Still very early days in the Suffolk Women’s Division with the 9 sides only playing a handful of games to date, Walsham Le Willows still to get off the mark. 3 sides starting with 2 wins from 2 to lead the way, East Bergholt United Ladies top of the table on goal difference after an opening game 9-0 win was a much closer game this weekend at home to Ipswich Athletic Ladies the sides going into half-time drawing 1-1 East Bergholt United going on to win the game 2-1 in the 2nd half their goalscorers, Jessica Clark and Charlotte McGrath. Madeleine Fairbrother with the 1st half strike for Ipswich Athletic.
Brantham Athletic Ladies are 2nd in the Suffolk Women’s Division after coming back to win at home against Bacton United Ladies who had knocked them out of the league cup last weekend. Bacton United playing their 1st league game of the season were leading 2-0 at half-time thanks to a brace from Lois Balfour. Brantham Athletic launched a 2nd half comeback getting back on level terms then going on to win 3-2. Kirsten Hutchings, Jodie Sharp and Shanice Leeks with the goals.
Also making it 2 wins from 2 to start the season with 6 points a new side AFC Kesgrave Ladies again winning a close game 3-2 at home to Leiston St Margarets Ladies. A brace from Ashley Bustos along with a goal from Christy Fraser seeing AFC Kesgrave take the 3 points, Leiston St Margarets goals scored by Lucy Eagle and Michelle Stansborough.
Billericay Town Ladies continue to set the pace in the ERWFL Premier Division as they record their 5th straight win at the start of the season. At home this Sunday were taking on 4th placed Bedford Ladies a close game between the 2 sides Billericay edging Bedford to the 3 points courtesy of a 3-2 win. Sally Appleton, Lauren Knight and captain Lindsey Morgan with the goals for the Essex side. Michelle Byrne and Olivia-Rose Cunningham scoring for Bedford.
2 points back in 2nd spot also undefeated this season in the ERWFL Premier Division are Writtle Ladies recording a 4th straight win away to Lowestoft Town Ladies this Sunday and in doing so doubled their goals scored tally in the process. A heavy defeat for Lowestoft Town Ladies who after winning 2 games in a row finding some form started the 2nd game in a row with just 9 available. Tough enough against any side but up against an in form side like Writtle it was too much. Leanne Stubbings finding the back of the net for 4 goals in the match top scored. There were hat-trick each for Sophie Vale and Ellie Bowdidge. Courtney Clarke and captain Abigail Fry both scoring twice with Charlotte Bryant also on target in a 15-0 win.
Acle United Ladies travelled down to Essex to play bottom side Colchester Town Ladies at the weekend having bolstered an already strong squad with 3 new faces during the week. A full squad travelling Acle took the lead in the 10th minute Megan Todd putting them 1-0 up. Colchester got back on level terms. Acle with more possession went on to retake the lead midway through the half Grace Birchall scoring added another 3 minutes before half-time to see Acle lead 3-1. Todd scored her 2nd of the game 9 minutes into the 2nd half to extend Acle’s lead. Kate Pasque scored from a free-kick to make it 5-1 to Acle. Rebecca Donnelly pulled a goal back for Colchester with 20 minutes left. Birchall getting her hat-trick in the final minute sealing a 6-2 win.
Colney Heath Ladies climb up to 4th in the Premier Division table after scoring late to get a point at home to Royston Town Ladies on Sunday the visitors coming into the game off the back of a high scoring 1st win of the season. Took the lead late in the 1st half Becky Shephard putting the ball into the back of the net. 1-0 the advantage to Royston for much of the 2nd half both sides creating chances, awarded a free-kick Colney Heath found an equalising goal Victoria Allen on the end of the set-piece sending the ball home to make it 1-1 the points shared enough to take Colney Heath from 6th to 4th.
A much needed 2nd win of the season for Cambridge City Ladies takes them away from the bottom of the Premier Division table up to 7th as they edged out visitors AFC Dunstable Ladies to the 3 points, a goal from Bella Simmons along with an own goal sealing a 2-1 victory. Chelsea Forde scoring for Dunstable who drop to 10th in the table.
Also a much needed win for AFC Sudbury Ladies who had just one win previously in the league dropping to 2nd bottom were away to Brentwood Town Ladies on Sunday returning home to Suffolk with all 3 points after a brace from Charlene Roach saw them win the game 2-1 and climb up to 8th in the Premier Division. Leah Cowan scoring the goal for Brentwood.
A brace from Charlene Roach secures the 3 points for AFC Sudbury Ladies
ERWFL Division One North
Ipswich Wanderers Ladies climb to the top of the ERWFL Division One North table after a a 2-0 home win over previously unbeaten King’s Lynn Town Ladies. A goal each for Jessica and Michelle Taylor-Allum seeing the home side to the win their 3rd of the season taking them to 10 points have played more than anyone else but is proving to be a competitive league early on.
Ipswich Town Ladies Development are starting to find their feet at a higher level after suffering 4 straight losses have been improving and picked up their 1st win of the season at home to Cambridge United WFC Reserves at the weekend. leading 2-0 at half-time with Emily Steward scoring both goals. Cambridge improved 2nd half scoring twice, Ruth Fox with her 1st goal for the club along with Ebony Rule. Steward completing her hat-trick winning the match for Ipswich 3-2.
ERWFL Division One South
Stevenage Ladies Reserves have started the ERWFL Division One South season very strongly scoring lots of goals 4 wins in a row to top the table were in ruthless form away to Bishops Stortford Ladies on Sunday scoring 20 goals without reply in their previous 3 league matches. Hit Bishops Stortford for 16 without reply, Hannah Marshall scoring 5 goals in the game, Emily Scofield with a hat-trick. Daniela Martucci, Becky Day and Holly Darling all getting a brace. Naomi Sleator and Rebecca Brooker also on the scoresheet taking Stevenage to 36 goals from just 4 games zero conceded looking strong. A result to forget for Bishops Stortford onto the next one.
Little Thurrock Dynamos Ladies also maintain a 100% winning start to the league albeit this weekends game just their 2nd in ERWFL Division One South. Away to Hertford Town Ladies a double for Georgia Fraser securing the 3 points taking them into 3rd place in the table.
ERWFL League Cup
Two games scheduled to be played in the 1st Round of the ERWFL League Cup this Sunday, Histon Ladies were awarded the win against Silver End United Ladies after their opponents couldn’t field a side. Elsewhere it was an all Division One South tie with Hoddesdon Town Owls Ladies hosting Harlow Town Ladies. Abbey Dell scoring in the 1st minute for Harlow Town, Chloe Bassett adding a 2nd deep into 1st half injury time. Frances Gamble wrapping up a 3-1 win for the visitors 3 minutes from time to see Harlow advance in the competition.
Charlton Athletic Women remain 5 points clear at the top of the FAWPL Southern Division as they extend their 100% winning start to the season to 7 games. In Wales this Sunday away to Cardiff City Ladies. Charlotte Gurr scoring a 1st half 20 minute hat-trick for Charlton all free-kicks putting the visitors in control of the game 3-0 the advantage at the break. Cardiff scored 10 minutes into the 2nd half Cori Williams with the goal but couldn’t find another to pressure Charlton winning 3-1.
Lewes FC Women extend their winning run to 6 games in league and cup to keep hold of 2nd in the FAWPL Southern Division table. Winning by their biggest margin so far at home to West Ham United Ladies who announced their intention to apply for a place in the new look FAWSL 1 this week. Work to do on the field before then however as their run is the complete opposite to Lewes now 6 straight defeats in the league. Looked to be heading in goalless on Sunday until Leeta Rutherford found the back of the net for Lewes with 2 minutes of the half left to play. Katie McIntyre doubled the lead for Lewes 10 minutes into the 2nd half. Rebecca Carter coming off the bench scoring to seal a 3-0 win with 5 minutes left to play.
In cup action last Sunday, Crystal Palace Lades returned to league action with a tough home game against Portsmouth FC Ladies. Gemma Bryan is in a hot streak of form and that continued as she scored a goal in each half for Crystal Palace on 26 & 82 minutes to see them secure another 3 points with a 2-0 win that keeps them ahead of C&K Basildon Ladies in 3rd place on goal difference.
C&K Basildon keep pace with Crystal Palace picking up their 4th league win of the campaign at home to Queens Park Rangers this Sunday a single goal enough to take all 3 points scored in the opening 15 minutes by captain Zoe Rushen.
Chichester City Ladies climb up to 5th in the FAWPL Southern Division table coming out on top in a high scoring game away to bottom side Swindon Town Ladies. Charley Wilson-Blakely put Chichester into the lead 20 minutes into the 1st half. Hollie Wride firing home to make t 2-0 8 minutes later. Wilson -Blakely netting for her 2nd goal with 10 minutes of the 1st half left. Cherelle Khassel scoring a couple of minutes later to see Chichester leading 4-0. Swindon reduced the deficient with a goal in 1st half injury time Abby Picton scoring. Didn’t take long into the the 2nd half for Wilson-Blakely to complete her hat-trick. 5-1 the lead Swindon mounted a comeback Mia Mugford scoring in the 54th minute. Two quickfire goals in the 62nd & 64th minute from Annie Martin & Sophie Barrett pulling it back to 5-4 game on. 16 year old Alex Collinghan scoring her 1st senior goal for Chichester to make it 6-4 then Khassel scored her 2nd of the match to see Chichester win the game 7-4.
An indifferent start to the season for Coventry United down in 8th place in the Southern Division table built on last weekends point earned away to Crystal Palace with a big win away to Gillingham FC Ladies this weekend. Alison Hall putting the visitors in front in the 11th minute. Goals from Marie Gauntlett and Amber Hughes midway through the 1st half seeing Coventry leading 3-0 at the break. In control of the game the goals continued to come 2nd half. Hughes scoring her 2nd goal of the game 5 minutes into the 2nd half. Gauntlett also with her 2nd of the game on 54 minutes. Helen Dermody and Leah Seivwright extending the lead to 7-0 with a goal each going into the final 15 minutes, Gauntlett going on to not only complete her hat-trick but score 4 goals in the match the final score 9-0.
FAWPL South East Division One
The battle at the top of FAWPL South East Division One is very intense. 5 straight league wins keep AFC Wimbledon Ladies at the top of the table the latest coming away from home against Stevenage Ladies this Sunday. An early goal from Laura Quinn-Low giving AFC Wimbledon the lead. Quinn-Low netting another goal late in the 1st half, time for Stevenage to find a reply a goal line scramble seeing captain Donna McGuigan reducing Wimbledon’s advantage back to 2-1 at the break. Continued to be a close game 2nd half Rebecca Sargent making sure of all 3 points for Wimbledon scoring their 3rd goal in the final 10 minutes.
Newly promoted Leyton Orient continue their fine start to the season a 4th straight league win to keep them 2nd 2 points behind AFC Wimbledon. Travelled up to Norfolk this Sunday to play Norwich City Ladies. Sophie Le Marchand putting Leyton Orient into the lead on 16 minutes the advantage didn’t last long Norwich equalising 5 minutes later Millie Davies scoring to make it 1-1. That the score going int half-time. Leyton Orient retook the lead 6 minutes into the 2nd half Lisa Holmbeck on target, that was quickly followed by 2 more goals Sarka Stryhalova and Danielle Griffiths extending the lead to 4-1. Charlotte Broad scored for Norwich with 15 minutes left to reduce the lead, before Stryhalova hit her 2nd goal of the game to see Leyton Orient secure a 5-2 win.
Looked like it would be a close contest on paper and so proved on the pitch with a single goal winning the match between Ipswich Town Ladies at home to Actonians Ladies. 3rd placed Ipswich keeping pace with the leaders with the 1-0 win the goalscorer Roxanne Small.
A hat-trick for Cambridge’s Amber Cantwell this weekend
4th placed Milton Keynes Dons Ladies also clinched another 3 points at the weekend but left it very late to do so away to Luton Town Ladies. The home side taking the lead in the match Jess Mckay with the goal to see the lead 1-0 at half-time. New signing Laura Mills from Cambridge United WFC scored her 1st goal for her new club to make it 1-1 in the 2nd half them deep into injury time Charly Wright fired home a free-kick to score the winner for Milton Keynes to see them keep it a 3 way tie on 13 points between 2nd & 4th.
Cambridge United WFC have been the draw specialists in South East Division One so far this season hard to beat have just the one win prior to this weekends home match were taking on bottom side Haringey Borough Women. Both Kelley Blanchflower and Amber Cantwell new signings this season scored their 1st goals for Cambridge both netting a hat-trick in the game. There was also a hat-trick for another new addition Amy Howlett. Defender Emma Jenkins also on the scoresheet with her 3rd of the season. Captain Laura Bright and substitute Lauren Gibson also scoring a goal a piece in a thumping 12-2 win that see them climb to 5th in the table. Julia Carruthers and Shanice Nourrice scoring Haringey’s goals.
The last game to bring you from South East Division One saw Enfield Town Ladies hosting rivals Denham United Ladies. A goal late in the 1st half from Annie Hewitt saw Denham United take a lead into the dressing room at half-time. Enfield hit back 11 minutes into the 2nd half Danielle Smith levelling the scores the way in remained both sides gaining a much needed point taking them further away from the bottom two.
