Sheffield United halved Aston Villa’s lead in the FA Women’s Championship with all five goals of their game away to Coventry United.
FA WC scores – 19 January
Durham 1-1 London City Lionesses (Att: 374)
Coventry United 0-5 Sheffield United
Charlton Athletic 1-2 Blackburn Rovers (Att: 202)
Crystal Palace 1-3 Leicester City
Lewes 0-0 London Bees (Att: 517)
Blades score five in 17 minutes
Sheffield United struck five times in a 17-minute spell straddling the interval in their 5-0 win at Coventry United.
The Blades scored twice just before half-time through a Katie Wilkinson header and Mollie Green’s first goal for the club.
Jade Pennock added a quickfire brace after the restart and Wilkinson completed the scoring in the 56th minute.
Lionesses deny Durham victory
Third-placed Durham were pegged back by fourth-in-the-table London City as the Lionesses left with a point from a 1-1 draw.
A Nicki Gears cross was turned into her own net by Ylenia Priest to give the Wildcats the lead after 22 minutes.
Juliette Kemppi hit the post for the Lionesses, as did Molly Sharpe for Durham but Kallie Balfour came off the bench to score from distance with her first touch.
Sarah Robson thought she had restored the Wildcats advantage but her effort was disallowed.
Rovers on the rise
Blackburn Rovers jumped two places to seventh after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Charlton Athletic with a Natasha Flint double.
Charlie Estcourt curled the ball home from 25 yards to open the scoring for the Addicks, Flint levelling after the interval on the follow up from Natasha Fenton’s spilled free-kick.
Rovers’ new loan signing Missy Bo Kearns came off the bench and set Flint on her way to netting an 87th-minute winner.
Foxes leap forward
Leicester City stepped up three places to sixth after coming away from Crystal Palace as 3-1 victors.
Annabel Blanchard slotted home for the Foxes on 15 minutes but the Eagles equalised through Amber Stobbs 5 minutes into the second half.
However, 7 minutes later and new signing Ella Rutherford had her first goal for the Foxes, Paige Bailey-Gayle then completing the scoring shortly after.
Rooks and Bees draw blank
Lewes had two goals ruled out as they held fifth-placed London Bees to a 0-0 draw and edged into eighth place in the table.
The Rooks twice had the ball in the back of the net only for each to be ruled out for offside.
Otherwise, Katie Rood was the closest to making the breakthrough in the first-half, her strike from outside the box crashing back off the crossbar.
Emma Jones also hit the Bees woodwork with her shot rebounding into the arms of a grateful Sarah Quantrill.
