Rovers Roll On, Spurs Retake Southern Top Spot

Sunday 12th February 
FA PREMIER LEAGUE

NORTHERN DIVISION
Blackburn Rovers 5-1 Middlesbrough (Att: 103)
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Newcastle United 
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester City Women (Att: 114)  
Stoke City 2-1 Derby County (Att: 102)
West Bromwich Albion P-P Bradford City 

SOUTHERN DIVISION
C&K Basildon P-P Crystal Palace 
Cardiff City LFC 0-2 Charlton Athletic (Att: 115)
Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Coventry United 
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Lewes 
West Ham United 1-1 Portsmouth 

MIDLANDS DIVISION 1
Long Eaton United P-P Wolverhampton Wanderers 
Loughborough Students 2-2 Birmingham & West Midlands (abandoned on 76 mins)
Rotherham United P-P Loughborough Foxes 
Solihull P-P Leicester City Ladies 
Sporting Khalsa P-P Steel City Wanderers 
The New Saints P-P Radcliffe Olympic 

NORTHERN DIVISION 1
Chester le Street Town P-P Guiseley Vixens 
Chorley 1-2 Mossley Hill Athletic
Crewe Alexandra 3-0 Morecambe 
Hull City 2-2 Liverpool Marshall Feds 
Leeds 5-1 Blackpool Wren Rovers 

SOUTH EAST DIVISION 1
Gillingham 10-1 Luton Town 
Actonians P-P AFC Wimbledon 
Cambridge United P-P Ipswich Town 
Enfield Town 2-0 Denham United 
Norwich City P-P Milton Keynes Dons 
Stevenage 0-1 Lowestoft Town 

SOUTH WEST DIVISION 1
Basingstoke Town 2-6 Keynsham Town 
Brislington 6-0 Exeter City 
Chichester City 3-0 Maidenhead United 
Larkhall Athletic 0-4 Plymouth Argyle 
Southampton Saints 3-2 Cheltenham Town 
St Nicholas 3-1 Shanklin 

Pictured – Blackburn celebrate – (Photo: rovers co.uk)

Northern Division – Rovers running away with the title?

Blackburn must be at least odds on for the Northern title, having added a 5-1 thrashing of second-placed Middlesbrough to their already strong position. Ellie Stewart’s first goal for the club was added to by Ella Toone and Faye McCoy before Emma Foster pulled one back. Lynda Shepherd and Natasha Fenton then both struck to seal the points.  

Stoke City went fourth after coming from behind to defeat Derby, who missed a penalty. Hannah Ward found the net from distance but Hollie Gibson proded home a quick equaliser and Ann-Marie Atherton made it 2-1 on 50 minutes. County could not reply as Molly Johnson and Natalie Reay both hit the woodwork and Samantha Griffiths failed to convert from the spot.

Nottingham Forest shared the points with Leicester in an East Midlands derby. City led at the break through Alex Madden but Katie Lowder turned the game around with two powerful finishes, with the visitors then pulling level. 

Huddersfield rose to seventh with a 2-0 win over basement side Newcastle, Kate Mallin scoring in each half.

Southern Division – Spurs take advantage of Charlton checking Cardiff progress

Tottenham resumed the Southern leadership with a 2-0 result against Lewes, Wendy Martin bagging a brace. Breaking the deadlock at the second attempt on 34 minutes, Martin got the second with 5 minutes to go, flicking home Jenna Schillaci’s inswinging corner.

Charlton (pictured top) went second with an impressive 2-0 victory at morning leaders Cardiff – who now slip to fourth. Kit Graham headed in an Avilla Bergin cross at the near post on 13 minutes and later hit the bar, Cardiff were twice denied by the woodwork before Gemma Shepherd headed down for Graham to get her second.

Coventry are third on goal-difference after a 2-0 win at QPR, where they made it eight straight clean sheets in all competitions. Ashleigh Neville tapped in after a free kick 4 minutes before half time and shortly after, Amber Hughes crossed for Alison Hall to slide the ball home.

West Ham were denied all three points by Portsmouth’s late leveller but move off the foot of the table at Rangers expense. A Molly Peters goal looked like it might be bringing only the Hammers’ second win of the season until Gemma Hillier cancelled it out.

Midlands Division 1 – If it wasn’t postponed, it got abandoned.

The only Midlands Division 1 game to survive was Loughborough Students versus Birmingham & West Midlands and with the scores at 2-2 after 74 minutes, the match was abandoned due to a head injury for the hosts – but the result may stand. Lowly Lougborough scored first, Justine Buckmire responded with two goal before the scores were levelled.

Pictured – Mossley Hill in their new kit. (Photo: @mossleylfc)

Northern Division 1 – Mossley stun Chorley

Top of the table Chorley slipped to a shock 2-1 home reverse by Mossley Hill, who finished with ten players and now climb out of the drop zone. Hull and Liverpool Feds didn’t make the most of that by drawing 2-2, although the Feds will be more relieved having twice come from behind, as Charlotte Gill and Amy Seagraves netted. Leeds put five past Blackpool Wren Rovers to go fifth, despite having conceded the first goal. Arianne Parnham equalised, Veatriki Sarri bagged a brace, Harrier Jakeman and Simona Petkova got one each. Crewe stepped clear of danger with a 3-0 victory over Morecambe, as Laura Garner, Beth Grice and Georgia Stebbings all got on the scoresheet second half.

South East Division 1 – Gillingham hit double-figures

Gillingham are fourth after hammering mid-table Luton 10-1, whose Joanne Rutherford scored after Fliss Gibbons and April Bowers struck for Gills. Gibbons eventually took her tally to five (including a penalty), Charlotte Gurr also scored from the spot in her hat-trick, while sub Cat Cooper netted on her debut. Enfield defeated Denham 2-0 to leapfrog them into sixth, the goals coming from Lisa Kline and Stavroulla Panayiotou. Lowestoft won at Stevenage to rise off the bottom at the expense of Norwich. Hannah Waters goal brought them level on points with their hosts.

Pictured – Lowestoft after a rare win today. (Photo: @LowestoftLadies)

South West Division 1 – Chichester still ten points clear

Chichester maintained a ten-point lead at the top with by beating Maidenhead with three second-half goals; Charley Wilson-Blakeley, Jess Lewry and Molly Clark the scorers. Second-placed Plymouth were 4-0 winners at Larkhall, where Tori Marks got a couple, Tash Knapman and Ebony Dover one apiece. Keynsham hit hosts Basingstoke for six, with doubles for Katie Cook and Keka Vega, singles for Jade Radburn and Justine Lorton-Radburn. Southampton edged Cheltenham with the best of five goals, Rebecca Bath getting two of them for the Saints. Brislington put six past Exeter to go fifth, with two each for Kim Maggs and Georgia Vandries, singles by Sophie Whelan and Emily Plummer. It was 1-1 at the break between St Nicholas and bottom side Shanklin but the home side ran out 3-1 winners with goals by Chloe Brown, Adele Hooper and Sophie Sweet.

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