Sunday 22nd September saw 10 of 11 Barclays Women’s Championship clubs compete to add points to their tallies. It was Sunderland AFC who would sit out the fourth week of the competition, with only five fixtures taking place in each round due to the omission of Reading FC prior to the commencement of the new season.
The Halfway Line looks back at the action, as Charlton Athletic top the table, and newly promoted Newcastle United secure their first win of their inaugural campaign in the second tier, continuing on an unbeaten run as they approach this weekend’s proceedings.
London City Lionesses 2-1 Bristol City
London City Lionesses continue to thrive under the ownership of Michelle Kang, and the managerial gaze of Jocelyn Prêcheur. Bristol City spent last season competing in the topflight before being relegated, whilst the Londoners finished eighth in the Barclays Women’s Championship league standings. It was logical for this fixture to form a close contest between the two clubs, but London City Lionesses edging the win emphasises their ability to compete in the top half of the table.
Prêcheur’s side took the lead, despite some solid early attacking efforts from the Robins. It was Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah who provided the match with its main talking point, as she scored an unbelievable strike from within the centre circle.
New signing Sofia Jakobsson doubled the home side’s advantage with a beautiful curling finish. Amalie Thestrup was able to bring the guests a goal of their own, but Bristol City could not do enough to take a point from the match.
Charlton Athletic 2-1 Durham FC
Charlton Athletic continue to make their presence as frontrunners known, beating out Barclays Women’s Championship trailblazers Durham FC by the small margin of one goal. Only thanks to a late comeback effort by Katie Bradley, though, did the Addicks earn their three points, having trailed the visiting Wildcats until the 82nd minute.
Lily Crosthwaite brought a determined Durham the opener in just the 17th minute, with an impressive solo run leading her to beat out both Charlotte Newsham and Sophie Whitehouse on a tight angle to send her shot home. Bradley stepped up to the spot after the home side were awarded an 82nd minute penalty, and gave Karen Hills’ side the lead in the 85th after she was picked out well by Mel Filis on the left.
Birmingham City 4-0 Portsmouth FC
It was another tough one to take for Jay Sadler’s Portsmouth, as the Barclays Women’s Championship debutants suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of an invigorated Birmingham City. Facing off with the Blues was never going to be an easy feat, but Pompey can feel the pressure mounting as they struggle to find the first points of their inaugural campaign in the second tier.
Birmingham City rose to the second spot in the table, with Libby Smith’s opener complimented by a brace from Lee Geum-Min after she came on as a substitute at half-time. Louise Quinn’s late contribution was the cherry on top for the Blues. Pompey worked hard to prevent further damage to the scoreline, as Amy Merricks’ side were ruthless.
The Barclays Women’s Championship mainstays excelled in the final third, with new signing Ava Baker proving her value to the side’s buildup play. Portsmouth did find themselves with a chance to win a consolation goal in the dying moments of the game, but Nicole Barrett’s strike found only the crossbar.
Newcastle United 2-0 Sheffield United
Newcastle solidified their place as a competitive Barclays Women’s Championship side during this matchup. One of two new additions to the League this season, the Magpies have demonstrated their intent to stay up.
Already, they are comfortable in their stature and have yet to lose a game. Shania Hayles was once again a standout for Becky Langley’s side, with her assist for Beth Lumsden and later goal securing Newcastle their comfortable win. Even before these contributions, the fast-paced attacker posed a near-constant threat to the Blades’ backline. Claudia Moan has also proved vital to the performance of the rising stars, making consistently impressive saves between the sticks.
Meanwhile, Sheffield United struggle to keep up, still sitting on zero points alongside Portsmouth and Sunderland. Newcastle ran their visitors somewhat ragged, forcing them to defend their box tirelessly.
Southampton FC 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
The only home side not to get a win at the weekend, Remi Allen’s Saints will be disappointed not to have secured a fourth consecutive win. Blackburn Rovers, on the other hand, breathe a sigh of relief as they overtake Bristol City in the standings and pick up their first points of the campaign.
Tensions were high as the fixture’s lone goal came from Farah Crompton in the 35th minute. Putting Blackburn ahead, the forward latched on to a long ball over the top from goalkeeper Alexandra Brooks, and chipped Southampton’s Kayla Rendell to put the ball into the back of the net.
Saints were unable to find an equaliser, bringing the south coast club their first loss of the season, which they will hope to bounce back from swiftly.
This coming weekend will bring another array of Barclays Women’s Championship activity, this time with Bristol City absent from the fixture list as the Robins prepare to continue the search for their first win of the 2024/25 season. The game as exciting as ever, The Halfway Line will continue to provide weekly coverage of the contest.
