This midweek’s last batch of FAWPL fixtures saw Wimbledon hit the top, Keynsham go second and Basildon into third spot, plus first wins for Cardiff and Radcliffe and five goals for Sheffield United.
Thursday 21st September
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Cardiff City LFC 4-1 Swindon Town (Att: 80)
Gillingham 1-3 C &K Basildon (Att: 52)
MIDLANDS DIVISION 1
Radcliffe Olympic 5-1 Rotherham United (Att: 22)
Sheffield United 5-1 Steel City Wanderers (Att: 110)
SOUTH EAST DIVISION 1
AFC Wimbledon 3-0 Actonians (Att: 50)
SOUTH WEST DIVISION 1
Brislington 1-2 Keynsham Town (Att: 84)
Photo: @CKBASILDON
Basildon into third
C & K Basildon went level on points with second-placed Crystal Palace in the Southern Division following a fine 3-1 result at Gillingham.
Jay Blackie gave the Essex side a 7th minute lead via a corner but 10 minutes before half time, Grace Seely’s through ball found Jenny Newman to slot home the equaliser.
Danni Farmer fired over for the Gills after finding herself with a golden opportunity and 3 minutes later Danica Revell restored Basildon’s lead, again from a flag-kick.
Kerry Stimson cleared off the line to deny Newman but Gills’ Vanisha Patel suffered a serious injury in the last 10 minutes hand was stretchered off.
The win was sealed 6 minutes into added time when April Bowers converted a penalty after she had been brought down by substitute Mille Waud.
Cardiff claim first ponts
Cardiff claimed their first Southern points of the season in the basement battle, which left Swindon still to get off the mark after five games.
Laura Williams opened the scoring for City on 14 minutes, after she had already seen a goal disallowed and Chloe O’Connor’s header cleared off the line.
Cori Williams fired home after a scramble in the box on 25 minutes and might have had another just before the break but her header was well saved.
Another goal-line clearance denied Cori Williams before Ffion Price made it 3-0 midway through the second half.
Four minutes later and Jassie Vasconcelos beat two players to set up Cori Williams to score, with Annie Martin getting an 84th-minute consolation for Swindon.
Blades cut through Steel
Sheffield United scored four second-half goals to beat Steel City 5-1 and leapfrog Wanderers into fifth place in the Midlands Division 1 table.
It was all square after the first 45 though, as Tania Marsden’s opener for United was cancelled out just before the interval by Sarah Middleton.
Natalie Shaw then proved to be the difference for the hosts, hitting a hat-trick in 27 minutes, before Millie Kenyon completed the scoring for Sheffield late on.
Olympic victory
Radcliffe Olympic banked their first victory at the expense of Rotherham, who now sit at the foot of the Midlands table.
First-half efforts from Linnea Kremer, Ellie Readman and Alice Kempski sent the hosts on their way to a 5-1 win.
Dons go top
AFC Wimbledon are new leaders in South East Division 1, having defeated Actonians 3-0 at Sutton United FC.
Rebecca Sargent scored early on from a cross by Caroline Bisson and on 34 minutes it was the latter’s shot that was turned in by Kelly-Jade Whelan.
Dons’ keeper Tash Salgado made a flying save to preserve the two-goal cushion and although a collision saw the hosts lose Jess Trimnell to injury, Katie Stanley secured the points with the third goal on 79 minutes.
Keynsham level with leaders
Keynsham Town matched the points tally of South West table-toppers Plymouth Argyle, with a 2-1 success at Brislington.
The result lifted them above Southampton Saints on goal-difference and saw Kerry Bartlett bag a brace to take her tally for the season into double figures.
Pictured top – AFC Wimbledon (pitchero.com/clubs/afcwimbledonladiesgirls)
