Reading’s Fara Williams has been selected as the FA WSL 1 Player of the Month for October, while Millwall’s Ashlee Hincks won the WSL 2 award.
Williams had a dream start to her Reading career, recording two goals in her first four league games helping keep The Royals in the FA WSL 1 top three at the end of October. The accolade for Williams’ comes after a string of impressive performances including an early goal of the season contender as she rifled home a 25-yard volley in the 3-0 victory over Liverpool.
Williams fought off tough competition from a shortlist including Chelsea defender, Magdalena Eriksson, and Manchester City’s Jane Ross. Chelsea kept four clean sheets in the FA WSL 1 in September and October with new signing Eriksson playing a pivotal role in the team’s defence. On the contrary Jane Ross, who found the net twice in the side’s first two games of the season, dominated in midfield for Manchester City.
Williams said: “I feel I’ve performed well, as the whole team have. We’ve hit a really good vein of form and things are really starting to click as a squad and that’s credit to Kelly, Phil and all the girls for working so hard in training, but yes for me I’m really happy to have helped the team pick up points in the last two months.”
Hincks put in a number of standout performances in Millwall’s first four WSL 2 games of the season. Notably, a late leveller rescued a point against Doncaster Rovers Belles, before two decisive goals against Brighton & Hove Albion and London Bees made the difference in narrow wins to keep Millwall at the top of the table in October.
Hincks fought off some tough competition in a shortlist including Durham’s Beth Hepple, and Sheffield FC striker, Melissa Johnson who both narrowly missed out on the accolade. Hepple led from Durham’s midfield scoring four goals in their first four league games, with the side now looking serious title contenders. Johnson, who has linked up excellently with her teammates this season, was a key figure in the Sheffield side putting in a number of standout performances.
Hincks said: “I feel I have performed well, as a forward it’s always important to hit the ground running with goals and the goals I have scored so far have delivered vital points in games to either get us one or three points. Saying that, it’s a credit to the whole team, I don’t get the chances to score if everyone else isn’t performing.”
