#FAWPL: Leicester City WFC back up to second

(Photo: C & K Basildon Ladies)

Leicester City WFC went back up to second in the Northern Division as Wolves held Blackburn Rovers, while both C & K Basildon and Charlton Athletic gained ground on Southern leaders Crystal Palace.

Sunday 22nd April 

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE

NORTHERN DIVISION
Bradford City 4-2 West Bromwich Albion (Att: 47)
Guiseley Vixens 0-4 Leicester City WFC
Nottingham Forest 3-4 Fylde (Att: 54)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers (Att: 80)

SOUTHERN DIVISION
C & K Basildon 1-0 Lewes (Att: 81)
Chichester City 2-1 Swindon Town (Att: 50)
Coventry United 0-3 Charlton Athletic
Gillingham 3-0 Queens Park Rangers (Att: 82)
West Ham United 7-1 Portsmouth (Att: 187)

MIDLANDS DIVISION 1
Birmingham & West Midlands 1-2 Long Eaton United (Att: 25)
Burton Albion 3-2 The New Saints (Att: 55)
Loughborough Foxes 3-0 Sheffield United (Att: 75)
Solihull Moors 0-0 Sporting Khalsa (Att: 40)
Steel City Wanderers 1-3 Leicester City LFC (Att: 57)

NORTHERN DIVISION 1
Brighouse Town 1-2 Morecambe (Att: 76)
Chester le Street Town 2-1 Chorley (Att: 40)
Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Hull City (Att: 37)
Liverpool Marshalls Feds 1-2 Bolton Wanderers (Att: 45)
Mossley Hill Athletic 3-2 Newcastle United (Att: 30)

SOUTH EAST DIVISION 1
Ipswich Town 2-1 Luton Town (Att: 101)
Norwich City 0-1 Actonians (Att: 50)

SOUTH WEST DIVISION 1
Keynsham Town 9-0 Cheltenham Town (Att: 50)
Plymouth Argyle 9-1 Brislington
Southampton Saints 3-0 Larkhall Athletic (Att: 10)
St Nicholas 1-2 Poole Town (Att: 30)

Leicester back up to second

Northern Division title favourites Blackburn were held 1-1 at bottom of the table Wolves. Andrea Whetton gave Wanderers the lead, Natalie Fenton’s corner on 55 minutes finding its way into the net for the leveller.

Leicester City WFC went up two to second with a 4-0 victory at Guiseley. Leigh Dugmore’s goal was the only difference at half-time, Rosie Axten later scoring either side of Dugmore’s second.

Bradford are up to seventh on goal-difference after defeating West Brom 4-2, who were reduced to ten with a red card. Hannah Campbell hit a hat-trick and Laura Elford the Bantams’ other goal. Laura Davies and Hannah George had earlier pulled it back to 3-2 for Albion

Fylde won a seven-goal thriller at Nottingham Forest despite a fightback by the home side. The Lancashire side were 3-1 up with efforts from Laura Merrin, Olivia Wilkes and Leah Foster but although quickfire goals by Kelly Darby and Hazzana Parnell added to Leanne Robinson’s earlier goal made it 3-3, Sophie Charlton struck the winner with five minutes left.

Basildon & Charlton close in on Palace

Second-placed C & K Basildon are a point behind Southern leaders Crystal Palace with a game still in hand, after they edged Lewes 1-0 with a goal by Hayley West in the first half.

Charlton are a further point back but with two more games in hand, having won 3-0 at Coventry. Kit Graham scored in either half and Hope Nash added a late third for the Addicks.

West Ham are within five-points of Portsmouth after thrashing them 7-1. Kelly Wealthall led the way with three goals, Hannah Wheeler, Rosie Kmita, Jasmine Auguste and Leanne Mabey got one each, Daisy MacLachlan pulling one back for Pompey.

Gillingham eased relegation worries at the expense of QPR, whom they beat 3-0 with a goals from Kallie Balfour on half-time and a second-half Jade Keogh brace.

A Sophie Roberts goal looked to be finally getting Swindon off the mark at Chichester but Jade Widdows replied and Jess Lewry won it for City in added time.

Runners-up race hots up

Leicester City Ladies claimed their first win at the nineteenth attempt.

Midlands Division 1 champions Loughborough Foxes beat Sheffield United 3-0 in the top of the table clash. Chloe Young bagged a second-half brace, Charlotte Cooper coming off the bench to get the third. Burton went level on points with third-placed TNS after edging them 3-2. The Brewers were two up through Jemma Grimadell and Jordan Atkin but the Saints replied through Kimberley Bebbington and Emily Ridge, before Atkin won it on 49 minutes.  Solihull and Sporting Khalsa played out a goalless draw, Long Eaton went four points ahead of Birmingham & West Midlands when beating them 2-1 away, Viki Adams and Anya Cresswell their scorers, Charlie Fisher on target for the hosts. Leicester City LFC won for the first time this season, 3-1 on the road at Steel City after conceding first.

Top trio all lose

All the three Northern Division 1 title-chasers fell to defeat, including leaders Hull beaten 2-1 at Crewe. Substitute Michelle Saunders brought Alex level and Georgina Stebbings grabbed the winner from the spot with 3 minutes left, after City’s Eden Pedersen was dismissed for handball on the line. Liverpool Feds lost 2-1 at home to Bolton despite a fifth-minute opener by their Sasha Rowe, Emily Hockenhull then bagging a brace. Brighouse were beaten by the same score by visitors Morecambe, both sides down to ten with red cards early in the second half. Aimi Beresford gave Town the lead but the Shrimpers then struck twice from distance. Chester le Street rose to seventh with a 2-1 result over Chorley, Nichole Havery and Kacie Elson with their goals. Mossley are out of the drop zone after coming back from 2-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-2. Jade Anderson and Steph Ord netted for United, Amy Hughes, Caroline Charlton and Nicola James replying.

Ipswich keep up pressure on Dons

Ipswich Town are within seven points of South East Division 1 leaders AFC Wimbledon with a game in hand, after a 2-1 scoreline against Luton. Cassie Craddock and Natasha Thomas had the Tractor Girls two up, the Hatters missed a penalty and had a goal disallowed before a late consolation from Funmi Babalola. Actonians got the only goal of the game at next to bottom Norwich.

Norwich City under pressure from Actonians. (Photo: Brian Coombes)

Plymouth & Keynsham net nine

Plymouth are six points short of South West Division 1 top team Southampton WFC after netting nine against Brislington, despite having initially gone behind. Becky Dandridge and Kayley Lane got two apiece, Tash Knapman, Amber Pollock, Becky Atkins, Katie Middleton and Kayleigh Brown one each. Southampton Saints in third put three past Larkhall, Emma Eldridge, Roxanne Stewart and Catherine Browning finding the net. Keynsham in fourth ran out 9-0 winners over Cheltenham, Kerry Bartlett with three, Justine Lorton and sub Keka Vega two each, Jade Radburn and Ellie Curson adding singles. Poole took the points 2-1 at St Nicholas with goals by Rebecca Miles and Jess Fowell.

COMING UP THIS MIDWEEK:

Wednesday 25th April
NORTHERN DIVISION: Leicester City WFC v West Bromwich Albion (Quorn FC, 7.45), Chorley v Newcastle United (Chorley FC, 7.45)
SOUTH EAST DIVISION 1: Milton Keynes Dons v Stevenage (Newport Pagnell Town FC, 7.45)

Thursday 26th April
NORTHERN DIVISION: Fylde v Blackburn Rovers (AFC Fylde, 7.45), Derby County v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Mickleover Sports, 8pm)

Upcoming Events

Would you like to read more women’s football news just like this? Sign up to receive the She Kicks Women’s Football newsletter