The Round-Up
Sunday 8th Oct
FAWPL Southern Division
With the FAWPL Division One sides entering the FA Women’s Cup this weekend the league action from the FAWPL comes just from the Southern Division a full programme with all 12 sides in action. It was 1st versus 3rd at Thamesmead with Charlton Athletic Women winning all of their previous 7 league games at the start of the season taking on Crystal Palace Ladies who had matched them early on a draw then a defeat away to Lewes FC Women seeing them lose ground in the table, a loss today against Charlton would see the extended to 11 points. Two sides who not only score plenty of goals but also have the best defensive records in the Southern Division too conceding just the 7 goals between them. Always likely to be a tight affair the sides couldn’t be separated at the break. The winning goal coming as the game was approaching the last 15 minutes scored by Charlotte Gurr fresh from her hat-trick away to Cardiff City Ladies making it 1-0 to Charlton Athletic Women seeing them clinch an 8th straight league win go 7 points clear of the rest of the field.
That is because 2nd placed Lewes FC Women also dropped points at the weekend however they remain unbeaten in 7 league matches. At home on Sunday playing Chichester City Ladies it was the visitors who opened the scoring Charley Wilson-Blakely netting on 27 minutes went on to score another to put Chichester 2-0 4 minutes later. Lewes came back into the game Leeta Rutherford pulling it back to 2-1 on 40 minutes then a minute before the half-time whistle it was 2-2 Danielle Lane getting Lewes’ goal. 2nd half both sides had chances to take the lead but none were taken, Lewes remain 2nd in the table Chichester 6th.
Portsmouth FC Ladies were the side previously occupying 6th spot in the Southern Division table going into Sunday’s matches at home to Gillingham FC Ladies Nadine Bazan scored to opening goal of the game inside the 1st 5 minutes to see Portsmouth lead held the advantage going into half-time. Samantha Quayle doubling Portsmouth’s lead 5 minutes into the 2nd half went on to score again 10 minutes later to put Portsmouth 3-0 up. Jenny Newman netting late on to pull one back for Gillingham. Portsmouth claiming the 3 points and climbing up to 4th in the table.
Coventry United Ladies after suffering 2 successive defeats earlier in the season are off the pace at the top end of the table however are regaining momentum unbeaten in 3 games in the league recorded a 2nd successive win this Sunday hosting another side in good form C&K Basildon Ladies. Alison Hall scoring to put Coventry into the lead midway through the 1st half. 1-0 the advantage at the break. Coventry went 2-0 through a Helen Dermody goal, C&K Basildon pulling a goal back Therese Addison with her 1st goal of the season. Coventry made it 3-1 with 10 minutes left adding a 4th late on to win the game Helen Dermody with both goals to complete a hat-trick.
Elsewhere in the Southern Division the final 2 games saw the bottom 4 meet each other Queens Park Rangers Ladies at home to Cardiff City Ladies both with just the 1 win so far this season a big 3 points on offer for whichever sides could claim them. Cardiff got off to a great start Zoe Atkins scoring 2 goals in the opening quarter hour to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage. Laura Hennessy pulled it back to 2-1 for Queens Park Rangers on 22 minutes. That the score going into the half-time interval. Two quickfire goals from Cardiff early in the 2nd half from captain Cori Williams and Ella Powell put them in control with a 4-1 lead. Queens Park Rangers battled hard to get back into the game Kasha Petit scoring with 10 minutes left. Rae Roberts set up a tense finished to the game as she made it 4-3 with 88 played. Cardiff held out however to return to Wales with the 3 points.
West Ham United Ladies also had just the one win under their belts going into the weekend were hosting bottom side Swindon Town Ladies still in search of a point of any kind in the league. Hannah Wheeler set thing’s in motion for the hosts scoring for West Ham on 19 minutes. Molly Peters saw West Ham into a 2-0 half-time lead. Paige Anderson-James firing in a brace on 66 and 75 minutes seeing West Ham get a firm grip on the 3 points. Kelly Weathall making it 5-0 2 minutes later to see West Ham move onto 6 points 3 clear of the bottom 2.