Doncaster Rovers Belles vs Leeds Women: Everything fans need to know as title race heats up
The title race is heating up for Leeds United Women.
The Whites sit third in the National League Division One North standings, just a point behind joint leaders Huddersfield and Wythenshawe Amateurs.
Simon Wood’s side played out a 1-1 draw with Greater Manchester side Cheadle last time out, with Drew Greene’s opener cancelled out by a second-half equaliser, leaving Leeds sat outside the top two.
With two Yorkshire derbies in the space of a week against Doncaster and Huddersfield, Leeds Women will sniff the chance to take control of the league.
With this in mind, MOT Leeds News takes a look at everything fans should know ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
Simon Wood reacts to Leeds draw vs Cheadle
Following the postponement of the clashes with Wythenshawe and Chester-le-Street heading into last Sunday’s match, Leeds were held to a draw against Cheadle.
Boss Wood outlined his pride for the side upon their return to competitive action for the first time since January.
“Fair play to the players because they have not had a lot of football since the turn of Christmas, so being able to go out there and fight and scrap and dig in shows a real pride in representing the badge and the club,” said Wood, who was nominated for FAWNL Manager of the Month in December.
Leeds United Women’s next three fixtures:
- Doncaster Rovers (A) – 18/02/26
- Huddersfield Town (H) – 22/02/26
- Blackburn Rovers (A) – 08/03/26
“Overall, I am really proud of the players. We have dusted ourselves down, and I think this is going to be quite an important point when it comes to the end of the season,” he concluded.
Captain Shauna Legge also gave her thoughts after the draw, expressing her excitement for next week’s clash with Doncaster.
“We are just ready to get going fully again,” said Legge ahead of the West vs South Yorkshire clash. “Midweek under the lights, always something to look forward to.
“In league action, we want to be taking points off everyone that we possibly can, keep going one by one. Hopefully, we can get some momentum going,” she concluded.
Leeds must not let postponements halt momentum
While Leeds fell to a 3-0 defeat against West Brom in the FA Cup last month, their unbeaten league run stretches back to August, when the one loss this season came against Cheadle.
The opening weeks of 2026 have been far from ideal, with four matches postponed thus far, but they cannot let this interrupt the momentum.
Leeds United Women’s postponed fixtures:
- Chester-le-Street Town – (H)
- York City Ladies – (H)
- Wythenshawe Amateurs Lfc (H)
With fixtures set to be rescheduled, the Whites’ form will be crucial ahead of what will be a packed end of the season.
And that starts now, with Wood’s side having the opportunity to claim top spot in the coming weeks, with big clashes against Doncaster and the league leaders within a week of each other.
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