The Round-Up
Sunday 26th August
FAWNL Southern Premier Division
August Bank Holiday weekend saw the 2nd round of league fixtures across the FAWNL Southern Premier Division and South East Division One with newly promoted sides leading the way in both divisions after Sunday’s results. A wet afternoon across the whole of the East very few if any games avoided a drenching.
Loughborough Foxes Women lead the way in the Southern Premier Division jointly with Portsmouth FC Women, making it 2 wins from 2 at the start of the season. Last season’s Midlands Division One Champions were away to former FAWSL 2 side Watford Ladies on Sunday. Rebecca Knight heading Loughborough into the lead in the 22nd minute. Kate Lowder with a strike from the edge of the box making it 2-0 to the visitors 6 minutes later. 2-0 the lead at the break, Watford were far from out of the game chances for both sides 2nd half Leanne Bell pulled it back to 2-1 inside the final 15 minutes for Watford, just 2 minutes later though Loughborough countered to restore their 2 goal cushion, Charlotte Cooper on as a 2nd half substitute making it 3-1, a result that sees Loughborough lead a three-way tie at the top on 6 points.
Goal difference and goals scored identical after 2 matches played Portsmouth FC Women match Loughborough with 2 wins from 2 at the start of the season. At home this Sunday on the South Coast were taking on Gillingham FC Ladies. The sides looked to be going in goalless at the half-time interval until Gillingham broke the deadlock scoring from a free kick late on, Maddison Chamney-Farrand with the goal. Portsmouth were quick out of the blocks 2nd half with Shannon Albuery levelling the scores with a minute played. Portsmouth then went on to take the lead in the 58th minute Katie James on the scoresheet. Jade Bradley striking from long distance to make it 3-1 to Portsmouth 5 minutes later. Daisy McLachlan netting in the final 10 minutes to seal a 4-1 victory.
Also making it 2 wins from 2 at the start of the season are Chichester City Ladies. Travelled west to play newly promoted Plymouth Argyle Ladies on Sunday. Their new signings doing the damage Molly Clark having opened her account for Chichester in their 1st match of the season added a brace to her tally against Plymouth, with Helen Ogle previously with QPR Women also netting her 1st goal for the club in a 3-0 away victory.
A goalless draw for Coventry United Ladies n their opening match of the season away to Gillingham they were once again on the road again this Sunday a shorter journey to Stadium MK to play newly promoted Milton Keynes Dons Ladies. Chenise Austin putting Coventry into the lead in the 20th minute. Marie Gauntlett struck to double Coventry’s advantage with 10 minutes of the 1st half left. The result made more comfortable on the hour mark with Lois Jefferies putting the ball in on the rebound after a strike from Marie Gauntlett had come back to her off the post. Coventry move up to 4th with the 3-0 win.
Cardiff City Ladies climb up to 5th in the fledgling Southern Premier Division table with a comfortable 5-0 away win against Essex side C&K Basildon Ladies on Sunday. A strong 1st half for the side from Wales, Kylie Nolan putting Cardiff into the lead inside the opening 2 minutes. A quick fire double from Hannah Miles midway through the 1st half further extended Cardiff’s lead with Cori Williams striking on 40 minutes to see Cardiff leading 4-0 at half-time. Alice Griffiths on target with a goal in the 2nd half to see Cardiff claim their 1st win of season.
A first win of the season to for Oxford United Women away to Queens Park Rangers Women on Sunday, the former FAWSL 2 side now 6th in the Southern Premier Division table as a result. All the goals coming in the 1st half Georgia Timms putting Oxford into the lead on 27 minutes. Kerry Walklett and Florence Fyfe both on target late in the half to put Oxford in full control.
FAWNL South East Division One
What are the odds of the two sides newly promoted to a league leading the way with 2 wins from 2 each at the start of the season? Long I should imagine but that is the case in FAWNL South East Division One with both Billericay Town Ladies and Crawley Wasps Ladies taking maximum points from their opening fixtures.
Billericay started the season with a 3-0 away win at Denham United Ladies. Were at home for the 1st time this Sunday taking on Stevenage Ladies who had started with a 5-2 win themselves. The away side short of numbers going into the Bank Holiday weekend fixture just the bare 11. Billericay with a good start Samantha Pittock (who I called Puttock in the Round-Up last time out) handed the Essex side the lead scoring in the opening 5 minutes. Zoe Rushen doubling Billericay’s lead in the 10th minute. Nicole Emmings scored for Stevenage to see them trail 2-1 at the break. 2nd half Billericay took full control Jay Blackie with a brace scoring on 56 & 66 minutes making it 4-1, Pittock adding her 2nd of the game as the last 15 minutes loomed, Lucy Jones with a long range effort into the top corner sealing a 6-1 win in the 82nd minute.
Crawley Wasps Ladies also started the season with 2 wins from 2 but it was a much closer affair this time out away to Enfield Town Ladies. Both sides having started the season with a 5-1 win. For over 80 minutes the two sides had been locked at 0-0, the winning goal coming 6 minutes from time Rachel Palmer sending home a free-kick to send Crawley home with the 3 points.
Cambridge United Women climb into 3rd position in the South East Division One table with there 1st win of the season away to Leyton Orient WFC on Sunday. A 2nd successive away day to the capital having earned a point away to AFC Wimbledon Ladies on the opening weekend. Striker Kelley Blanchflower scoring to put Cambridge into the lead late in the 1st half. New signing Becky Shephard opened her Cambridge account lobbing the ball over the keeper from the top of the box to make it 2-0 to the visitors in the 2nd half, with Blanchflower on target again for her 2nd of the game to seal a 3-0 victory.
Cambridge’s Kelley Blanchflower opened her account with a brace on Sunday
AFC Wimbledon Ladies drawing with Cambridge on the opening day also got their 1st 3 point haul of the season this Sunday, away to Luton Town Ladies. The hosts taking an early lead in the match however Rachel Carter with the goal to put Luton 1-0 up. Sophie Manzi getting Wimbledon back on level terms midway through the 1st half, less than 10 minutes later the visitors were in front Sian Wylie finding the back of the net. 2-1 the lead to Wimbledon at the break it wasn’t until 4 minutes from time that the visitors made the 3 points secure Manzi with her 2nd goal of the match sealing the 3-1 win.
A 5-1 loss to newcomers Crawley Wasps Ladies on the opening day of the season Ipswich Town Women bounced back with a fine 2nd half performance to claim their 1st win of the season this time away to Actonians Ladies. It was the home side holding the advantage at half-time however Mariko Eagles getting the goal on the half hour for Actonians. Ipswich responding well Nicole Pannifer levelling the scores for the Suffolk side 20 minutes into the 2nd half just 3 minutes later Ipswich were ahead Zoe Cossey with the strike to make it 2-1. New signing Paige Wakefield previously with C&K Basildon Ladies struck to make it 3-1 to Ipswich with 15 minutes left. Natasha Thomas slotting home from the penalty spot to make it 4-1 to Ipswich in the 78th minute with another summer recruit Laken Ducher-Clarke also from C&K Basildon adding a goal in final moments of the game to secure a 5-1 win.
In the final game to report on from the FAWNL South East Division One, Norwich City Ladies were denied all 3 points thanks to a late equaliser by visitors Denham United Ladies on Sunday. Both sides starting the season with a loss Denham United were to take the lead on 10 minutes with Annie Hewitt getting the visitors goal. Norwich were quick to respond levelling the score less than 5 minutes later, striker Chelsea Garrett sending the ball home to make it 1-0. That the score at the break Norwich went on to take the lead in the game with a little over 10 minutes left to play Garrett on target for her 2nd of the game. The 3 points denied late on however a Denham came back to level the score with just 2 minutes left on the clock, Joanne Torr making it 2-2 to see both sides claim their 1st point of the season.