The Round-Up
Sunday 27th August
August Bank Holiday Sunday saw the FAWPL enter its 2nd round of matches with a full programme in the Southern and South East Division One with 3 sides in both leagues keeping up a 100% winning start.
FAWPL Southern Division
Crystal Palace Ladies started with a huge 9-0 home victory over QPR to see them top of the table in the Southern Division after the opening weekend. Were on the road this Sunday playing newly promoted South West Division One Champions, Chichester City Ladies. Ciara Sherwood opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute, Nikita Whinnett doubled the lead 6 minutes later. Chichester pulled a goal back before half-time through Charley Wilson-Blakely making it 2-1 at the interval. Sherwood only just back with the team after being away on International duty with Northern Ireland scored her 2nd of the game early in the 2nd half to restore Crystal Palace’s 2 goal advantage. Gemma Bryan adding a 4th goal with a little over 10 minutes left. Chichester grabbed a 2nd goal late in the game Gemma Simmonds the scorers to pull it back to 4-2. 2 wins from 2 a great start to the season for Crystal Palace who maintain top position.
Charlton Athletic Women are 2nd after a narrow 2-1 win away to Gillingham FC Ladies at the Priestfield Stadium on Sunday. Taking on their local rivals Charlton took the lead on the half hour mark Charlotte Lee netting the goal. 1-0 the advantage at half-time Gillingham responded 2nd half Kallie Balfour scoring to make the scores level after 49 minutes. Charlton with a number of new faces in their line-up got themselves back into the lead midway through the 2nd half Charley Clifford scoring what would prove to be the winning goal and see Charlton keep up their 100% start.
Also keeping up their 100% winning start are Portsmouth FC Ladies picking up an impressive win away to one of the title favourites Coventry United Ladies. Both having started the season with convincing wins it was Portsmouth who stated the game on the front foot Samantha Quayle giving them the lead in the 10th minute. Portsmouth were 2-0 up just 3 minutes later new signing Rachel Panting scoring. Coventry pulled it back to 2-1 just past the half hour mark Stephanie Smith with the goal. 2-1 the advantage to Portsmouth going into the 2nd half both sides had further chances but no more goals were scored Portsmouth claiming the 3 points their 1st on the road since October.
A 7 goal thriller at the West Ham Training Ground with West Ham United Ladies coming out on top at home to Cardiff City Ladies who begin the campaign with 2 straight losses. The advantage 2-1 to West Ham at half-time thanks to goals from Paige Anderson-Smith and Amber Stobbs. Both sides scoring twice more in a thrilling 2nd half, Molly Peters and Anderson-Smith with her 2nd of the game enough to secure West Ham’s 1st 3 points of the campaign winning 4-3. A goal for Chloe O’Connor along with a brace for Cori Williams for Cardiff City’s goals.
Queens Park Rangers, Elly Maggs
Lewes FC Women came back from a goal down to secure a point at home to Essex side C&K Basildon Ladies at The Dripping Pan on Sunday. After playing a goalless 1st half it was the visitors who would take the lead Angela Addison sending the ball into the back of the net inside the opening 5 minutes of the 2nd half. The lead however lasted a little over 10 minutes as new signing Amy Taylor put Lewes back on level terms capitalising as Basildon failed to clear the ball from their box striking the ball sweetly on the half volley across the keeper into the back of the net. Lewes had a shout for a penalty that wasn’t given as the sides shared the points.
It is probably too early in the season to say a game is a 6 pointer however having both been involved in the relegation battle that ultimately wasn’t last season QPR Ladies and Swindon Town Ladies both started their season with a heavy defeat. Playing each other this Sunday QPR at home in Uxbridge to Swindon Town Ladies got their 1st 3 points on the board with a 2-0 win. Captain Elly Maggs netting both goals her 1st just before half-time the 2nd midway through the 2nd half to see the points secured moving QPR up into 8th position.
FAWPL South East Division One
Only two games into the FAWPL season and in South East Division One, Actonians Ladies have a massive +17 goal difference. Beginning their 3rd season at this level progressed rapidly after starting well then slumping into trouble in their 1st season to a confident top half performance last season have started this campaign with 2 wins from 2. Both games at home against the newly promoted sides, thumping Haringey Borough Women 13-0 on the opening day were taking on Leyton Orient WFC this Sunday who had started the season with a solid performance to earn a point away to Cambridge United WFC in their opening fixture.
Brimming with confidence from their opening day win Actonians got themselves into a 3-0 half-time lead. Adding 2 more goals 2nd half, Alessandra Barreca adding 2 more goals to the 5 she scored on the opening day, goals too for Sinthujah Sooriyakumar (I always cheer when I get the spelling right and no red line flags up underneath her name!) Jessica Byrne and substitute Katrina Duncan the final score 5-1. Egle Trezzi scoring the goal for Leyton Orient in the 2nd half.
Luton Town Ladies are 2nd in the table maintaining their 100% winning start away from home playing Enfield Town Ladies on Sunday. Found themselves 1-0 down at Donkey Lane early on as Nuala McKevitt scored to put Enfield in front, came back to lead 2-1 at half-time with Dionne Manning and Joanna Rutherford both scoring, no more goals 2nd half as Luton went on to claim the 3 points.
Also keeping up their 100% winning start to the season are Ipswich Town Ladies coming out on top of a close contest at home to Stevenage Ladies with Lindsey Cooper scoring the only goal of the game 10 minutes into the 2nd half to win the 3 points for the Suffolk side after their 3-1 win away to AFC Wimbledon Ladies on the opening weekend.
AFC Wimbledon Ladies recovered from that opening day defeat to win their 1st 3 points of the season at home at the weekend playing rivals Milton Keynes Dons Ladies who were held to a draw on the opening day against Denham United Ladies. Caroline Bisson scoring for Wimbledon in the 6th minute Rebecca Sargent scoring a 2nd goal on 17 minutes the lead was 3-1 to AFC Wimbledon at half-time with Kelly-Jade Whelan adding a 3rd goal with 3 minutes left on the clock. Milton Keynes scored another but the 3 points were secured with Whelan adding her 2nd and Wimbledon’s 4th with 10 minutes left to play. Charly Wright and Charly Clarke scoring for Milton Keynes. The two sides meet again this weekend drawn together in the Determining Round of the FAWPL Cup.
Building on their opening day draw at home to Leyton Orient WFC, Cambridge United WFC picked up the 3 points away from home to Denham United Ladies at the weekend. New signing striker Emma Whitter scoring her 1st competitive goal for her new club in the 17th minute to put Cambridge in front. Denham came back into it drawing level shortly afterwards Jenny Banfield making it 1-1. Cambridge were soon back in front with Nuala Wayne netting on 23 minutes to see Cambridge leading 2-1 at the break. 15 minutes into the 2nd half Wayne was on target again with her 2nd to give Cambridge a 3-1 lead and take all 3 point lift them up into 4th position.
A 1st half hat-trick from Chelsea Garrett saw Norwich City well on the way to their 1st 3 points of the season at home at Plantation Park in their 2nd game of the campaign at home to newly promoted Haringey Borough Women. Scoring in the 7th, 25th and 35th minute Garrett putting Norwich in control aided by Aimee Durrant the winger scoring a brace her 1st to make it 2-0 on the 23rd minute added a her 2nd in 1st half injury time to make it 5-0. Charlotte Broad scored early in the 2nd half with Natasha Snelling coming off the bench in the 54th minute making it 7-0 3 minutes later. 7-0 the final score Norwich have already scored more than half the goals they did in the whole of the last campaign as they climb up to 5th place.
Next weekend the action turns to the Determining Round of the FAWPL Cup.