Brittany Sanderson targets 10th consecutive win as she prepares for Norton & Stockton test

Leeds United Women forward Brittany Sanderson has underlined the importance of maintaining the standards that have driven the Whites' impressive run of form, with Simon Wood's side preparing to welcome Norton & Stockton Ancients to the BD Community Stadium on Sunday.

Leeds return to FA Women's National League Division One North action after a fortnight away from league competition, having continued their progress in both the FA Cup and FA WNL Cup.

The Whites secured a place in the first round of the FA Cup with a commanding victory over Stockton Town Ladies, while a 4-1 win against Bradford City Women ensured their progression through the FA WNL Cup group stage.

Those results followed a 2-0 league victory over Bradford, extending Leeds' perfect start to the Division One North campaign.

The emphatic result against Stockton was another demonstration of Leeds' attacking quality, with Alice Hughes scoring a hat-trick and Brittany Sanderson, Abi Coley, Darcie Greene and Drew Greene also contributing two goals apiece.

Sanderson believes the performance reflected the work being put in behind the scenes, particularly the squad's determination to maintain its intensity despite the change in competition.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's fixture, the forward said: "We're really excited to get back into the league after two weeks in the cups. It’s always nice to have a bit of a break and use the cup games to try new things.

"I think we all are ready to get back into league action now and pick up from where we left off. It’ll be nice to be back at home as well."

However, the forward was quick to stress that Leeds cannot afford to underestimate a Norton & Stockton side who will arrive with their own ambitions and approach.

The visitors currently sit seventh in the Division One North standings, eight points behind league leaders Leeds, but they will travel to West Yorkshire after securing a 3-1 FA Cup victory over Salford City Lionesses last weekend.

First-half goals from Sacha Millward, Bianca Owens and Eve Marshall helped Norton & Stockton book their place in the first round, giving them further momentum ahead of Sunday's encounter.

Sanderson expects the visitors to provide a stern test, pointing to their physicality and work rate as qualities Leeds must be prepared to match.

"Each game is going to be a different challenge in this league and Sunday will be no different," she explained. "We know, especially from the game at Elland Road, what Norton can bring.

"They’re a really competitive, physical and hard working side who’ll come with their own game plan."

For Leeds, the challenge will be to combine the confidence generated by their recent results with the discipline required to overcome opponents who could make life difficult.

With their perfect league record still intact, the Whites will be keen to ensure their cup form translates into another positive afternoon in the league.

The forward also reflected on Leeds' high-scoring FA Cup success against Stockton Town Ladies, highlighting the benefits of seeing different players contribute to the goalscoring and relationships develop across the team.

Rather than focusing solely on the final scoreline, Sanderson believes the performance demonstrated the importance of maintaining high standards throughout the squad.

"We said before the game against Stockton we wanted to keep our momentum by keeping our standards and work rate high," she said.

"The scoreline showed this and it was nice to see different people scoring and different relationships developing, which you could definitely see in the build up to some of the goals.

"We know we can’t get carried away so we’ll take the positives from that game into Sunday’s and keep building."

That measured approach will be important as Leeds look to sustain their early-season success.

Although their attacking performances have attracted attention, Sanderson recognises that the squad must continue to approach each fixture with the same focus and commitment if their winning run is to continue.

With Leeds enjoying a strong run across competitions, the prospect of reaching 10 consecutive victories is now within sight, providing an additional milestone for Wood's squad to pursue.

Sanderson admitted that achieving the landmark would be significant, but insisted that the team would not allow the target to distract them from the immediate task against Norton & Stockton.

"It would be a massive achievement for us," she said.

"Obviously we’d love to make it 10 in a row, but we’re taking it game by game, we know we have to focus on the next game in front of us and that’s what we’ve been doing.

"Our form at the moment is a testament to our hard work, so as long as our focus and hard work continue we will reap the rewards."

Leeds will therefore head into Sunday's fixture looking to protect their perfect Division One North record while continuing to build momentum across all competitions.

Norton & Stockton's competitive approach means another demanding afternoon awaits, but the Whites will have home advantage and the confidence of their recent performances behind them as they look to take another step towards their target.

Kick-off at the BD Community Stadium is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday.