Bristol City went level on points with title-contenders Birmingham City this weekend in the Barclays Women’s Championship.
Just two points separate sixth and first place in the league standings after another round of clashes. The Halfway Line provides the lowdown on the action, as Blackburn Rovers took points from Sunderland and the Robins made a statement.
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Sunderland
Blackburn and Sunderland got things underway this round, kicking off on Saturday evening at the home of the Rovers.
Jessie Stapleton opened the scoring for Sunderland in the 18th minute, making contact with a stunning corner delivery from Katie Kitching. Another set piece almost saw Sunderland score a second, but somehow it didn’t cross the line.
Emma Taylor found the equaliser for Blackburn early in the second half, this time the hosts were the ones capitalising on a corner.
After Taylor headed it home, both sides searched for the winner and would have to defend rigorously. In the end, the points were shared.
Durham 1-0 Southampton
After early chances at both ends, it was Durham who took the lead 14 minutes in. The fixture’s lone goal came from Mollie Lambert, who dispossessed Chloe Peplow before making a great run forward.
Lambert then beat Fran Stenson at her near post, putting the Wildcats ahead. A close contest ensued, but the scoreline remained unchanged even after six minutes of added time.
The result sees Durham fourth in the league standings, just behind London City Lionesses, whilst the Saints drop down to eighth having now lost their last four matches.
Birmingham City 1-3 Bristol City
A brilliant ball from Jamie-Lee Napier found Lexi Lloyd-Smith in the third minute to bring about the opening goal for the Robins. Lloyd-Smith managed to keep possession, evading Lucy Thomas who was off her line, and slotting it low into the back of the net.
Despite the table toppers’ counter efforts, Ffion Morgan extended the visitors’ lead with an excellent finish in the 38th minute, sending Lloyd-Smith’s cross flashing into the top right corner of goal.
The third goal for Bristol City came early in the second half. Emily Syme played it forward to Morgan, before Lloyd-Smith’s header was saved and Napier was there to tap in the remnants.
The Blues clawed a goal back after a flurry of narrowly-missed chances, with Ellie Mason’s late header from a corner bouncing in.
Charlton Athletic 3-0 Sheffield United
New signing Emma Bissell worked hard to help bring about Charlton’s opener, dribbling inside the box under pressure to aim for the near post before Charlotte Newsham slid in to finish the job.
The dominant Addicks scored again thanks to Ellie Brazil on the rebound, after a great effort from Kiera Skeels following a Jodie Hutton free kick initially stayed out.
Another dangerous delivery of a free kick for Charlton deflected off of Issy Hobson to seal the victory for the London side, whilst the Blades left empty handed.
Newcastle United 3-2 Portsmouth
Shania Hayles provided the first goal of the fixture, a brilliant hit finishing off some well thought-out buildup play by the Magpies.
The hosts doubled their advantage early on in the second half when Hayles secured herself a brace. A great ball forward saw Hayles one-on-one with Hannah Poulter, who could not get to the close-range effort in time.
The game was turned on its head when Sophie Quirk and Riva Casley scored in the 59th and 65th minutes respectively to level the scoreline. Quirk’s shot came from a direct free kick at the edge of the box, hit with force beyond Claudia Moan’s reach.
Casley’s contribution was also from a set piece, as she got her head to a stellar corner to send the ball beyond the goal-line. Pompey’s jubilation was short-lived, however, as Lois Joel’s impressive footwork on the area’s outskirts took her to Demi Stokes, whose strike took a significant deflection to go into the back of the net.
The Halfway Line Player of the Week: Ffion Morgan
Morgan’s role in Bristol City’s statement win over Birmingham City was pivotal. Not only did she score a beauty, but she sent in the dangerous ball to Lloyd-Smith which led to Napier’s goal. Morgan’s versatility and work rate really shone through in this top-of-the-table clash.
The Championship will kick off again at the weekend, the Robins given the chance to recoup this time out. London City Lionesses will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to Portsmouth.
