The Barclays Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship have announced April’s Player, Manager, and Goal of the Month award winners.
London City Lionesses lifted the Championship silverware on Sunday, and Chelsea have already laid claim on their sixth consecutive WSL title.
With the Championship all wrapped up and the WSL’s final weekend fast-approaching, here are the results of last month’s vote, decided by a combination of the public and a panel of experts.
WSL Player of the Month
West Ham United’s Shekiera Martinez has been named as Player of the Month for a second consecutive month having secured the accolade in March.
Her superb goalscoring form continued throughout April with her finding the back of the net four times in one game as the Hammers ran out emphatic 7-1 winners over Crystal Palace.
Notching a first-half hat-trick against the Eagles, the striker saw off competition from Michelle Agyemang (Brighton), Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Chasity Grant and Kirsty Hanson (Aston Villa) to add another Player of the Month trophy to her mantelpiece.
WSL Manager of the Month
Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo has secured her first ever Manager of the Month accolade courtesy of an impressive month for the Villans.
April saw Arroyo lead her team to victories over North London’s Tottenham Hotspur (3-2) and Arsenal (5-2).
WSL Goal of the Month
Viviane Asseyi’s strike against Crystal Palace has been voted as Goal of the Month.
Finding the back of the net from distance, Asseyi’s stunner was voted as April’s winning strike, seeing off the challenge of Kirsty Hanson, Catarina Macario, Katja Snoeijs, Jess Park and teammate Shekiera Martinez.
Championship Player of the Month
Birmingham City’s Simone Magill has been voted Player of the Month following an impressive April for the Blues.
Scoring three goals last month to keep Birmingham in the Barclays Women’s Championship title race until the final day of the campaign, the striker notched twice in a 3-1 victory over Durham and a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.
Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses), Sophie Quirk (Portsmouth) and Beth Lumsden (Newcastle United) were also in the running, but Magill emerged victorious overall.
Championship Manager of the Month
The League Managers’ Association have announced that Newcastle United’s Becky Langley has been voted Manager of the Month for April by a panel of Faye White, Mo Marley MBE, Brent Hills, Jen O’Neill, Alan Curbishley, and Mollie Kmita.
The Magpies enjoyed an unbeaten month in April, boasting an emphatic 6-0 win over Blackburn Rovers and 1-1 draws with Charlton Athletic and promotion chasing Birmingham City respectively to solidify their position in the top half of the Barclays Women’s Championship table.
Championship Goal of the Month
Sunderland’s Ellen Jones secured the Goal of the Month accolade for her goal against Bristol City – making it back-to-back successes in this category for the North East outfit.
Player of the Month contenders Lumsden and Goodwin, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (London City Lionesses), Megan Hornby (Portsmouth) and Hannah Blake (Durham) also saw efforts in contention, but Jones’ volley was chosen by the public.
