss off what’s been a remarkable season for the Terriers.

It’s my first season covering this team and they’re one of the most impressive sides I’ve seen.

In a season that’s thrown everything at them, they’ve fought, battled and played their way through every barrier.

When it’s only a 22 game season, Town could have been forgiven for thinking their chance had gone after the loss to Leeds at the Accu Stadium in October. That result put them in the chasing pack with Leeds and Cheadle in the driving seat.

But, unlike previous years, this team don’t seem to understand the meaning of giving up.

Glen Preston and his support staff have worked wonders in developing a relentless and ruthless mindset in this group of players and it’s paid dividends.

Win followed win. Clean sheet followed clean sheet. Three points followed three points.

Since the turn of the year, there’s only really been one team winning the title and that’s what Town have gone and done.

They’re back where they belong. They’ll not settle for this promotion. They’ll see this as getting back to the foundation they set perviously. The work starts now.

A chance for redemption is next on the horizon with the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup Final acting as the curtain call for the season.

Town lost the final last season so will be hoping to regain their crown against Sheffield FC at the Eco Power Stadium on Wednesday night.

Then Town are in for a big summer. With the right level of support, and the right additions Town could be right up there. I doubt they’ll want to go up and just make up the numbers.

Huddersfield Town Women are champions of FAWNL Division One North.

The 5-0 victory over York City sealed the title with one game to go meaning Glen Preston’s side are promoted to the FAWNL Northern Premier Division.

Goals in the first half strikes from Louise Biggins, Beth Ibbotson, Laura Elford and Tamira Livingston gave Town the two points they needed to secure top spot.

Biggins’ second half penalty miss was the only blot on proceedings as Livingston rounded off the scoring with her second of the game with 15 minutes to go.

The result left the hosts still needing one point to guarantee survival.

How the Terriers emerged triumphant

2024/25 saw Huddersfield Town Women come unstuck in the big moments and they were determined that this year was going to be different.

But it was never going to be easy. A two-point deduction, a spate of long term injuries to key players and the winter weather playing havoc with the schedule, Town needed to keep their cool - and keep their cool they did.

Ultimately, though, Town have won this title at a canter - dropping only ten points all season (two defeats and two draws).

Goals, goals, goals

You’re not going to win many games without scoring goals. Last season, Town scored 31 goals. This season they’ve scored 27 - at home, alone. 59 goals overall in the league.

With a game to go, it’s easy to see one half of what sets the Terriers apart from the rest. Louise Biggins has been a revelation since signing in the summer from Barnsley becoming the ever-present leader of the line for Town. Her 14 goals and many more assists have been vital.

It’s a bit of a ‘what could have been’ for Laura Elford too, who returned to the club in the summer. She’s added 10 league goals from 12 appearances, including a hat trick in the 9-1 win at Blackburn.

Rhema Lord-Mears has chipped in with 8 goals and young Hannah Burgess, who superbly deputised in the absence of more experienced attackers in the early season, bagged 5 goals.

Town have only been denied three times. And if teams can’t stop you, you’re on to a winner.

The old adage - Defences win titles

We can talk about Town averaging nearly three goals a game but how’s this for a stat? In their 21 games so far, Town have only conceded 8 goals. That’s just crazy.

Bethan Davies, Rebecca Beresford, Beth Stanfield, Beth Ibbotson and Autumn Housley have stood firm all season. They love keeping the ball out of the net so much they left the field at Blackburn disappointed with the 1 in a 9-1 victory.

The signing of Davies was massive. At big moments this season she’s come up trumps and won Town points - notably a huge save in the 1-0 win at Wythenshawe from close range in the dying moments. Her experience, nous and leadership has been exceptional.

And with injuries in midfield, the introduction of Neve Birtwistle helped add even more steel to the side as clean sheet followed clean sheet.

Town didn’t concede in the league between 7 December and 4 April, ironically, both times against Blackburn who are also the only team to beat Davies more than once. That was seven clean sheets in a row. 14 overall so far.

The Lord-Mears show

When Glen Preston brought Rhema Lord-Mears to the Terriers, it felt a bit of a coup. In reality, it’s been even bigger than that.

What a player. When Town have needed something from their big players, Lord-Mears comes up with the goods. Winners in key games against Leeds and Wythenshawe as well as two stunners in what ultimately became the title decider against Chorley last week, she’s been a real difference maker.

Along with Biggins and Elford, she’s been integral to how Town set up. Her calmness on the ball sets the tempo, whether they need to find another gear or slow it down. The range of passing is like no other at this level and her anticipation to arrive late into the box has single-handedly won games this season.

You’ll be hard pushed to find a better player in any division at this level.

January signings adding the icing on the cake

Over the winter break, Glen Preston knew he needed additions because of the injuries to key players. With Lauren Griffiths and Serena Fletcher out for the season and Laura Elford finding her way back into the team slowly in her return to fitness, Town needed new blood.

In came Neve Birtwistle from title rivals Cheadle, goalkeeper Kacey Bolton-Woollam and loanees Tamira Livingston and Jess Lightfoot - the latter arriving after also spending time at Cheadle this season.

Birtwistle came as a ready-made holding midfielder and slotted in instantly, supporting the defensive efforts whilst allowing players like Ella Duffield and Lord-Mears to flourish in their more natural roles.

Livingston brought pace and quality down the left, giving Town another outlet and opposition defences another issue to worry about. Her assists in the second half of the season have been important.

And Jess Lightfoot brought added depth. Whilst the majority of her appearances have been off the bench, she slotted home for the important opener in a tight game away at Chester-le-Street as well as goals against Blackburn and Cheadle.

Winning the big moments

When you’re winning 7-1 at home to York and beating bottom of the table Blackburn 9-1 away from home, Town could be forgiven for becoming complacent - but that’s not a word Glen Preston and his team know.

When the weather hit and the pitches turned, along with teams making it as difficult as possible, Town needed to dig in, forget the free flowing football and find a way to win.

In doing so, the squad stepped up. Rhema Lord-Mears’ goals away at then top of the league Wythenshawe and promotion rivals Leeds were the epitome of what this team is about - they don’t take no for an answer and always know they’ve got the quality to find a way.

More 1-0 victories away at Doncaster Rovers Belles and at home to a resurgent Durham Cestria were sealed by top scorer Louise Biggins taking the bull by the horns to give Town more vital points in close games.

And arguably one of the most important results came against Blackburn in December. A game which truly showed the mindset shift at the club. At 2-0 up, Town were cruising. But the bottom side fought back to level and looked certain to pick up their first point of the season.

But Fliss Jones kept her cool in added time to make it 3-2 to keep Town top of the table at Christmas.

When you’re destined to win the title, you have to grab the big moments and that’s exactly what Town have done.

Pressure? What pressure?

Huddersfield Town Women could have been forgiven for coming into this huge, effectively title-deciding game feeling a big nervy. Cheadle Town Stingers went a point ahead at the top of the table in midweek, and a defeat for Town would have taken the title race out of their hands with just two games left to play.

But victory here would leave Town realistically in need of just one more point from their final pair of fixtures to get the job done, thanks to their vastly superior goal difference — and they went about achieving their objective with incredible clarity of purpose.

But what else did we expect? This is a side that took a dubious two-point deduction in its stride, got into the habit of keeping masses of clean sheets, and had already turned aside their other would-be challengers, local rivals Leeds United, back in February.

Town have had to be almost perfect to stay at the top of the table, but they have been. This victory made it ten wins and a draw from their past 11 league games, with nine shutouts along the way.

Town made a superb start and should have been two goals up inside the first two minutes, but Louise Biggins looped her header over the bar from Tamira Livingston’s cross before Laura Elford sliced off target from point-blank range off Hannah Burgess’ ball.

The fact that this was a must-not-lose for the Terriers and a must-win for Cheadle was hammered home just six minutes in as Town keeper Bethan Davies happily stood with her foot on the ball for a full minute, shrugging her shoulders and waiting for anybody in a red and white shirt to come and close her down, before she finally picked it up.

But Town also underlined the fact that they would not just settle for a draw by immediately going up the other end and taking the lead, with Biggins this time succeeding in finding the net with a deft finish from Burgess’ low cross.

Town conducted their business admirably for the rest of the half, with all 11 players doing their job with huge competence and confidence. There was no doubt who was running the show, though: Rhema Lord-Mears looked a major threat every time she had the ball in the number 10 position.

Cheadle’s manager was sent off five minutes before the break after picking up two bookings in quick succession, and he was quickly followed into the dressing room by Ella Harris, who was shown a straight red card for a cynical last-man foul on Biggins as she streamed clean through towards the Cheadle box.

The Lord-Mears show continued after the restart. The midfielder doubled Town’s lead with a brilliant solo effort that saw her carry the ball past the halfway line and to the edge of the box before cutting onto her favoured left foot and smashing home an unstoppable finish.

Cheadle’s frustration continued to get the better of them, with Isobel Dean sent to the sin bin for dissent during a stoppage in play before Yasmin Ahmed was dismissed moments later, seemingly for protesting the decision.

That left Town to play against eight players for ten minutes — nine women thereafter — and Lord-Mears took full advantage of the extra space by curling a brilliant effort into the top corner.

Jess Lightfoot then made it 4-0 four minutes after coming off the bench by keeping her composure inside the box and finding the bottom corner.

Town’s 24-goal advantage on goal difference and holding a game in hand over Cheadle means one more point would all but secure the league title for the Terriers away to York City on Wednesday night, while a victory would mathematically confirm first place.

Even if Town slip up in North Yorkshire in midweek, they will get another shot as they end their league campaign at home to Wythenshawe next Sunday.

If they get the job done, more silverware could follow in the County Cup final against Sheffield FC in Doncaster three days later.

Town: Bethan Davies; Rebecca Beresford, Autumn Housley, Beth Ibbotson; Hannah Burgess (Lucy Allman 85), Beth Stanfield (Kate Mallin 85), Neve Birtwistle, Tamira Livingston; Rhema Lord-Mears (Ella Duffield 80); Louise Biggins (Brierley Keane 85), Laura Elford (Jess Lightfoot 80).

Unused subs: Kacey Bolton-Woollam, Felicity Jones.

Huddersfield Town Women showed their title credentials with a thumping 9-1 win at Blackburn Rovers.

The win took Town back to the top of FAWNL Division One North and a step closer to their promotion ambitions.

And after the game, manager Glen Preston spoke of his admiration for how his side clicked on an important day.

He told We Are Terriers: “We always felt that once it clicked then a team was going to be on the receiving end of something like today.

“The movement today, I was just in awe of it. At times we were just elegant. Some of the best moves didn’t actually result in goals!

“I don’t think the scoreline flattered us. We just blew them away in that first half and got the job done. The performance today was outstanding, it really was.”

Laura Elford’s hat-trick was the pick of a fine performance which saw Town score seven first half goals.

Beth Stanfield, Tamira Livingston and Ella Duffield each bagged their first league goals of the season, while Louise Biggins, Hannah Burgess and Jess Lightfoot rounded off the goalscoring for free-flowing Town.

Town really flexed their muscles from the off and never looked like allowing Blackburn, who were relegated by today’s result, any chance to settle into the game.

Early corners set the tone of Town meaning business and one paid off after five minutes. The hosts initially cleared but it eventually fell to captain Beth Stanfield on the corner of the box. She lofted an effort back towards goal and lobbed the ‘keeper to give Town the lead.

A minute later the lead was doubled through Elford. Louise Biggins caused havoc with her trademark tenacity, won the ball and cut it back from the byline into the path of Elford who couldn’t miss from close range.

But Town were relentless and were playing with freedom. Rhema Lord-Mears expertly found Livingston on the left who brilliantly whipped a shot across the ‘keeper into the top corner to make it 3-0 after 16 minutes.

Then Duffield made it four. Burgess drove down the right and crossed low into the box. Neither Elford or Biggins could find a finishing touch but the ball popped up for Duffield six yards from goal to smash into the bottom corner.

There was no let up. As Blackburn looked to stem the flow with an attack of their own, Town quickly broke with a ball over the top and Kirkham came rushing out of her goal. Biggins took a touch around 40 yards out and coolly lofted the ball over the keeper into an empty goal. 5-0 with only 25 minutes played.

On the half hour, Elford bagged her second. More good work down the right from Burgess saw her cut back beat a couple of defenders, allowing Elford to tap home from a few yards out.

Burgess then got in on the act herself. Livingston’s cross was met by the winger who tapped home at the second attempt after a great stop by Kirkham to give Town a 7-0 half time lead.

It was a quieter second half with Blackburn also making changes which seemed to make them more solid through midfield.

But as time ticked past the hour mark, Elford had her hattrick. Another great run and cross from Livingston put it on a plate for the striker to score her 12th of the season.

Blackburn didn’t give in and were rewarded with 15 minutes to go. A great break forward caught Town napping and the winger cut back onto her right foot and curled the ball into the bottom corner to deny Town an eighth league clean sheet in a row.

Elford, who was excellent throughout, then turned provider for Jess Lightfoot. She held the ball up before setting Lightfoot away 1-on-1 with Kirkham who calmly slotted it home to round off the scoring.

Title run in - what do Town need?

The win puts Town a point clear of Leeds — who lost at Elland Road to Norton and Stockton Ancients elsewhere on Sunday afternoon— and two clear of Cheadle Town Stingers.

However, Town and Cheadle have two games in hand on Leeds. It looks like Leeds’ race might be run, with the Whites having only one game left to play.

The next twist could happen on Thursday night when Cheadle travel to Chorley. Town are not playing that night, so if Cheadle win at Chorley, they’ll leapfrog Town into top spot by one point, for a few days at least.

Then comes the big one. On Sunday April 19th, Town host Cheadle Town Stingers in a game rearranged from January.

The full permutations are as follows.

If Cheadle beat Chorley on Thursday:

• A win for Town on Sunday would leave the Terriers needing just one more win from their remaining two league games to guarantee the title — although just a single point more for Town would probably be sufficient, given their goal difference advantage

• A draw on Sunday would keep Town’s destiny in their own hands: they would remain a point behind Cheadle, but with a game in hand

• A defeat for Town on Sunday would put Cheadle in the driver’s seat: Cheadle could then guarantee the title for themselves by winning their final game against Durham Cestria

If Cheadle drop points against Chorley on Thursday night, however:

• A win against Cheadle on Sunday would mean Town were guaranteed to win the title

• A draw on Sunday would keep Town top of the table with a game in hand, and winning either of their remaining two games would guarantee Town the title

• A defeat on Sunday would see Cheadle go top by a point or two, but Town would still have a game in hand

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Huddersfield Town maintained their hold on the top of FA WNL Division One North with a three-goal victory over Chorley.

Louise Biggins was a key player on the pitch and scored two out of the three goals, the latter her 14th goal of the season. The first came from the penalty spot late in the first half, with Biggins stepping up after being brought down after receiving Beth Stanfield’s ball into the box.

Biggins turned creator as Town doubled their lead just after the hour, playing a lovely ball over the top for Laura Elford to finish with a well-taken dink over the keeper.

Fliss Jones then made an instant impact just moments after coming off the bench by putting in a peach of a ball for Biggins to finish from close range after taking a deft touch.

The result keeps Town top of the table and a point ahead of Leeds, who kept on the pressure with a 5-1 win away to York City.

That latest victory also marks seven clean sheets for the Terriers — which is no accident, according to Town boss Glenn Preston.

He said: “We knew it was going to be a touch challenge today, I think the weather and the pitch made it very scrappy as well which is never easy.

“I think we’ve gone deep into the psychology this year. My background is sports psychology. I think last season we didn’t do enough in that area and I think that is why we fell short, even though for me we were still the best footballing side last season.

“I think this year its about changing the mindset of the players. We found ways to lose last year, however this year this group are so much stronger and so much more resilient. They find ways to win and I think seven clean sheets in a row sort of backs that as well.”

Three wins from their remaining four games would guarantee Town the title — and any slip-ups from Leeds would lighten that requirement.

Town are now determined to keep their eyes on the prizes, with Preston adding: “[Being top of the league] means everything. Everyone’s got their own motivations and I want everyone to see what those motivations are: what are they doing it for and why do they turn up?

“For me, I keep telling them I want to win for them because they deserve it, they’re the best team in the league. I want to win for myself too, it’s a little bit of a redemption arc from the last couple of years. The club has stuck by me and to repay that faith would be huge.

“And for my staff, I want them to have that winner’s CV for when they apply for jobs in the future. There’s a lot of motivations — Kevin Nagle as well, for him backing us. We need to keep thinking of those motivations.”

Town’s next scheduled league game is away to Blackburn Rovers at Clitheroe FC on Sunday 12th April.

Huddersfield Town Women returned to the top of FA WNL Division One North after a hard fought 2-0 win away at Chester le Street.

The victory meant Town capitalised on Leeds’ failure to beat Durham Cestria to move a point clear in the title race with a game in hand as we enter the business end of the season.

Manager Glen Preston admitted his side are where he wants them to be and it’s up to them to ‘break the spirits’ of the chasing pack with only five games left to go..

He told We Are Terriers: “We’re in a great position. We want to dictate the table. We’ve said that from the off.

“We want everyone else chasing us and we want to win every single game. We need to break the spirit of Leeds, Cheadle and the others with every win we get.

“But we can only do that by focusing on ourselves because this league is so difficult. Chester could have definitely got something out of today and you’ve seen Durham get a draw at Leeds.

“Anybody can take points off anybody. So it’s massively important that we stay focused. It’s five cup finals but we turn our attention to Chorley next week and that’s all we need to think about at the moment.”

On yet another pitch barely fit to play on, Town once again had to adapt, especially as the game was looking to run away from them. But just as they’ve done all season, they found a way.

Town dominated proceedings but just couldn’t find the final product. So, with legs tiring after a three game week, Preston made changes with 15 minutes to go and it worked.

Rhema Lord-Mears went through one-on-one and saw an effort saved by the ‘keeper but the ball popped out and fell to the feet of substitute Jess Lightfoot who tapped it into an empty net with eight minutes to go.

And the point were sealed two minutes later. Lord-Mears’ corner fell to Lightfoot whose volley was blocked on the line before Laura Elford took a touch and smashed it into the bottom corner.

After the game, captain Beth Stanfield praised the ‘mindset shift’ in the team.

She told We Are Terriers: “It’s a really tough opposition who are fighting for every point but we always have belief that we’ll score.

“We’ve had a bit of a mindset shift of still believing. Even if it gets to the 89th minute we still believe we’ll get a chance and score.

“We just know we can grind results out and we know we can get the wins.

The win also sees Town extend their clean sheet record to six league games in a row. And Stanfield says it’s not just scoring goals the team have belief with.

She added: “We just have a real desire to not concede. If you don’t concede you’re going to win points, whether it’s one or three.

“I think that’s been the real big shift from last season. Hopefully we can keep it going until the end of the season because that’s the foundation for us to build on.

“Then we can let the attackers do what they do and put the ball in the back of the net.”

Next up for Town is the visit of Chorley on Sunday 29 April at the Stafflex Arena.

Laura Elford continued to show what Huddersfield Town Women have been missing by bagging her seventh goal of a stop-start season as they beat Stockport 2-0.

Elford’s opener and Louise Biggins’ penalty gave Town a big three points, bouncing back from the disappointing draw against Norton just over a week ago.

The win means Town stay a point off the top of FAWNL Division One North as Leeds also picked up three points at home to York. But the Terriers have a game in hand.

After yet another clean sheet in the win, goalkeeper Bethan Davies said: “Every game now we’re expecting to win. And I think other teams are expecting us to win. We knew we had to get three points.

“We have to put in a solid performance every game now and to get a 2-0 win in a night game where there’s lots of different factors as well as another clean sheet is important.

“We’ve got a good record home and away. I think we’ve probably conceded the least goals and we’re on 11 clean sheets for the season.

And with only six games to go, Davies confirms the team are focused on the job at hand, despite temptations to look ahead.

She added: “Everyone’s really professional in terms of recovery, eating and sleeping as well as tactically we tick one game off and we move on.

“It’s difficult to not look too far ahead knowing we’ve only got six games to go but we just try and be as professional as we can.

“And we’ve got a really strong squad and depth now we have players coming back from injury.

“We just need to keep going.”

Goals win games. Defences win titles.

Whilst the return of Laura Elford and the sublime form of Louise Biggins is something Town fans should be relishing, it’s easy to forget just how strong Town have been at the back.

Town haven’t conceded a goal in the league since 7 December last year and, with their injury struggles in the attacking areas, their backline has been more important than ever.

The beginning of the season saw 7-1, 3-0 and 5-0 scorelines as Town steamrolled opponents in the promotion charge. But as the goals began to dwindle, mainly due to Glen Preston not having a regular front line, it was important the defence held firm.

And in 2026 a run of five league clean sheets in a row isn’t by accident, it’s by design. Seven. Town have conceded seven goals in the league all season.

Glen Preston’s summer recruitment set the foundation for a sustained run for promotion this season when he brought Bethan Davies back to the club - arguably the best stopper at the level.

Adding Davies to the ever reliable trio of captain Beth Stanfield, Beth Ibbotson and Autumn Housley set Town up to go the distance.

Elford and Biggins were brought in to score goals but their games are much more than putting the ball in the back of the net. They set the tone. They defend from the front.

Then January saw what could be the final piece of the puzzle arrive. With the long-term injury to Lauren Griffiths, Preston brought in Neve Birtwistle from promotion rivals Cheadle to strengthen the midfield.

Birtwistle’s arrival has seen Rhema Lord-Mears freed up as well as helping take the strain off Ella Duffield - again bringing even more solidity to the Terriers.

With six games to go, the run-in looks set to be a tight, exciting race where the goals of Elford and Biggins will be vital. But Town’s defence seems to be continuing to give their strikers the platform to form them to promotion.

Next up for Town is a trip to the North East when they travel to Chester-le-Street on Sunday 22 March.

Laura Elford returned from injury to fire Town Women into the final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA County Cup after a 2-1 win over Barnsley Women.

Manager Glen Preston praised the ‘professional performance’ of his side after they reached the final for the tenth final in a row and is looking to put right last year’s disappointing defeat.

Louise Biggins gave Town a first half lead before they were pegged back with a freak goal just after the break. Elford’s 88th minute strike sealed Town’s route back to the final.

Preston told We Are Terriers: “We thoroughly deserved it.

“We’ve put on a professional performance. We rotated the squad and we got all the outcomes out if it that we really wanted.

“The only exception to that is we could have scored one or two more goals that I felt we deserved.

“It’s another final for us and this year it’s about putting right what went wrong in last year’s final.”

In yet more tricky conditions Town began brightly with Tamira Livingston having a lot of joy down the left flank - teeing up Hannah Burgess and Lucy Allman in quick succession but neither could find the target.

The biggest chance of the opening stages fell to Kate Mallin. Biggins rode a challenge on the left wing and, with the referee playing advantage, she put the ball on a plate for Mallin 10 yards out but she could only steer a first time shot wide.

Barnsley’s only real efforts game from range and could have caught Town ‘keeper Kacy Woollam-Bolton out with a shot from range into the wind, but the stopper did well to hold.

The game could have gone either way in the space of one minute at the end of the first half. Woollam-Bolton gave the ball away on the edge of her box and was stranded but Autumn Housley was on hand to clear the Barnsley attackers shot off the line.

And then straight down the other end, Town took the lead. Brilliant play in midfield saw Neve Birtwistle break the lines and she gave the ball to the dangerous Livingston. Livingston drove into the box and set the ball back to Biggins who couldn’t miss from 12 yards.

The visitors came out fighting in the second half and were level within five minutes.

Ocean Rolandsen whipped a speculative cross into the back post away from the reach of Woollam-Bolton and it went in off the post to make it 1-1.

The goal saw Barnsley sense a chance to win it and had a flurry of chances. Rolandsen fired over before Woollam-Bolton was quick off her line to deny a one-on-one chance.

Then the Town stopper again came to the rescue as Maddi Green struck from close range but couldn’t beat the ‘keeper.

As Town tried to wrestle back momentum, Preston made three changes with Elford, Rhema Lord-Mears and Ella Duffield entering the field.

Lord-Mears was straight into the action as she whipped a brilliant cross into the back post but Burgess could only head over.

Town thought they’d won it earlier than they did when Elford excellently set up Allman who finished past Clarke but the assistant flagged for offside.

It then looked as if it was never going to come after Lord-Mears broke through one-on-one but was denied in fantastic fashion by Clarke when she looked certain to score.

But Town didn’t give up. A quick break saw Elford set up Biggins whose initial effort drew a great save from Clarke but Elford picked up the rebound, took a touch, and smashed into the bottom corner to send Town into the final.

Next up for Town is a return to league action with the visit of Stockport County on Wednesday evening.

Huddersfield Town Women boss Glen Preston was left frustrated after his side failed to pick up all three points at home to Norton and Stockton Ancients, a point that keeps them top of the pile in the promotion race from FAWNL Division One North.

In a game Town dominated, more injuries meant their depleted squad were left missing their ruthless edge as they missed a chance to pull clear at the top.

Preston was forced into more changes this week with Neve Birtwistle joining the list of players missing through knocks. The game also came too early for Fliss Jones to recover from a concussion as well as missing top scorer Louise Biggins.

In a game of few clear cut chances, Beth Ibbotson saw Town’s best chance cleared off the line when her header looked goal-bound in the second half.

Rhema Lord-Mears struck the bar and Beth Stanfield’s deflected effort rolled agonisingly wide of the post late on but Town couldn’t find a breakthrough.

And you don’t always get what you deserve in this league. Town’s opponents did nothing to warrant a competitive game of football - but in fairness, they got the point they came for.

Elsewhere in the promotion race, Leeds left it late to beat Blackburn to join Town on 33 points at the top of the league, behind only on goal difference. And Wythenshawe were beaten by Durham Cestria - meaning a gap is opening up to third place even with the disappointing result.

Town would be two points clear but their appeal against a two-point deduction wasn’t upheld.

After the game, Glen Preston tried to see the positives of the point, telling We Are Terriers: “On one hand it’s frustrating and disappointing.

“On the other hand it’s another point on the board. With Wythenshawe losing it’s a point gained from a top two perspective and another game down.

And Preston knew it would be a tough ask with Norton being a side who like to upset the applecart with the teams at the top.

He said: “Norton are a tricky opposition. They grind out results. They’re always there or thereabouts against the top teams, taking points of them every year.

“They know how to kill a game of football and make it scrappy and they’ve done a good job of that today.

“From our point of view we need to reflect on why we couldn’t get the ball over the line.

“We had moments. We’ve had a couple cleared off the line and hit the woodwork. But we didn’t do enough to get on the end of crosses.

“I thought the first half performance was good. There were at least three terrific crosses into the box but our forwards didn’t get into the right areas to get on the end of them.”

In 2026 Town are unbeaten and by 8 March they’re yet to concede a goal in all competitions. However, with three tight 1-0 wins in a row, Preston admits his concern around the lack of goals.

He said: “It is a worry. But most of the games this year have been scrappy games on horrible pitches.

“Pitches like this level the playing field and make it difficult to play on, especially when teams sit with 6,7,8 players behind the ball.

“We’ve got to get better at working out how to work an opening when it’s not as easy to play and the ball’s bobbling and bouncing all over.

“Normally we have players like Birtwistle, Elford and Biggins who can play more of a direct and physical game but they weren’t available today.”

Up next for Town is a County Cup semi-final clash with Barnsley and Preston sees it as a perfect opportunity to take a break from league action and reset ready for the run-in.

Preston said: “Barnsley are always a tough challenge. They’re always really up for it.

“They want to win the cup, and so do we, but our objectives might be a little bit different.

“We want to win it but at the same time we need to focus on the league. So we’ll be prioritising next week to get players match sharpness and try and tweak one or two things from today’s performance.”

Town take on Barnsley in the County Cup semi-final at the Stafflex Arena next Sunday at 2pm.

Huddersfield Town Women defender Beth Ibbotson says she’s ‘proud to be a part of’ Town’s back line after helping the Terriers claim a third straight 1-0 win to remain top of the FA WNL Division One North table.

Ibbotson and the rest of the Town defence held firm against Durham Cestria without giving their visitors anything resembling a clear cut chance.

Ibbotson had an injury-hit start to the season, but after starting her third league game in a row, the defender is just relieved to be back playing after a frustrating end to 2025.

She told We Are Terriers: “I’m feeling fresh. I’m feeling much better now.

“I’m getting fitter and feeling more myself again with getting the consistency and momentum with playing every game.

“I feel good and I’m excited to see what’s to come for the team.

“The clean sheet is like a goal for me. It’s our fourth clean sheet of the season and third in a row.

“We’re on a good run and the back line is consistent now and it’s showing. I’m proud to be a part of it and back playing.”

With the weather playing havoc with the playing surface, there were a few misplaced touches on both sides but the defender thought her side dealt with the conditions well.

“We realised it wasn’t a day to play football”, she said.

“In the middle and final third we tried to play but from the back we started to go long and use the power we have up front. That’s how we adapted and dealt with the conditions today.

In a game of few chances, Louise Biggins popped up with a moment of magic to win and then dispatch the second half spot kick, not only keeping Town top but also ending Durham’s seven game winning run in the league.

And Glen Preston once again hailed his side’s strength of character as they came up against the league’s form side.

He told We Are Terriers: “This was a real banana skin game because they’ve won seven in a row and are the most in-form team in the league.

“So to win 1-0 is an unbelievable result.

“And it’s another clean sheet, which we’re really priding ourselves on at the moment. We haven’t conceded yet this year. Long may that continue.”

Once again Town showed their resilient side against a stubborn Durham outfit. Something Preston is pleased to see after previous campaigns saw his side fall off when conditions deteriorated.

He added: “We’re the best footballing team in this league but we’ve always had a question mark against us when the pitches turn.

“Can we do it when you have to win duels, fight and grind out results? And the last few weeks has shown we’re capable of that.

“We can battle. Even back to the Doncaster game we had to play with 10 players for most of the second half. We’ve had to seriously battle and make sure that we get games over the line and this team is gaining from it and gaining momentum.

“I feel team has got belief now. Previously, they’ve always doubted. But I see a dressing room here that believes they can win in any manner they need to.

“We brought in players like Bethan [Davies] who’s been fantastic for us. She deals with everything thrown at her.

“Then we sign Neve who’s an absolute trojan in the middle of the pitch. She’s a warrior who gives us so much bite - you rarely see her lose a duel.

“Players like [Laura] Elford and Biggins we brought in to help us go more direct if we needed to.”

It’s not all good news, however, as after the game Preston confirmed defender Serena Fletcher will miss the rest of the season with the injury that’s kept her out since the opening weeks.

And he’s also sweating over the fitness of Laura Elford who took a knock during the winning goal last week at Leeds. Preston confirmed they’re waiting for a prognosis but admitted the striker could miss anywhere between a week and six weeks, meaning she could also be out for the rest of the season.

The games come thick and fast for Town now with visit of Norton and Stockton Ancients next Sunday.

Sunday’s big 1-0 win over Leeds United saw Huddersfield Town Women take a hold of top spot in the race for promotion from FAWNL Division One North.

And with 10 games to go, Town are in prime position to kick on and finish the job this season - starting against Durham Cestria on Sunday.

Squad finally coming together for Town

Boss Glen Preston has hailed the resilience of his squad - who played most of the first half of the season with 12 or 13 available players.

And in a season dominated by injuries, realistically, Town should have struggled - instead, they’ve gone top, despite still waiting to hear the outcome of their appeal on their two-point deduction.

In fact, the game at the weekend was only the second time this season that Preston has been able to name a full bench.

This has meant Town’s youngsters and fringe players have had to fill in and been thrown in at the deep end given the club’s expectations this season - and what a job they’ve done.

Hannah Burgess has bagged nine goals in all competitions despite having to lead the line at times when she’s more naturally a wide player. Molly Firth has done a sterling job when called upon on either wing and even right back and Alise Gindra began to make the right back spot her own having never really played there before.

The versatile squad has proved pivotal in keeping Town’s promotion hopes alive. And Preston was quick to heap the praise on the squad who’ve given his side the platform to be able to kick on.

He told We Are Terriers: “I can’t praise the squad that’s played the first half of the season enough. We’ve played with 12 or 13 players available and they couldn’t get a rest. We couldn’t rotate or change formation.”

The positive for Town is the extended break due to postponements has allowed influential players like Laura Elford and Beth Ibbotson to return to action as well as being able to dip into the market to bolster the squad.

In come the permanent signings of Neve Birtwistle and Kacey Bolton-Woollam, as well as the loan signings of Tamira Livingston and Jess Lightfoot.

In Birtwistle they’ve brought in added steel to the midfield - joining from promotion rivals Cheadle. She’s shown her class already with a battling performance in the middle of the park against Leeds supporting the ever-present Ella Duffield.

Bolton-Woollam, has rejoined after her loan spell with Town in 2024/25. She’s spent the first half of this season at York City and brings extra depth in the goalkeeping department.

Livingston, on-loan from Manchester United, has brought extra pace and class out wide, already showing what she can offer with a hat trick and three assists on her full debut in the County Cup.

And Lightfoot joined on-loan from Everton after spending the first half of the season at Cheadle and already looks to be another step up in quality in her brief outings so far.

With Serena Fletcher and Lauren Griffiths still to return too - things are looking up.

Town’s players step up to the mark

It feels like a weekly occurrence that we’re talking about Town picking up three points thanks to a Rhema Lord-Mears goal. Whilst the squad has dwindled, the players available have dragged their side into a position to challenge - despite no real chance for a rest.

Lord-Mears being one. Six goals in 10 games from midfield is a fine return but what’s even more impressive is she’s delivering at the big moment every time. In November her late strike ended Wythenshawe’s long-standing unbeaten home record to give Town an important win - just as she did on Sunday away at Town’s biggest rivals.

And at the back Town boast the best ‘keeper in the league. Bethan Davies has single-handedly won Town points this season with remarkable displays - bringing much needed assurance and leadership.

Last season Town fell off. When the tight games or challenging conditions came around, they couldn’t get it over the line. Notably failing to beat Norton and Stockton Ancients in either fixture - beating them 5-0 away already this time around.

Fliss Jones is another who rises to the moment when things look to be going against Town. Her last minute winner against bottom side Blackburn in December could prove to be a huge goal come the end of the season.

Louise Biggins and Hannah Burgess have both bagged double figures in all competitions so far with Lord-Mears, Jones and Laura Elford all in the chasing pack for the golden boot.

This season feels different for Town. It feels like the big moments are going their way and it’s not through luck. They’re a squad playing for one goal. To win the league.

Impressive youngsters continue development elsewhere

With the squad looking stronger Preston has even had the luxury of allowing three youngsters, who all played their part in the successful first half of the season, to head out on dual contracts to continue their development.

Molly Firth has joined Bradford, Alise Gindra scored on her debut for Fylde and Franc Brown had moved across to Sheffield United U21 PGA - all of whom Preston sees as big players in the future.

He said: “We want to continue their development. They’ve been vital for us but we recognise they’re teenagers and we don’t want to stop that development of limit game time for them now we’ve got a stronger squad.

“We’ve found exceptional clubs for them who have good coaches so we feel they’re good moves for them.

“Molly and Alise in particular were huge for us in the first half of the season. We’re top of the league and it’s players like those who helped get us into this position.

“They’ve been vital here but now the squad’s in a stronger shape it’s important for them to continue their development and get more games.”

The County Cup could provide the icing on the cake

And if a promotion push isn't enough, Town face Barnsley Women in the semi final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire Women’s Senior County Cup in a big to regain their title.

Beating Rotherham United 10-0 in the quarter final sent them to two wins away from another title they won three times in a row between 2022 and 2024.

Last season, however, they went down 5-0 to Sheffield United U21s in a disappointing display so Glen Preston’s side will want to put that right this year.

When it came to this vital head-to-head with Leeds United that could have huge implications on the title race, Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston admitted his side ‘owed them one’.

Wythenshawe’s postponement elsewhere meant that both Town knew coming into this game that a win would see them leapfrog both Leeds and Wythenshawe to the top of the table — despite a two-point deduction that is still under appeal — while a point would have sufficed for Leeds to go into first place themselves.

Ultimately the Terriers prevailed after Rhema Lord-Mears smashed home the only goal of the game in tough conditions.

Leeds had already got the better of Town twice this season so there definitely was a hint of revenge in the air.

Early on Amy Woodruff looked to find a way through for the hosts but slipped at the vital moment as she shot - making it easy for Davies to hold.

Town’s best chance of the early stages fell to last week’s hat trick scorer Tamira Livingston. On her first league start for the club, she could only head over from Lord-Mears’ cross.

Preston brought Laura Elford off the bench in the second half and her presence up top gave Town a different dimension.

Elford’s brilliant hold up play set up Louise Biggins but she could only fire wide.

At the other end Bethan Davies showed her class throughout in the Town goal. Woodruff looked certain to score but Davies managed to get a foot to it to turn the ball behind.

And Davies had to be at her very best moments later as the wind caught a long ball and it almost dropped to the feet of a Leeds attacker only yards out. But the ‘keeper brilliantly stretched an arm out to tip the ball around the post at the second attempt.

The hosts looked to be getting on top of the game when White blazed over from 12 yards but Town had other ideas.

A long ball forward was brilliantly captured by Elford who set Livingston away down the left. The on-loan winger whipped a dangerous ball across the box but nobody could get on the end of it.

However, the chance was kept alive by the persistence of Ella Duffield who floated the ball back across goal perfectly into the path of the arriving Lord-Mears who blasted it home from six yards to win it.

After the game, Preston spoke of his pride in his team.

He told We Are Terriers: “We owed them one. We wanted it today.

“The team had so much energy and purpose about them - the whole club wanted it today. It was going to go our way somehow and we’ve really risen to the occasion.

“And we played the occasion too. This pitch is not our battleground, it’s probably the worst in the league.

“So for us to come here and grind out a result in difficult circumstances was superb from the players today.”

It was a coming-of-age performance for Preston’s side who struggled last season in tight games but they showed a different side to them knowing they weren’t going to be able to play football.

With players returning and new signings through the door, his squad looks extremely strong and showing why he built the side he has. Neve Birtwistle was sensational in the middle of the park with Ella Duffield in helping Town frustrate their neighbours. The returning Laura Elford showed her class and guile up top and others around them dug in for the cause.

Preston added: “Occasions like today are exactly why we brought players like Neve in.

“We’re probably the best footballing side in the league but we’ve struggled in the past when pitches turn and we’ve got to wrestle and grind out results.

“So we knew we needed one or two players like Elford, Louise Biggins, Neve - ones who play with heart and soul and compete for absolutely everything. They’ll fight and the other players go with them.

“We’ve got so much depth now. Players look petrified when Elford comes on because they know she can do anything at any given moment. We’ve got a squad full of big game players now.”

With the squad finally taking shape, Preston has been afforded the luxury of sending a couple of his younger players out on loan. Molly Firth has joined Bradford City and Alise Gindra has gone to Fylde and scored on her debut today.

Next up for Town is the rearranged home game with Durham Cestria at the Stafflex Arena next Sunday at 2pm.

46 days into the year and Huddersfield Town Women played only their second game of 2026.

After playing most of 2025 with a depleted squad, their depth finally came to the fore with a convincing 10-0 win over Rotherham United Women in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup.

It was Town’s first game of the competition - entering at the quarter final stage - and a good opportunity for Glen Preston to give new signings and returning players a run out against lower league opposition.

And what a run out it was, especially for loanee Tamira Livingston who bagged a hat trick and three assists on her first start for the club. The returning Laura Elford also grabbed two much needed goals in a result that was never in doubt from the off.

Their freshness and quality shone from the off. Rhema Lord-Mears put them ahead after 10 minutes before Livingston stole the show on her first start.

Livingston was alert to the Millers’ keeper parrying Jess Lightfoot’s effort to tap in the rebound before her first time effort made it 3-0 in quick succession.

Louise Biggins then bagged her 10th of the season and Town’s fourth thanks to Livingston’s assist. Before Livingston completed her hattrick on 31 minutes with a superb strike from the edge of the box.

The second half started with Preston making four changes. Elford returned to action and was joined by Hannah Burgess, Kate Mallin and Fliss Jones with Biggins, Ella Duffield, Brierley Keane and Lord-Mears making way.

And the subs weren’t going to miss out making their mark. Mallin made it six when she hit a free kick into the top corner before Elford bagged Town’s seventh goal of the afternoon after Burgess’ assist.

Elford then made it eight after latching onto another Burgess cross. Her goals will be crucial to Town’s late season form.

Fliss Jones then got in on the act firing in Livingston’s assist from just inside the box. And all four subs found the net when Burgess made it 10-0 with seven minutes to go thanks to another assist from Livingston.

For a team battling for promotion in the league, you’d think playing only 3 games in 70 games wouldn’t be ideal - but for Town it’s probably been a blessing in disguise.

The first half of the season saw Town rise to the top of the league despite a depleted squad.

Key players Glen Preston would’ve seen as pivotal to their title hopes just haven’t been available regularly enough thanks to a spate of long term injuries.

Summer signing and goalscoring hopeful Laura Elford has only managed five appearances so far (scoring in three) and midfielder Lauren Griffiths only managed two games before being struck down with injury.

Elsewhere Town have only seen full back Serena Fletcher twice and centre half Beth Ibbotson also missing with a long lay-off after an impressive start to the season.

Four big players any team would miss.

It’d be naive to downplay the quality of Preston’s entire squad, however. For every injury, there’s a chance for someone else - and how his young squad have taken it.

Hannah Burgess’ spell leading the line early on in the campaign was fruitful with the attacker leading the goalscoring charts with 9, alongside Louise Biggins - who herself has been a revelation after a slow start.

And with Fletcher unavailable, Alise Gindra has proven her versatility with superb performances at right back.

However, the recent postponements has allowed players to return without missing too many games - including one against promotion rivals Cheadle.

Elford returned to the bench in the County Cup tie at Rotherham and Ibbotson’s return was welcomed in January’s win over Doncaster Rovers Belles.

Town have also dipped into the market with a few impressive signings. Neve Birtwistle brings much needed support in midfield after moving across from Cheadle.

A familiar face returned in the shape of goalkeeper Kacey Bolton-Woollam along with loan signings Tamira Livingston and Jess Lightfoot from Manchester United and Everton respectively.

All of a sudden Town’s squad looks strong. Very strong. And with more to return, Glen Preston will have a headache - one he won’t mind!

Next up for Town is a return to league action when Stockport County visit the Stafflex Arena on Thursday night.

Huddersfield Town Women needed a 90th-minute goal to rescue the full three points and stay top of the league after bottom side Blackburn Rovers fought back from two goals down.

Town began the game with high intensity against a Blackburn side who are yet to claim a point this season. Louise Biggins was denied by a good save from a set piece, while and Autumn Housley’s was unable to make the most of a Kate Mallin’s corner as she headed straight at the keeper.

Town secured their first goal on 11 minutes. Biggins cut the ball back to Felicity Jones, who fired the ball into the net from six yards out.

Town kept on the pressure throughout the half and doubled their lead on 33 minutes as Rebecca Beresford released Lucy Allman — a recent arrival from Blackburn — to cross for Mallin to score.

Blackburn keeper Skye Kirkham kept Town from extending their lead any further before the break, but had the crossbar to thank as Biggins saw a close-range strike come back off the woodwork.

So it was totally against the run of play when the visitors pulled a goal back after nearly 45 minutes of one-way traffic. Terriers keeper Bethan Davies made two saves in quick succession, but Ashley Tiripke scrambled home at the third time of asking.

Town continued to fail to make their opportunities count after the break and were again caught out on 75 minutes in comical fashion as Blackburn made it 2-2, with Clara Butler making the most of a collision between Davies and Housley by taking the loose ball and slotting it into the unguarded net.

Both sides pushed for a winner from there, but both looked to have missed their best chance to do so as Burgess hit the bar in the 90th minute only for Blackburn to race up the other end and hit the woodwork themselves.

But there was still time for Town to get the job done, with Jones firing home after being teed up by Biggins.

Manager Glen Preston breathed a sigh of relief after the game, saying: “Very stressful. At 2-0 I felt we were probably too comfortable, it could have been four or five, and I felt we weren’t punishing them. We left the back door left open and conceded a really soft set piece towards the end of the first half.

“I was really annoyed with that. I even said to them, ‘that’s going to change the atmosphere of their dressing room and give them belief’ — and that’s exactly how it panned out. Their side came out all guns fighting in the second half and they gave us a hell of a game.”

“We’ve managed to make sure we get just over the line somehow.

“I feel relieved more than anything else. [After the winner I didn’t really celebrate and jump up like the rest of the players did — I was more sort of a little bit annoyed because how have we got ourselves in this situation?

“There could be a gift in this for us if we choose to look at it that way. Psychologically there is so much more value that we have had to fight back from adversity. That bounce back shows that character and shows that we can get a last minute winner. It shows that we can do it and come back from any situation. The character in the dressing room can really be raised from moments like that.”

Next up for Town is a trip to Doncaster Rovers Belles on Sunday 14th December in a 2pm kick-off.

Huddersfield Town climbed two places to go top of FA WNL Division One North on goal difference thanks to a one-goal victory away to Wythenshawe.

Rhema Lord-Mears came up with the goods in the 79th minute against a side that started the day three points ahead of Town, while previous league leaders Cheadle Town Stingers simultaneously suffered a surprise home defeat to Durham Cestria.

Town made a quick start to the game but were unable to make the most of their opportunities to take the lead in the first half.

Molly Firth drove the ball down the right of the pitch before she delivered a good ball to Kate Mallin, who fired the ball over from inside the box.

Mallin turned creator in the 29th minute with delivered a great pass to debutante Lucy Allman in a promising position, but she was not quite able to get it under control.

Ten minutes later, Louise Biggins was met with a loose ball at the edge of the box; she reacted quickly, but the ball went narrowly wide.

Wythenshawe, for their part, were kept at bay thanks to some exceptional saves from Town keeper Bethan Davies, including a finger-tip save onto crossbar in the first half.

Davies came up big again after the break, stopping a Ciara Boylan header, while Biggins was fired over a chance created thanks to some brilliant play from Rebecca Beresford.

Town finally secured their potentially massive victory on 79 minutes following a great link-up between Kate Mallin and Lord-Mears, with the latter firing home a cutback from six yards out.

Manager Glen Preston said: “I have a lot of respect for Wythenshawe today. I’ve gone through almost every emotion in that game.

“It was stressful, to be honest, on that sideline, because the opposition gave us a proper match. It was a proper game of football between two sides absolutely going head-to-head, wanting to win the game, and so therefore it became a really good battle.

“We’ve changed formation today, and I think the players have really stood up this week. The change in shape was largely down to last week’s game (a 3-1 defeat to Leeds) and the opposition.

“We just felt we weren’t playing with natural wingers, so we needed to have a look at something different—where the strengths of our team were. The second was looking at some of the weaknesses on our analysis with Wythenshawe.

“We could have been three goals to the good at half time — I think it would have been 3-0 or 3-1 because I think they had one good chance.

“I don’t think it would have been an unfair scoreline — but when you don’t put a team to bed like we didn’t, we missed chances, you always leave the back door open for the opposition to come back.”

Preston felt Town had Davies to thank for keeping the stalemate intact for so long, stating: “There isn’t a better keeper at this level. She has come up big for us today. You don’t know how important that save could be at the end of the season.”

Preston was also with the contribution of the debuting Allman saying: “She played really well, but I think she can get better; there are one or two things that I thought she might have made better, like getting into the box.

“But she’s new to the side. She doesn’t know everything about what we expect at this moment in time. I had a look at half time and I think she covered the most distance out of all of our players, so she has grafted properly today. I think it’s a good debut and a good win to come into the side with.”

Preston also spoke on Alise Gindra, who was absent after receiving her first call-up to the senior Latvian national side.

Preston stated: “I’m really proud for her. It’s not something that all players get to experience, but I reckon that first international call-up is probably one of the best feelings you can have as a player.

“She’s obviously got that for the national team, for the first team as well, and so we are really proud of her, and I’m sure she’s really proud.”

Town will face Blackburn Rovers next, back at home on December 7th at 2pm.

Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston was left dismayed by his team’s ‘really poor’ performance in both boxes as they are knocked out of the FA Women’s Cup by local rivals Leeds United.

A late lifeline from Rebecca Beresford wasn’t enough for Town after goals from Sian Gibrill-Keating, Izzy Elliott and Drew Greene ended the contest early.

In a game marred by awful weather, Town started well. Hannah Burgess forced Leeds’ ‘keeper Simpson into a smart stop before Louise Biggins fired wide from range.

The rain kept pouring and referee Marcin Iwanski paused the game with conditions worsening to check on problem areas of the pitch - but we continued.

And Leeds took the lead shortly after the restart. A long freekick from wide on the left was met by Gibrill-Keating who headed past Bethan Davies to give the visitors the lead.

Town almost responded instantly through Burgess but for a fantastic block from close range.

Preston praised his side’s performance in between the two boxes and their dominance was for all to see, but they were let down when it came to being awake in both areas.

And that was true after the break when Leeds doubled their lead with a carbon copy of their first.

This time Izzy Elliott hooked the ball home after 54 minutes to make it 2-0.

Town continued to push forward and had all of the ball but couldn’t find that final pass to cause their visitors any major problems.

And, as is the case when a team has all the ball, the opposition break and score. A rare bit of quality in the game resulted in Leeds putting the game to bed with 20 minutes to play.

Neat play in midfield saw the ball sent out to the left to Chloe Dixon who whipped in a great cross which was met by Drew Greene ghosting in at the back post.

Town kept pushing and their efforts were rewarded with five minutes to play when good work from Biggins saw her long range strike rebound back off the bar - allowing Rebecca Beresford to smash home for a consolation.

But ultimately it wasn’t enough and Preston was left to rue what could have been.

He told We Are Terriers: “It’s disappointing. But more the manner that we’ve gone out of the cup. I think between the two penalty boxes we’ve arguably been the better team for most of the game.

“But in the two boxes we’ve been really poor. That’s the difference today.

“The disappointment stems from the fact that before the game we’d identified it as one of the key battle areas that we had to win.

“We knew set pieces and counter attacks were the two areas that we were going to have to stop Leeds from winning, two areas we had to dominate.

“And we’ve probably ended up conceding two of the softest set piece goals I’ve seen.”

It’s three without a win in all competitions for Town and Preston is keen for his team to put things right where it matters in next week’s league trip to Wythenshawe.

He added: “We’ve got 24 hours to let this one hurt. Then we’ve got to wipe the slate clean.

“We’re going away to Wythenshawe in a game that’s more important than today’s in the grand scheme of things.

“So we have to find that resilience to bounce back.”

Next up for Town women is that trip to Wythenshawe next Sunday.

Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston was pleased with a point in what he described as a “must not lose” fixture as they were held to a 0-0 draw.

His side’s promotion hopes suffered a blow as they were held to a goalless draw at 5th placed Chorley - but he was pleased with a point against a tough opponent.

In a game lacking any real quality, Town’s only real threat seemed to be in the shape of Rhema Lord-Mears who forced Chorley ‘keeper Finch into a smart save after cutting in from the right.

Clearcut chances were few and far between but from the resulting corner captain Beth Stanfield could only steer the ball to Finch from close range.

Chorley were having some joy going forward too, though, with a cross finding Taylor Gunn in the box but Bethan Davies pulled off a smart stop.

There was almost a calamity for Town early in the second half as a harmless cross wasn’t dealt with by Davies and the ball squirmed through her legs but just past the far post for a corner.

Town tried to change things up with Fliss Jones moving central and Hannah Burgess returning to her more natural role out wide and it almost paid dividends. Burgess broke the lines with a brilliant pass but a Chorley defender brilliantly denied Jones with a fine block.

Lord-Mears then tried her luck from range twice - once striking the post before a second effort didn’t quite dip enough and sailed over the bar.

The hosts had a late chance to nick it but Davies superbly tipped an effort over the bar before managing to get hold of the ball from the resulting corner.

Ultimately, a poor day for Town who now find themselves in third, three points behind leaders Cheadle and second placed Wythenshawe who both picked up three points.

Manager Glen Preston was remaining positive after the game saying: “It’s a really tough game. Chorley away is always one of the toughest games on the calendar.

“We got a result today. Whilst we’d have loved to have won, the most important thing for us today is to not lose.

“What’s disappointing is we’ve created some of the best chances of the game and we haven’t put them away - their keeper’s pulled off some great saves.

“Overall, it’s probably a fair result.

“Sometimes you look at games and it’s a must not lose and we haven’t so we’re pleased with that.”

But whilst he was pleased with the result, he was disappointed with how his side executed their game plan.

He added: “I said to their manager after the game that they’ve got a spine full of tall, powerful players. The more direct the game went the more it suited them.

“It was part of our plan to go a bit direct and get in behind them but it was only part of the plan. I was disappointed we didn’t play a little bit more football - we wanted to mix it up and play.”

After the game, full-back Rebecca Beresford admitted the team weren’t quite at it throughout the game.

She said: “It was a challenging game. We know Chorley are a tough opposition but we didn’t get going in the first half.

“We were better in the second but we’re disappointed with the result”

Next up for Town Women is the visit of Leeds United in the FA Women’s Cup at the Stafflex Arena on 23 November.

Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston admits being out of the FAWNL Plate will help them in the long run with less fixtures for his threadbare squad.

Town took the lead in Cheadle through Fliss Jones when she drove into the box to fire her side into a second half lead. This was Jones’ sixth goal in all competitions and first start back after a spell on the sidelines.

However, Cheadle were then given a lifeline on 75 minutes when the ball bobbled up in the box and hit Rebecca Beresford with the referee judging it to be a handball.

Imogen Porteous-Williams stepped up and sent Davies the wrong way to level the game.

And with only five minutes to go, Cheadle won it. A cross from the right found Porteous-Williams who flicked the ball past Davies at the near post to make it 2-1.

Town had chances to level it late on when Molly Firth struck the post and and Louise Biggins could only half-connect with a cross but it wasn’t to be for Glen Preston’s side.

After the game Preston told We Are Terriers: “We’ve talked about this as staff about how these games can become a bit of a distraction.

“We made the National League Cup final a couple of years ago and it really depleted us towards the end of the season and took a lot of energy out of the squad.

“The league is what we need to focus on and with us still having five or six players out it was always in the back of our minds.

“So as much as we’d have liked to have done well, we just congratulate Cheadle and move on.”

But in more positive news, Preston confirmed the club had made a new attacking signing to bolster his options - one that will be announced soon.

He added: “I won’t say who at the minute because we haven’t announced it but it’s a player who can play anywhere across the front four.

“She’s very neat and tidy and very technical so she really fits the way we can play - although she probably wouldn’t have suited today’s game where it was just up and under football.”

TOWN TEAM vs CHEADLE TOWN STINGERS (A)

Bethan Davies; Alise Gindra, Autumn Housley, Beth Stanfield (C), Rebecca Beresford; Ella Duffield, Louise Biggins; Fliss Jones (Molly Firth ‘72), Rhema Lord-Mears , Kate Mallin (Brierley Keane ‘90) ; Hannah Burgess

UNUSED SUB

Lauren Joyce, Evie Franks, Franc Brown

GOALS

Fliss Jones (‘67)

Next up for Town Women is a return to FA Women’s National League Division One North action with another trip over the Pennines to face Chorley on Sunday 16 November.

Huddersfield Town Women manager Glen Preston sung the praises of Louise Biggins who fired Town to victory - despite only just passing a fitness test.

Biggins capped off a brilliant week for Huddersfield Town Women with a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Chester-le-Street Town at the Stafflex arena

Town had their customary quick start when Hannah Burgess raced on to Kate Mallin’s flick on to score after two minutes before the Biggins show commenced.

Mallin, who provided three assists on her 601st outing for Town, whipped in a delightful corner which Biggins met and powered home after 24 minutes.

Molly Firth then almost made it three but her cross-cum-shot forced the visiting ‘keeper into an unbelievable save - tipping the ball onto the bar before clearing.

But it wasn’t long before Biggins made it three. Rhema Lord-Mears as usual was the architect as her good play fed Biggins before the attacker danced her way through three defenders on the edge of the box and slotted home from 12 yards.

And the hat trick was complete just before the break. Mallin caused confusion on the byline for Chester-le-Street and laid the ball back into the path of Biggins who rifled home for 4-0.

The visitors made four changes at the break and on the hour they pulled a goal back after Town switched off.

But in the end Town kept their North-East opponents at arms length and comfortably saw the game out to pick up the three points.

It was a slow start to the season for Biggins but as soon as the first goal came away at Norton, she’s found her feet. And her eighth goal in all competitions this season, Glen Preston was quick to praise his hat trick scorer.

He told We Are Terriers: “Biggins wasn’t even expected to start today. She came through a fitness test last minute and was playing through the pain barrier and she’s scored an unbelievable hat trick.

“She was absolutely brilliant today. It’s probably her best performance for us and it’s made sure we got a commanding situation in the first half to allow us to see the game through.”

Because of injuries throughout the squad, Preston is still yet to field what he sees as his strongest side and today saw Biggins fill in as a deeper midfielder as opposed to her normal attacking role.

Preston added: “She’s played a bit deeper today because of the injury but I think I could play Biggins in any role. She’s just an all round player and at the moment I could put her in goal and she’d find a way of scoring. She deserves huge praise.”

Before the game Town legend Kate Mallin was presented with a framed signed shirt to honour her 600th appearance in midweek - something she was pleasantly surprised about.

Mallin said: “Everyone was telling me we need to go out a bit earlier and I was like ‘why?’

“Then I realised and it was a really nice touch. All the girls had signed the shirt so I’ve now got to find somewhere to put it!”

After the defeat to Leeds you’d have been forgiven for thinking Town’s chances of promotion were looking slim. With two defeats and an injury hit squad, they looked behind the eight-ball.

Fast forward and they’re in the second round of the FA Cup and one point off leaders Cheadle in the league after four straight wins - as well as Cheadle dropping points in the last two games.

With the promotion race heating up, Preston said: “It’s going to be intense. There’ll be twist and turns and every team is capable of beating everyone.

“Everyone will drop points at some point so consistency will be key. At the minute we’ve got that.

“The Leeds game aside, we’ve been very good and consistent for the last 20 games or so. And we’re only just really building a head of steam. As players come back and if we sign another player, I do fancy our chances to be able to kick on.

“I’d rather be top and know our destiny is in our hands and everyone looking at us so we’re not really where we want to be.

Next up for Town Women is a trip to league leaders Cheadle Town Stingers in the FAWNL plate.