Sunday 24th July
FA WSL 1
Chelsea 4-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles (Att: 1,803)
Reading 1-1 Birmingham City (Att: 691)
Notts County 1-5 Manchester City (Att: 1,627)
Sunderland 0-4 Arsenal (Att: 608)
FA WSL 2
Oxford United 0-1 Everton (Att: 479)
Sheffield FC 2-2 Millwall Lionesses (Att: 355)
Watford 0-2 Aston Villa (Att: 319)
Yeovil Town 4-0 Durham (Att: 756)
Notts County 1-5 Manchester City
Man City finished the day back on top of the league, winnng the late televised game 5-1 at Notts County, where 11 minutes injury time was needed after City’s Abbie McManus was stretchered off and the hosts’ Fern Whelan followed suit in a neck brace.
The visitors imposed themselves from early on, with Jane Ross squeezing in a shot from an acute angle and then Jill Scott rising to nod in Megan Campbell’s in-swinging cross on 25 minutes.
It was as good as over with two more goals in the 4 minutes leading up to the interval, as Ross got her second from just inside the area and Georgia Stanway fired in from 20 yards out.
County did win a penalty early in the second half when Steph Houghton fouled Rachel Williams and Jess Clarke converted but City’s Izzy Christiansen rounded off the goals from 25 yards.
Pictured – Chelsea’s Eniola Aluko controls the ball. (Photo: The FA via Getty Images)
Chelsea 4-0 Doncaster Rovers Belles
Chelsea kept up the pressure on Manchester City, as they eventually saw off lowly Doncaster.
The home side make the perfect start as a perfectly weighted through-ball by Beth England set up Eni Aluko to curl the ball into the far corner.
Belles’ keeper Nicola Hobbs did well to deny Aluko her second when clawing away a rasping drive from 8 yards out and then turn away a England header but Ji So-Yun doubled the lead after the break, turning home a cross by Ana Borges.
England went close twice and then Karen Carney turned the rebound over the bar but there were late goals as Aluko smashed one in off the post and England turned home Gemma Davison’s low pull-back.
Sunderland 0-4 Arsenal
Arsenal made it three wins on the trot as they scored twice in each half at Sunderland, including two penalties.
Danielle Carter was adjudged to have been brought down by Abby Holmes on 13 minutes and although Rachel Laws saved Fara Williams’ effort, the rebound was tapped in by Vicky Losada.
Arsenal scored their second goal midway through the half, as great build up play led to Jordan Nobbs putting the ball beyond Laws with an excellent finish.
The Gunners made it 3-0 4 minutes into the second half, Carter scoring from close range vai Dominique Janssen’s cross.
The scoring was completed on 53 minutes with a second spot-kick, as Danielle van de Donk was brought down by Dan Brown and this time Laws unable to save Williams’ shot.
Reading 1-1 Birmingham City
The wait for Reading’s first top-flight win goes on after Birmingham City pegged them back at 1-1, ending with both sides recording their fifth draw of the season.
Following a goalless first half, the Royals went ahead 2 minutes after the restart, as a cross by Emma Follis was headed home by Mel Fletcher.
Mary Earps soon had to make a great diving save to prevent Birmingham’s Andrine Hegerberg equalising but they were level with 17 minutes left as pressure paid off when Isabelle Linden headed in.
Charlie Wellings threatened a winner for City but Earps tipped her close-ranger header round the post.
Yeovil Town 4-0 Durham
Yeovil quickly regained the WSL 2 top spot again, as two early goals set them on their way to a 4-0 win over promotion hopefuls Durham.
After just 4 minutes, Danielle Carlton blocked a clearance and Sarah Wiltshire lobbed the loose ball home.
Helen Bleazard then soon forced Helen Alderson into a tip against the crossbar and over before Ellie Christon received a yellow card for taking down Wiltshire and Bleazard buried the free kick.
Wiltshire won a penalty before the break but Alderson saved to keep the Wildcats in it and then midway through the second half, Beth Hepple hot the bar as the visitors went close to halving the deficit.
But the Glovers sealed the points with two Annie Heatherson goals in the last 5 minutes.
Pictured – Action from Yeovil versus Durham. (Photo: Susan Gutteridge)
Oxford United 0-1 Everton
Everton kept up their title push but had to wait until 13 minutes from time to break down Oxford’s defence.
United keeper Demi Lambourne tipped Rosella Ayane’s 25-yard strike wide and was at full stretch to deny Krystle Johnson.
The deadlock was broken when the hosts failed to deal with a corner, allowing substitute Emily Hollinshead to scramble home at the back post.
Jess Frampton denied them a second 6 minutes later, clearing off the line after another goalmouth scramble.
Sheffield FC 2-2 Millwall Lionesses
Millwall made it five wins in ten games by holding Sheffield FC to a 2-2 tie, as their seventh-placed Yorkshire hosts stay three points above them.
Ella Rutherford won the Lionessess a penalty after 21 minutes and Ashlee Hincks stepped up to slot home the spot-kick.
It was all square shortly before the interval though, as Emma Lipman netted when Jodie Michalska’s effort was well saved at point blank range by Sarah Quantrill.
Lipman got her second with a fine effort to put Sheffield 2-1 up with 20 minutes remaining, only for Charlotte Gurr to score off a short corner delivered by Hincks that earned Millwall a point.
Watford 0-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa move level on points with fourth-placed Durham after their 2-0 victory at basement side Watford, where both goals came in the first half.
Both sides were thwarted by the bar, with Villa keeper Grace Moloney turning Giulia Ferrandi’s hit onto the woodwork and Sarah Mayling then rattling the home goal frame.
Ten minutes before the break, Beth Merrick’s high cross beat Lucy Gillett to open the scoring.
Gillett did then claw away a Kerri Welsh volley but on half time she could do nothing to stop Tasha Baptiste’s strike from distance.
Pictured (top) – Georgia Stanway celebrates getting Man City’s fourth goal. (Photo: The FA via Getty Images)
