Sunday 2nd April
FA PREMIER LEAGUE
NORTHERN DIVISION
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Leicester City Women (Att: 62)
Bradford City 1-2 Fylde
West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Huddersfield Town (Att: 30)
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Crystal Palace 1-1 Lewes (Att: 146)
Portsmouth 0-3 Charlton Athletic (Att: 109)
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Coventry United
MIDLANDS DIVISION 1
Loughborough Foxes 1-0 Birmingham & West Midlands (Att: 37)
Steel City Wanderers 4-3 Solihull (Att: 65)
The New Saints 4-3 Rotherham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 Radcliffe Olympic (Att: 30)
NORTHERN DIVISION 1
Hull City 3-5 Chester le Street Town (Att: 75)
Liverpool Marshalls Feds 3-0 Tranmere Rovers (Att: 75)
Mossley Hill 0-2 Guiseley Vixens
SOUTH EAST DIVISION 1
AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Actonians (Att: 50)
Cambridge United 4-1 Ipswich Town (Att: 156)
Gillingham 5-1 Stevenage (Att: 40)
Norwich City 0-2 Denham United (Att: 40)
SOUTH WEST DIVISION 1
Brislington 0-0 St Nicholas
Exeter City 0-5 Keynsham Town (Att: 19)
Larkhall Athletic 1-0 Basingstoke Town (Att: 20)
Maidenhead United 1-1 Southampton Saints
Plymouth Argyle P-P Shanklin
Northern Division: Champions Held For Only Second Time
Newly-crowned champions Blackburn had to settle for a draw at home to Leicester, as City became only the second side to deny Rovers a league win this season. Jess Holbrook scored Rovers 100th goal of the campaign and Alex Taylor put them 2-0 up. Paige Crossman pulled one back before the break and then grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser (click here for video).
Thurd-placed Fylde were 2-1 winners at Bradford, where Yasmine Swarbrick scored twice. Her first goal was quickly cancelled out by Laura Elford and although the visitors had a penalty saved, Swarbrick struck again soon after in the 71st minute.
West Brom are just a point behind Huddersfield with five games in hand after a 3-1 defeat of the Terriers. Abi Cottam and Eleanor Sargent got the goals that gave Albion a 2-1 half-time advantage, Emily Heckler scoring inbetween, Olivia Mitchum completed the scoring on 55 minutes in a game that saw Kelly Darby clock up 150 appearances for the Baggies.
Southern Division: Spurs Win Title ‘Six-Pointer’
Tottenham strengthened their title claim in the Southern with a 2-0 win over championship rivals Coventry, whom they now lead by 8 points. Nikita Whinnett (pictured right) came off the bench midway through the second half and fired home from Wendy Martin’s cross within seconds. Nine minutes from time, Whinnett then set up Bianca Baptiste to score.
Charlton remain 4 points short of Spurs from three games more after a 3-0 success at Portsmouth, where Gemma Shepherd made her 100th appearance for the Addicks. Avilla Bergin’s corner was headed home by Rosey Sullivan on 21 minutes and it was soon 2-0 when Bergin pulled the ball back for Kim Dixson to sweep home. Kit Graham then wrapped the points up in the 80th minute.
Crystal Palace and Lewes stay fifth and sixth respectively, sharing the points in a 1-1 draw. Gemma Bryan needed two attempts to score past Lauren Dolbear 5 minutes before the interval but a similar period short of full-time saw Rebecca Carter tap in the leveller for Lewes.
Midlands Division 1: Loughborough Leave It Late
Loughborough Foxes kept 7 points between themselves and title-chasers Wolves thanks to a late Chloe Young winner over Birmingham & West Midlands.
Wolves were back to winning ways with a 3-2 scoreline against Radcliffe, who had taken the lead through Ashleigh Evans. Mai Butler replied on her debut and Jade Cross put Wanderers in front on 53 minutes. Amber Quick looped in a header for the third, with Brogan Jones getting a last-minute second for Olympic.
TNS climbed to fifth when rolling over Rotherham by the odd goal in seven.
There was a similar outcome at Steel City, who are now 4 points in front of visitors Solihull. Paige Unwin bagged a brace for Wanderers, Lucy Smith and Millie Kenyon one each.
Chester le Street celebrate their big win at Hull (@CLSTladies1)
Northern Division 1: Guiseley Go Clear
Guiseley go 3 points clear at the top with both goals in the first half of the game at Mossley. Olivia Thackray scored after only 4 minutes and Olivia Da Costa powered home a header for the second. Mossley were denied a way back into the game in the 70th minute, when Beth Seasman not only saved a penalty but also the follow up.
Second-placed Hull were turned over at home by Chester le Street, who rise to third as a result. Ellice Jackman and Emily Smith scored via corners as the Tigers retrieved a two-goal deficit, before Town got back in front for the rest of the match. Town’s goals came from Haley English (2), Chloe Johnson, Laura Hockaday and Nichole Havery.
Liverpool Feds 3-0 defeat of Tranmere has more or less consigned Rovers to last place. Abby Pope and Helen Griffiths scored in the last 22 minutes, with the visitors then having a player red-carded. Laura Bartup got a debut goal but Natalie Clark’s penalty hit the post.
Cambridge United hosted Ipswich Town at the Cambs Glass Stadium
South East Division 1: Gills Extend Gap
Gillingham’s 5-1 win against Stevenage has put them five points clear at the top of the table. Rosie Kmita gave the Gills an early lead but Fliss Gibbons’ penalty was saved by Katherine Long. Charlotte Gurr bagged a swift brace by the break and completed her hat-trick just after the hour mark. Dominique Godbeer turned a Kallie Balfours cross into her own net for the fifth, with a Katie Startup clearance going in off Emma Slater for a consolation.
Wimbledon in third host Actonians in fifth as the London derby finished all square a 1-1. Jess Trimnell converted a penalty for the Dons won by Laura Low on 66 minutes, after the away side had led at half-time.
Cambridge still sit between the London pair despite a 4-1 beating of Ipswich at the Cambs Glass Stadium. Sarah Wiltshire-Edwards got the opener for the U’s but Amy Howlett’s lobbed volley levelled the scores by the midway point. Laura Bright volleyed United back in front, with Wiltshire-Edwards burying a free-kick and then rounding of her hat-trick from 30 yards.
Norwich are still only goal difference off the bottom following a 2-0 reverse by Denham, who scored once in each half.
South West Division 1: Cook’s Couple Aids Keynsham Win
Third-placed Keynsham in five goals at Exeter, where Katie Cook got a couple, Jade Radburn, Justine Lorton-Radburn and Danielle Beazer one each.
Maidenhead moved another point away from the drop zone despite Southampton Saints’ late equaliser for a 1-1 tie.
Brislington were unable to make the breakthrough in a goalless draw with St Nicholas, while Larkhall beat Basingstoke by the only goal.
Pictured top – 150th West Brom game for Kelly Darby (clivejonespr.com)
