Sunday 26th February
FA WSL 2 SPRING SERIES
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Oxford United (Att: 253)
Millwall Lionesses 1-2 Sheffield FC (Att: 107)
Watford 2-3 London Bees (Att: 407)
Bees deliver late sting
London Bees (pictured) went to the top of the WSL 2 Spring Series table, after coming from 2-0 down to win at near neighbours Watford, who had attracted the day’s biggest crowd to their new Kings Langley home.
Rinsola Babajide won a penalty which she got up to hit home past Sophie Harris and give the Golden Girls an interval advantage.
Although that was doubled on 49 minutes when Victoria Neal headed home via a free kick, within seconds of the restart Emma Beckett lobbed the home keeper who was caught off her line.
Ashleigh Goddard volleyed in at the far post to square the match and despite some braves blocks, a goalmouth scramble ended with Jo Wilson smashing the ball high into the net for the winner.
Pictured – Meg Wynne of Millwall battles with Sophie Jones of Sheffield FC. (FA via Getty Images)
Sheffield FC keep Lionesses at bay
Sheffield FC made a winning start to their campaign by hanging on for the three points at Millwall.
The visitors went ahead after just 8 minutes as a cross from Hannah Cain saw Sophie Jones step over it and it crept into the bottom corner.
A crucial couple of minutes saw Millwall’s Sarah Kempson’s force Jules Draycott to turn the ball onto the woodwork, with Jones’ long-range effort on 35 minutes bouncing down of the bar and in, according to the ref’s assistant.
Three minutes later and Ashlee Hincks collected a long ball forward and beat Carla Ward to tuck it into the net and halve the deficit.
But Hincks’ fantastic strike into the goal on 69 minutes was disallowed.
Pictured – Brighton’s Amy Taylor sees her shot saved by Oxford’s Demi Lambourne. (FA via Getty Images)
Oxford off the mark as Brighton draw again
Brighton made it two tied games in the competition, as Oxford went away with a point – a marked improvement on their 10-0 thrashing by Albion in the FA Cup last year.
Oxford Ini Umotong had a sixth-minute effort ruled out for a foul and it was Brighton to score first after 32 minutes, Bronwen Thomas with a deflected effort that looped into the top corner from Kate Natkiel’s pass.
Evie Gane marked her debut by equalising midway through the second half, nutnegging a defender, she cut inside and curled a shot high into the net.
Oxford then went close to a winner as Umotong volleyed against the post and the ball cannoned into the hands of grateful goalie Emma Byrne.
