Holly Mears delighted as Leeds United Women make it 10 wins in a row

Leeds United Women goalkeeper Holly Mears praised her side’s collective performance after the Whites secured their 10th consecutive victory with a 2-0 win over Norton & Stockton Ancients on Sunday afternoon.

First-half goals from Amy Woodruff and Drew Greene secured all three points at the BD Community Stadium, keeping Leeds top of the FA Women’s National League Division One North and ensuring Mears recorded another clean sheet.

The victory continued an impressive run of form for Simon Wood’s side, who have established themselves as the team to beat in the division.

Speaking to LUTV after the final whistle, Mears admitted the milestone was a source of real satisfaction for the squad.

“It feels amazing,” the goalkeeper said.

“I think all the team is happy about it, and it's a really good thing to have, a 10th win.”

Leeds took control of the contest in the first half, with Woodruff opening the scoring in the 14th minute, and Greene doubling the lead just before the break.

Despite their two-goal lead, the Whites knew they needed to maintain their standards after the interval, with Mears revealing the message delivered to the players at half-time.

“They were going to come back out aggressive,” she explained. “We needed to maintain what we were doing and just keep pushing, and hopefully get some more goals in.”

Although Leeds failed to add to their first-half tally, they successfully defended their lead to earn three more points and extend their winning streak.

For Mears, the clean sheet was another important aspect of the afternoon, particularly after Leeds conceded in their previous outing.

The goalkeeper was keen to emphasise that the defensive improvement was a collective effort rather than an individual achievement.

“Seeing as last week we conceded, I feel like this week we've played a good performance, not just me but everyone, so we could actually keep the clean sheet this time,” she added.

The result leaves Leeds in excellent form ahead of a significant test next weekend, when they travel to face second-placed AFC Fylde Women.

Fylde have also remained unbeaten in the league this season, setting up an intriguing meeting between two of the division’s leading sides.

With the opportunity to strengthen their position at the summit, Leeds will be eager to carry their momentum into the contest.

Mears made it clear that the squad are relishing the challenge and looking forward to testing themselves against their promotion rivals.

“We're excited,” she said.

“It should be a good test, so we are all looking forward to it. It should be good!”

With 10 consecutive victories behind them, Leeds will travel to Fylde with confidence, but the goalkeeper’s comments underline the importance of maintaining their current standards against another side enjoying an unbeaten league campaign.