Ladies: Arsenal 4-3 Doncaster R.B.

Arsenal Ladies' long winning streak came closer to ending than
at any time in the last two seasons when Doncaster Rovers Belles
gave Vic Akers' side an almighty scare on Thursday night.

Karen Carney, Ciara Grant and a second-half brace from Julie
Fleeting eventually decided a thrilling game in the Gunners favour,
4-3.

Capitalising on a slow start from Rovers, Carney drilled home
the opener and were it not for the excellence of Caroline Collie
between the sticks, it may well have been more.

However the formality of a home win did not quite materialise
and the visitors asserted themselves on Akers' side. Class
eventually told nine minutes from the break when Grant registered
to ensure a two-goal margin at the interval.

Shortly after the teams emerged Fleeting netted her first and
the Gunners' third - the match now seemingly won. Belles though
battled gamely and hauled themselves back to within one goal of
Arsenal thanks to Emily Heckler and Vicky Exley.

The momentum was with the visitors and they deservedly drew
level when Heckler bagged her second with a left-foot thunderbolt
straight into the top corner.

However the winning feeling is not one the Gunners wanted to
give up lightly and the fight-back was eventually quelled when
Fleeting nodded home a fourth, and decisive, goal..