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Sam Kerr’s solo effort earns Chelsea their third consecutive FA Cup win as the Red Devils fall short in front of record-breaking crowd Back Match Report FA Cup Final 2023: Chelsea v Manchester United Sam Kerr’s solo effort earns Chelsea their third consecutive FA Cup win as the Red Devils fall short in front of record-breaking crowd Chelsea FCW 14 May 2023 By Charlotte Stacey It took the Manchester United “rebels” just 23 seconds to hit the back of the net, but as the already bubbling volcano of red erupted behind Mary Earps’ goal, Leah Galton’s effort was chalked offside. An impressive start for Marc Skinner’s side in their first ever major final and a warning for Chelsea as the Red Devils took the opening minutes of the first half by the horns, showing little fear of the occasion and even less of the reigning champions. Certainly, it was United who had the better of the ball in the first forty-five minutes, as well as the better chances. Millie Turner’s bobbling poke almost found its way over the line half an hour in but the outstretched hand of Ann-Katrin Berger was just enough to keep the score even. Minutes later, Galton found herself with a clear-cut chance at her feet as Alessia Russo’s cross whipped along the wrong side of Maren Mjelde, yet the winger - who one would’ve bet their house on scoring the sitter - thumped it wide. United had the tenacity, the drive and the desire, but that clinical touch was lacking. On another day, against another team, these half-hearted efforts have just been enough to eventually open the door, but not in an FA Cup final and not against Chelsea. The Blues were lacklustre in the first half. In fact, so flat was the first half by both Chelsea and United’s standards that the crowd broke out the Mexican waves (yes, plural) before the clock hit thirty. Chelsea found themselves restricted to the middle third much more so than they would have liked and offered minimal threat upfront. Emma Hayes however always has a trick or two up her sleeve, along with a bench to make the eyes of oppositions tear up, and it wouldn’t be long before the Chelsea boss pulled rank. Midfielder Jessie Fleming hadn’t quite brought the creativity or the service needed to draw the best of Sam Kerr, and wingers Lauren James and Guro Reiten had been kept quiet enough that - bar one headed effort from James – Earps had not been troubled much at all. Enter Pernille Harder. Enough was enough. Hayes made her first substitutions and the moment Fleming was replaced by Harder the tide turned. Within ten minutes of the Dane coming on Chelsea’s momentum had galvanised tenfold and the Blues had taken the lead. With the same move that had caught United out just moments before, Harder thundered past Hannah Blundell and Millie Turner and crossed the ball to an onrushing Kerr, who beat Maya Le Tissier in the footrace and slotted the ball past Earps. It was a tall order for United to recover from the Chelsea beast that had finally awoken, but the Reds did well to minimise the damage and hold down a one-goal deficit. Marc Skinner’s side showed up and played the big game, and should take immense pride in the show they put on for their incredibly vocal supporters. Chelsea, on the other hand, are inevitable. The quality the Blues exude on the pitch, as well as the quality that sits patiently on the bench, provoked gently until it was time to bite. Cued by Emma Hayes, captains Magdalena Eriksson and Millie Bright lifted the silverware to the delight of the thousands in Blue and Chelsea were Champions once again. Line-ups Chelsea : Berger (GK), Perisset, Mjelde, Eriksson (C), Charles (72’), Leupolz (57’), Cuthbert, Fleming (57’), James (87’), Reiten, Kerr Substitutes: Musovic (GK), Ingle (57’), Carter (72’, Svitkova, Rytting Kaneryd, Harder (57’), Buchanan (87’), Abdullina, Cankovic Goals: Kerr 68’ Booked: Charles , James, Manchester United: Earps (GK), Batlle, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell (76’), Zelem (C), Ladd (90’), Toone (76’), Galton, Parris (60’), Russo Substitutes: Baggaley (GK), Mannion (76’), Boe Risa, Thomas (90’), Riviere, Naalsund, Garcia (76’), Williams (60’), Cascarino Booked: Williams Officials : Emily Heaslip, Georgia Ball, Chloe-Ann Small, Abigail Byrne Attendance : 77, 390

Get to know every member of the current Lionesses squad. Lionesses Squad Jordan Nobbs Arguably one of England’s most naturally gifted footballers, Jordan Nobbs’ international career has unfortunately been plagued by injury meaning she has missed out on some of their pivotal moments. Having been with the Arsenal for 12 years, Nobbs took the decision to move to Aston Villa in January and has enjoyed an illustrious run of form since. Nobbs is a direct player. She enjoys injecting intensity into play, both defensively and offensively, and a notable shift in pressing is always sensed when Nobbs is on the pitch. Typically, Nobbs is deployed higher up the field as her ability to find space, thread passes and unlock her venomous strike make her an ever-present attacking threat. However, Nobbs is also well played as a no.8. with the acumen to link play and provide balance box-to-box. Photograph courtesy of the FA.

Re-cap all of the latest news from the Women's Championship Back Women's Championship News: Round-Up Re-cap all of the latest news from the Women's Championship Newcastle United FC Women 6 July 2024 By Paul Donegan Shania Hayles has become Newcastle United’s first signing of the summer, joining from Bristol City for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old forward has won the Championship title with both the Robins in 2023 and Aston Villa in 2020 and has also played for Birmingham City. Hayles has won 3 caps for Jamaica. Sunderland have confirmed that goalkeeper Claudia Moan has left the club after her contract expired. Moan won the Championship Player of the Season and Golden Glove awards at the end of the 2023/24 season after she kept 10 clean sheets in 22 league games and helped the club to finish in a very impressive third place. Birmingham City have signed Northern Ireland international defender Rebecca McKenna on a two-year contract. McKenna played for Charlton Athletic last season in the Championship where she made 25 appearances in all competitions and featured in all their league games. The 23-year-old had previously spent two seasons at Lewes in the second tier as well as playing for Glentoran and Linfield in Northern Ireland. She has been capped 43 times by her country and made two appearances at Euro 2022. Goalkeeper Demi Lambourne has joined Sunderland after signing a two-year contract with the club. The 28-year-old recently left Leicester City, who she helped win the Championship in 2021. She spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace where she kept 7 clean sheets in 15 league games as the Eagles won the second tier title and promotion to the WSL. Tegan McGowan has signed two-year contract with Birmingham City. The 20-year-old forward recently left Charlton Athletic where she spent two seasons and made 25 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals. McGowan came through the Chelsea academy before joining the Addicks when she was 18. An ACL injury ruled her out for nearly a year before returning in October 2023 and she scored a brace for Charlton in her final match for them against Southampton. McGowan has represented Wales internationally at youth levels. 22-year-old striker Eleanor Dale has signed for Sunderland. Dale had been at WSL side Everton during the second half of the 2023/24 season joining them from US College team Nebraska Huskers where she broke their goalscoring record with 28 goals. Photo: Simon Lapwood Lucy Fitzgerald has signed a new one-year contract with London City Lionesses which will keep her with the club for a record-setting sixth season. The 23-year-old was a member of the Pride’s inaugural squad and has made 102 appearances in all competitions in the last five seasons. Fitzgerald has played as a full-back, wing-back, winger and central midfielder during her time with them and has represented England as a youth international. Her new contract includes the option of a further season with the Pride. Goalkeeper Anna King has signed her first professional contract with Durham. The 22-year-old joined the club at 14 and has represented their Professional Game Academy under-21 side over the last two seasons. King has gained experience of senior football with Durham Cestria in the FA Women’s National League. She has signed a long-term contract with the Wildcats and will wear the number 13 shirt in the 2024/25 season. 19-year-old Emily Pitman has signed a one-year professional contract with Portsmouth. The forward joined from Arsenal in 2023 and scored 7 goals in 29 appearances during her first season with Pompey as they got promoted to the Championship. Durham have announced that Grace Ayre, Olivia Bramley, Dee Bradley, Lily Crosthwaite, Beth Hepple, Eleanor Ryan-Doyle and Ella Wilson have all been retained by the club for the 2024/25 season whilst Becky Salicki, Sarah Wilson, Sarah Robson, Tatiana Saunders and Abby Holmes have all signed new contracts with the Wildcats. News

Travel brand unveils ‘The Ellen White Cliffs of Dover’ ahead of UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 Euro's Information and News The Ellen White Cliffs of Dover Snaptrip 5 July 2022 Travel brand Snaptrip has projected an enormous 200ft (60m) tall image of England forward Ellen White onto The White Cliffs of Dover ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2022. Rebranding the iconic landmark The Ellen White Cliffs of Dover for the night, England women’s leading goalscorer was seen defiantly staring France and the rest of the continent down ahead of the tournament. On a clear evening, the White Cliffs are visible from the French coastline. Snaptrip is also encouraging members of the public to sign its petition cheekily asking authorities to rename Kent’s most famous tourist destination The Ellen White Cliffs of Dover for the duration of the tournament. Photograph: Snaptrip White, who received her first senior England cap in 2010, is the Lionesses’ leading goalscorer, having netted 50 goals in just 107 international appearances. In her domestic career, she is one of England’s most decorated footballers, lifting 10 trophies in the past twelve years. The Lionesses kick off their Euro 2022 against Austria at the Theatre of Dreams: Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United. Sarina Wiegman’s side are second favourites to win this summer's prestigious silverware. Snaptrip Group, the group behind the likes of LateRooms and Last Minute Cottages , has 60,000 holiday cottages, lodges & apartments across the UK, meaning fans up and down the country will have no problem securing a stay close to one of nine host cities for this summer's competition. Matthew Fox, CEO of Snaptrip Group said: “When Great Britain won gold at the Olympics, we painted post boxes. During the men's World Cup in 2021, we woke up to the news that Southgate Street in Gloucester had been renamed ‘Gareth Southgate Street’, and we wanted to add a little of that magic ahead of the Women’s Euros. With this summer's tournament taking place in England it seemed only right to celebrate one of the best footballers the country has to offer, at one of the UK’s most iconic landmarks. “The petition started out as a bit of fun, but it would be fantastic to see such a famous landmark embrace a temporary new identity in support of the national women’s team. I know all of us at Snaptrip are looking forward to cheering on the Lionesses; fingers crossed we’re all planning a trip to the open top bus parade in a few weeks time!” Sign the petition to rename the White Cliffs of Dover in honour of Ellen White for the Euro's here . The Lionesses kick off the Euro's against Austria at Old Trafford on Wednesday 6th July at 8pm.

Full season review of every team in the Women's Super League Barclays WSL: 2023/24 Season Review Saturday, 25 May 2024 By Paul Donegan Full season review of every team in the Women's Super League Ryan Asman The 2023/24 Women’s Super League season is over, and Chelsea claimed their 5th successive title in one of the closest finishes in years. The Blues lifted the trophy after finishing level on points with Manchester City but with a better goal difference. Winning it again seems a fitting way for Emma Hayes, the most successful manager in WSL history, to sign off her time at the club. Plenty else happened throughout the league so here is our look back at the 2023/24 WSL season. 1st Chelsea In November after their 6-0 win at Aston Villa, it was announced that Emma Hayes would be leaving the club in the summer after 12 years to take up the US women’s national team head coach position. After they had lost to Liverpool in May, it looked like their title chances might have gone but they won their last 3 games, scoring 15 and conceding 0 in those, and with a bit of thanks to Arsenal’s Stina Blackstenius, they won their fifth championship in a row. The chances of winning the quadruple went when they lost to Arsenal in the Conti Cup final and they were also defeated in the FA Cup and UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals. The Blues scored 71 goals, a record amount in a WSL season, despite missing Sam Kerr, Mia Fishel, Catarina Macario and other attackers for spells, whilst defender and captain Millie Bright was also out injured for 5 months. Lauren James, who was voted PFA WSL Fans Player of the Year, and Aggie Beever-Jones stepped up to the mark though scoring 24 goals between them in the league whilst January signing Mayra Ramirez put in some impressive performances. It isn’t only Hayes leaving this summer but club legend Fran Kirby (who scored in her final appearance against Manchester United) and Maren Mjelde are also departing so things might look a bit different as they try to make it 6 in a row. 2nd Manchester City Manchester City took the title fight to the final game and only missed out on winning it on goal difference. This marks a big improvement after Gareth Taylor’s side finished last year in fourth place. Netherlands international Jill Roord was their only major summer signing so they had consistency in their squad going into this campaign. Roord though sustained an ACL injury in January, whilst leading goalscorer, and WSL and FWA Player of the Season, Khadija Shaw missed their last three games with a foot injury. The Cityzens might rue their home defeat to Brighton in November when looking back to how close they came to winning the league, as well as the late defeat to Arsenal in their penultimate game which gave Chelsea belief they could still win the title. In the cups, they reached the FA Cup quarter-finals and Conti Cup semi-finals. City players finished top of a lot of the WSL stats this season with Shaw finishing as top scorer with 21 goals, 19-year-old goalkeeper Khiara Keating won the Golden Glove, and Lauren Hemp got the most assists as well as scoring 11 times. In March, Manchester City and England legend Steph Houghton announced she would retire from playing football at the end of the season and made her final appearance as a substitute in their final game against Aston Villa. 3rd Arsenal It has been a bit of a mixed season for the The Gunner’s with highlights including defending their Conti Cup crown thanks to Stina Blackstenius’ extra time goal as they beat Chelsea 1-0, whilst in the WSL they beat the Blues 4-1 and did the double over Manchester City. Lowlights include an early exit from the UEFA Women’s Champions League in the first qualifying round, being knocked out of the FA Cup in the fifth round, and defeats in the league to Liverpool at home and away at Tottenham and West Ham. Off the pitch, the Arsenal continued to lead the way with attendances with a WSL record of 60,160 for their match at the Emirates against Manchester United, and an average home attendance of 29,999. With the majority of matches at the Emirates next season, this average might be even bigger then. Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Laura Wienroither all returned during the year after recovering from ACL injuries. Summer signing from Manchester United Alessia Russo finished up as the Gunners top scorer with 12 goals, whilst Lotte Wubben-Moy had some outstanding performances in defence and won the club’s Player of the Season award. In May, it was announced that WSL record top scorer and club legend Miedema would be leaving when her contract expires, and she scored her final goal for them with her first touch after coming on as a substitute in her last appearance. 4th Liverpool What a brilliant season Matt Beard’s Liverpool had as they finished in fourth place, their highest finish since they won the WSL in 2014 (though also finished fourth in the Spring Series)! This year’s achievements saw Beard named as WSL Manager of the Season. After failing to win away last time around, the Reds started this one by beating Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on the opening weekend, and good results continued to come including doing the double over Manchester United and beating eventual champions Chelsea 4-3 at Prenton Park late in May. In the end, they won half of their away games but there is still work to be done if they want to break into the top three. Marie Hobinger joined the Reds in the summer from FC Zurich, and the Austrian international midfielder has proved to be one of their players of the season by scoring 5 goals and assisting another 6 in the WSL. Others that have stared include Fuka Nagano, Gemma Bonner and Sophie Roman Haug. Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but didn’t get beyond the group stage of the Conti Cup. It has already been announced that Liverpool will be moving to play home games at St Helens Stadium next season and they will be looking to carry on the progress made there. 5th Manchester United The high point for Manchester United was winning their first major trophy, the FA Cup, with a 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur but in reality this masks what has been a poor season for the Red Devils. After finishing runners-up last year, more was expected of them but they had inconsistent form, failed to beat any of the top 4, and there is general unhappiness with manager Marc Skinner from supporters as they finished in their lowest position since they have been in the WSL. They lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying stage and didn’t make it through the group stage of the Conti Cup. Nikita Parris finished as top goalscorer, whilst Ella Toone got a combination of 10 goals and assists as well as scoring their goal of the season in the FA Cup final. Skinner has signed a new contract to stay with the club for next year but there is still uncertainty about some of their star players with contracts up, such as Mary Earps and Lucia Garcia, and apparent interest from other clubs for others. United will be looking for an improvement in the league next time around as their fans might not tolerate another unsatisfactory season on the pitch. 6th Tottenham Hotspur Robert Vilahamn joined Spurs as head coach from Swedish side BK Hacken in July last year, and he has led them to an amazing season. The highlight was reaching their first FA Cup final but they lost in that 4-0 to Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. There was a big improvement in the WSL from flirting relegation last season to a comfortable mid-table finish this. They beat Arsenal for the first time, getting a 1-0 win in the North London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December. But there were still heavy defeats to both Manchester sides so still some progress to be made. Manchester United loanee Grace Clinton was one of their best players this season, putting in some superb performances and finishing up with 4 goals and 4 assists in the league. The Lillywhites have already expressed an interest in signing her permanently in the summer transfer window. Martha Thomas finished as their top scorer in the WSL with 7 goals whilst Bethany England who missed the first part of the season with a hip injury scored in 4 of their last 5 league games. As well as reaching the FA Cup final, they also made it to the quarter-finals of the Conti Cup. Tottenham will be looking to carry on their upward momentum next year. 7th Aston Villa A lot was expected of Aston Villa, at least from quite a few on the outside, after they finished 5th in the league last year but, after the expectations, it finished up being a bit of a damp squib this time for Carla Ward’s side. The Villans lost their first five games, slipping to the bottom of the table after their 6-0 defeat to Chelsea in November. They had a bit of a problem of holding onto leads having gone ahead against Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester City in the first half of the season but finishing up losing all of them. Things picked up but their form was still inconsistent and they only won one home game. Rachel Daly was named as their Supporters Player of the Season for the second year in a row after she scored 8 goals in the WSL. Villa did suffer some injuries to key players with the likes of goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, Lucy Parker and Lucy Staniforth missing for spells. In the cups, they lost in the FA Cup in the fourth round to Everton, whilst in the Conti Cup they made it to the semi-finals despite playing an illegible player, Noelle Maritz, in their final group game. In May, manager Ward announced she would be leaving the club in the summer after three years there. 8th Everton Brian Sorensen led his side through a steady season, during which they had plenty of players out injured and not having money to spend in the transfer window, eventually finishing comfortably in 8th place. They only picked up one home win all season which was a 2-0 victory over West Ham in February. They did though draw against Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool at Walton Hall Park in the latter part of it. Away from home, they beat Liverpool at Anfield, and also won against most of the other sides around them in the bottom half of the table. With their hefty injury list, Sorensen literally brought a list with him to one press conference in April to remind him who was missing for that match, and in some matches they were missing up to 8 or so players. Megan Finnigan, Aurora Galli and Katja Snoeijs finished up as their joint top scorers with 3 goals each. One star of the future might be 16-year-old Isabella Hobson who scored the late equaliser against Arsenal in May and became the youngest ever goalscorer in WSL history. They lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter finals but finished bottom of their Conti Cup group after losing all four games. Manager Sorensen sign a new contract in April for another two years with the Toffees and he will surely be hoping for less injuries next season. 9th Brighton & Hove Albion After being appointed as manager in April last year, Melissa Phillips made some impressive signings for the Seagulls in the summer including Pauline Bremer from Wolfsburg, Vicky Losada and Portuguese international Tatiana Pinto. They won their first game against Everton, then drew against Manchester United at home and beat Manchester City away in successive weekends in November. Things seemed to going along okay for Albion but not well enough as Phillips was perhaps surprisingly sacked by the club on the 1st February. Mikey Harris took interim charge and he guided them to safety with two wins against Bristol City and Leicester City and a few draws including away at Spurs as well as being nominated for the March manager of the month award. Over the course of the season at home, they only won once against Bristol City. They had decent runs in the Conti and FA Cup’s, reaching the quarter-finals in both but then losing to Aston Villa and Manchester United. Their star player was Elisabeth Terland, with the Norwegian international scoring 13 league goals out of a total of 26 that Brighton scored. Her brilliant year led to her winning the clubs Player of the Season and being nominated for the equivalent WSL and PFA awards. 10th Leicester City Willie Kirk was suspended then sacked as Leicester manager in March following allegations of a relationship with a player with the club saying after an internal disciplinary process that he had “breached the team’s code of conduct”. Jennifer Foster took over as interim head coach until the end of the season but confirmed she will not be in charge after May. The highlight on the pitch was their FA Cup run where they reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history before losing to a goal late in extra-time from Spurs. They failed to get through the Conti Cup group stage though. They made a good start in the league, picking up 7 points in their first 3 games but then didn’t win again until the end of January. The only sides they beat were Bristol City and Everton home and away. They only got 2 points from their last 8 games but still finished with their highest points tally in the WSL and equalled their best finish. Finnish international Jutta Rantala joined in the summer from Vittsjo GIK and finished as the Foxes top scorer in the league with 6 goals but also assisted 5 others whilst also finding the net 3 times in their FA Cup run. Her performances saw her nominated for WSL Player of the Season as well as winning the clubs award. Captain Alieen Whelan announced that she will be retiring at the end of the season and made her final appearance against Liverpool in the last game in May. 11th West Ham United Former Tottenham boss Rehanne Skinner was named their new manager in July becoming the Hammers first female manager since they have been in the WSL. In the first half of the season, they only picked up only 5 points out of 30 and were in a relegation battle having only beaten Brighton away in their first 10 games. Skinner brought in Kristie Mewis, Shelina Zadorsky, Katrina Gorry and Marika Bergman in January and things improved on the pitch with a narrow lose in a high scoring game against Spurs (in possibly the wildest weather a WSL match has been played in), then the week after they beat fellow strugglers Bristol City 2-1 away. A week later they got their result of the season when they beat Arsenal 2-1 in Dagenham and then got a draw at home against Manchester United a month later. They did fail to win in any of their last nine games though and their only home win all year was against the Gunners. They had early exits in both cup competitions with going out in the group stage of the Conti Cup and the fourth round of the FA Cup. Viviane Asseyi and Riko Ueki both finished up as the Hammers joint top scorers in the league with 6 goals each. 12th Bristol City 2022/23 Championship winners Bristol City returned to the WSL after two seasons away. Manager Lauren Smith signed a new contract in August and brought in the likes of Amy Rodgers, Carrie Jones, Jamie-Lee Napier as well as Brooke Aspin back on loan after she had signed for Chelsea from the Robins. It was a struggle all year for Bristol City though with them only picking up one win away to West Ham and failing to get a single point at their new permanent home of Ashton Gate. Even January signings Lisa Evans and Sarah Stratigakis couldn’t help turn the tied and they lost a 6-pointer at the bottom to West Ham at the end of the month. They only got 1 point in the second half of the season and have failed to score a goal since the 3rd March. They were relegated back to the Championship after losing to Manchester City with a couple of games remaining. The cups didn’t bring much joy either, going out in the FA Cup fourth round and Conti Cup group stage. Amalie Thestrup won their Player of the Year and was top scorer after finding the net 9 times during the season and scoring half of the Robins goals in the WSL. A positive for Bristol City is the attendances at Ashton Gate with an average of 7,260, the highest outside the top four in the league.

The Eagles are soaring after another win, this time a 3-0 over Watford Back Match Report Crystal Palace take another three points for the road The Eagles are soaring after another win, this time a 3-0 over Watford Crystal Palace FC Women 7 November 2023 By Paul Donegan All the goals came in the first half as Crystal Palace beat Watford 3-0 in the Women’s Championship on Sunday afternoon. Elise Hughes scored twice and Shauna Guyatt got the other goal with a stunning strike as the Eagles kept up with the other sides at the top of the table. The pitch at Grosvenor Vale had passed a morning pitch inspection after all the recent rain but it still looked heavy throughout the match. Crystal Palace took an early lead in the 3rd minute when after Molly-Mae Sharpe’s interception as Watford tried to clear the ball, it found Hughes who went past the Hornets goalie and finished in front of the noisy visiting supporters and their flags. Welsh international Hughes had a chance to double the away sides lead in the 9th minute but shot over from just inside the area after the hosts defence had given the ball area again. The home sides first opportunity came when Coral Haines played a nice through ball to Carly Johns but Demi Lambourne, on her first start in goal for Palace, and the offside flag stopped the attack. Watford goalkeeper Jacqui Goldsmid saved a low effort from Hayley Nolan with her feet in the 22nd minute. The Hornets best chance so far came ten minutes later but the Palace keeper got a touch to Ellie Head’s low effort to slow the ball down before it was cleared. The visitors had the next effort when Sharpe’s first-time low shot was saved in the 35th minute. Bianca Baptiste curled an effort wide five minutes before half time for the Golden Girls. In the 42nd minute, Palace made it 2-0 when Sharpe’s cross was headed into the net by Hughes for her second goal of the match and ninth Championship goal of the season. England under-19 international Guyatt made it 3-0 to the Eagles in the first minute of additional time when her superb shot from 30-yards went in off the crossbar. Not a bad way to score your first senior goal! Shanade Hopcroft’s shot was tipped onto the woodwork by Goldsmid three minutes into the second half as the away side looked to extend their lead further. Watford’s Baptiste saw a shot saved in the 52nd minute, then seven minutes later at the other end, Sharpe cut in but her shot went over. Charlotte Fleming came on in the 55th minute for Watford for her first appearance since suffering an ACL injury in August 2022 whilst playing for London City Lionesses. Poppy Wilson came on at the same time for the Hornets after being out injured since the opening day of the season. The Golden Girls then had a good spell and a few opportunities. Gemma Davison saw a low shot saved in the 63rd minute, seconds after she had come onto the pitch as a substitute. Johns saw an effort tipped onto the bar in the 66th minute before the ball was cleared by the visitors defence. Lambourne needed treatment after this that led to her having to go off injured. Immediately after the goalkeeping change, with Natalia Negri coming on, the hosts hit the woodwork again when Baptiste’s shot from 25-yards hit the post. The Eagles had the final chances of the match with Hughes coming close to completing her hat-trick in the 79th minute but shot wide after being played in. A minute later, Hopcroft saw her free kick pushed away by the diving Watford goalkeeper. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Isabella Sibley came on as a substitute for Palace for her first appearance in 11 months after an ACL injury. With the top four at the start of the weekend all winning in the Championship, Crystal Palace remain in fourth place, four points behind leaders Sunderland but the south London side do have a game in hand. Watford are still in 11th position and one of the relegation places after their sixth consecutive league defeat, now five points behind Reading who they travel to on Sunday. The Eagles are at home to bottom of the league side Lewes on the same day. Line ups Watford: Goldsmid, Lafayette, Meiwald (Leon 62’), Mclean, Baptiste, Johns (Rossiter 82’), Head (Davison 62’), Bennett, Georgiou (Wilson 55’), Chandler (c), Haines (Fleming 55’) Unused substitutes: Harris, Palisch, Reid, Henson Booked - Haines Crystal Palace: Lambourne (Negri 69’), Arthur (Potter 67’), Everett (c), Sharpe (Sibley 90’+4), Hughes, Cataldo, Nolan, Doran, Guyatt (Fibley 82’), Dennis (Bailey-Gayle 67’), Hopcroft Unused substitute: Johnson Goal – Hughes 3’, 42’, Guyatt 45’+1 Booked - Doran Referee – Megan Wilson Attendance – 295

Ground Guide Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic This guide is based on my visit to The Oakwood on Sunday 21st November 2021 to watch Charlton play London City Lionesses in the FA Women’s Championship. A normal warning that this guide is based on one visit so things might be different if you decide to visit The Oakwood. Address Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN Location and Ground History The Oakwood ground is located in Crayford in south-east London, near the border with Kent and not far from Dartford. The ground is just north of the town centre. VCD Athletic FC have played at The Oakwood since 1918 but did move out between 1999 and 2006 before returning. Charlton Athletic started playing at the ground in 2018 when they got promoted to the FA Women’s Championship. The ground has a capacity of 1180. There are also tennis courts and a bowls green as part of The Oakwood complex. Getting There Crayford station is about a 15 minute walk from the ground, passing through Crayford town centre and then a slight uphill climb. On the Sunday I went, trains were going to Dartford or back to into London via Woolwich from Charing Cross and Cannon Street stations in London and also passing through London Bridge station. Barnehurst station is a bit further away, about a 20 minute walk, and trains from here were running between Victoria and Dartford. The 492 bus stops closest to the ground (Old Road/Perry Street stop) whilst the 96 and 428 buses pass through Crayford town centre. There is car parking available at the ground (from what I can see is free) which is on a first come first serve bases with stewards pointing you in the right direction as to where to park. Some cars were parked on the grass behind one end of the ground. If the car park is full, then it would have to be street parking near the ground. Tickets I bought tickets online which cost me £10 (adult price) plus a £1.50 booking fee. I had to register with the club before buying online. The ticket came as an attachment on the confirmation email which I printed off and showed at the turnstile where it was taken from me. You were able to pay on the day at the turnstile, with the prices being £12 for adults and £7 for concessions (U18, Over 65 and disabled) and it is card payment only. Buy Tickets https://booking.cafc.co.uk/en-GB/categories/Womens%20Home%20Games The Stadium The turnstiles, which opened about an hour before kick off, are in one corner of the ground with a slight slope leading down to pitch side. There is a covered seated stand, which has a few rows of green and white seats (all unreserved), covering about a third of the pitch on one side of the ground with the slope and uncovered flat standing on either side of this. The opposite side has covered flat standing on either side of the dugouts and camera position. Both ends are uncovered flat standing. The dressing rooms are set back slightly from the ground, diagonally across the pitch from the turnstiles. There was a bag search before going into the ground. There are toilets inside the ground next to the turnstiles as well as inside the clubhouse. The ground is a bit exposed and was very cold when I went with the wind blowing from the north across it. Food and Drink There is a tea hut, to the left of turnstiles as you go in, with some benches and picnic tables near this at the top of the slope. The clubhouse is outside the ground, as you are walking up to it through the car park. The clubhouse is spacious with plenty of tables and chairs as well as a pool table and Sky Sports was on the TVs. The exit gate in the middle of the turnstiles is open at half time if you want to go out to the clubhouse then. Card and cash payment is accepted at the tea hut and in the clubhouse. In Crayford town centre, there are some restaurants, take-aways and a couple of pubs. Merchandise I didn’t see any merchandise available to buy at the ground (I may have missed it of course) and was told there are online programmes (link to free digital programme posted on Twitter). There is a crossbar challenge at half time, where you could win up to £150, which you are entered for if you buy a ticket before 9am on the Friday before a Sunday match.

Dulwich Hamlet v Saltdean Photographer Liam Asman Absolute scenes in Newhaven as Dulwich Hamlet beat Saltdean 5-1 and were crowned champions of the London and South East Regional Women's Premier League! Dulwich Hamlet have earned promotion into the FA Women's National League.

Manchester City and England midfielder Georgia Stanway says she’s at a point in her career where she’d like to “master” just a single position on the pitch Georgia Stanway wants to make the midfield her own Back Manchester City and England midfielder Georgia Stanway says she’s at a point in her career where she’d like to “master” just a single position on the pitch Girls on the Ball Wednesday, 16 February 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Stanway, 23, is well known for her versatility and ability to perform consistently well wherever she is situated. However, speaking to the press ahead of the Arnold Clark Cup, the Manchester City star noted the difficulties that come with being so adaptable. “It’s hard being versatile. Obviously its good for tournaments and when you’re talking about small squads and being about to fill-in if somebody’s injured.” “But I’ve hit a point now where I want to knuckle down on one position, I want to try and become the best I can in that position.” When asked exactly what position she prefers to play in, Stanway takes herself back to her roots in honouring the midfield role that started her career, the very role she has been performing so well in recently. “Midfield. I’ve played there through the youth and age groups coming up through England. That’s where I started out my career at Manchester City. It’s been a difficult 15 months at Manchester City always having to fill in for people, but obviously we were unfortunate with injuries. Whether it be the fullback position, the wide position, even the nine position. I’ve played in a back three at times, I’ve been second choice goalkeeper!” The 23-year-old touched on her current form at club level which has seen her become Manchester City’s all-time top scorer having now netted 64 goals for the Citizens. “With the past run of form I’ve had with Man City I’ve been experiencing the midfield and that’s where I’ve been doing well.” “So I need to make that midfield position my own and come into myself a little bit, know what I’m good at and what I need to get better at and push on as the midfielder that I started out as.” Stanway has joined up with the Lionesses and will take place in the Arnold Clark Cup. England’s first match is against Canada on 17th February at 7:30pm (GMT) at Riverside Stadium, the game will be shown live on ITV4.

Stevenage earn a 4-1 victory over Barking and advance to the quarter finals of the Eastern Region Women’s Football League Cup Back Match Report Barking v Stevenage Stevenage earn a 4-1 victory over Barking and advance to the quarter finals of the Eastern Region Women’s Football League Cup Edward Payne 1 March 2023 Barry Rust Stevenage FCW advanced to the quarter finals of the Eastern Region Women’s Football League Cup after a comfortable victory over the imperious Barking Ladies, who have a strong grip at the top of the division below. Boro’, who currently sit atop the Premier Division, had shown tremendous professionalism in seeing off the challenge of the Essex side and secured yet another game against Royston Town Ladies – a side they will have faced no less than four times by the end of the season. Boro’ found their rhythm immediately. Rosy Wodhams – the eventual Player of the Match - set the tone when she curled in a phenomenal right footed cross into the path of top scorer, Amy Makewell who could not quite stretch high enough to make contact with the ball. Five minutes later, Stevenage were ahead. Lucy Webster took a short throw to Makewell who turned and hooked a tasty ball into the eighteen yard box. Adella Jackson called for the ball but could not claim it through the growing crowd and the ball dropped to the feet of Emily Schofield who would make no mistake from close range for her first cup goal since the County Cup Final of 2022. Schofield was on a mission from that point onward and the hard-working forward nearly doybled the scoreline with an absolute thunderbolt from her right foot that crashed off the crossbar to safety. At the opposite end Barking were spurred into action as they took advantage of a stray ball. Sarah Finch foreshadowed later events as she had two attempts in quick succession, both of which were bravely blocked by the consistent Nicole Farmer. Photo: Edward Payne After a lull in opportunities Stevenage carved out another opportunity, this time down the left flank. Wodhams put Makewell through, but she was unable to turn her marker. Instead she laid the ball off to Schofield at the edge of the box who received her reward as she expertly placed the ball into the bottom right corner, beyond Jackson. Barking were stunned into action. Their best chance came from a fantastic effort by Finch, that was turned behind by Mia O’Brien for a corner. The ball was swung in and Finch finally stuck the ball into the net to reduce the arrears. Stevenage were determined to restore their advantage though. The continual energy of the team was on display as Wodhams won the ball back high up the pitch and advanced into the box. Her attempted pass deflected back into her path creating an opportunity which the young midfielder took without question, firing Boro’ back into a two goal lead. Webster saw an opportunity fly over the bar before the halftime whistle, but it was her shot after it that led to the final goal of the game. Her excellent run into the box gave her the perfect opportunity to shoot. The captain did exactly that but the goalkeeper could not hold it and as it squirmed through her hands, Makewell pounced to put the fixture to bed. Photo: Edward Payne The rest of the match was notable for missed opportunities but also for a celebratory reason as Jess Poulter became the first player from the ETC (Emerging Talent Centre) at Stevenage to play for the first team. This was announced in September as the FA chose Stevenage to host one of the centres and this was a landmark moment for the club. Manager Fadi Mazloum was content at the final whistle as he said “We controlled the game well and didn’t give them the chance to play. Jess controls the game well at CDM for the development side and you could see that in some of the tackles she made when she came on.” Poulter herself remarked, “I was hopeful I could get some time to show what I can do. I really enjoyed it.” A feeling that was no doubt shared by the whole Boro’ team as they travelled back to Hertfordshire. Line-ups Barking XI: A Jackson, Thomas, Daly, Cook, Oxby, Holt, Colthart, F Pridie, Finch, Bunton, C Jackson Subs: Cooper, N Pridie, Retim, McCarthy Goal: Finch Stevenage XI: O’Brien, Webster (c), Neal, Farmer, Nebbitt, Bodily, Wodhams, Shephard, Schofield, Millen, Makewell Subs: Price, Bellinger, Poulter, Lightning, Fidler Goals: Schofield x 2, Wodhams, Makewell

London giants Arsenal and Chelsea face off in the Conti Cup final, here's all you need to know Back Match Preview Conti Cup Final: 2023 Bumper Preview London giants Arsenal and Chelsea face off in the Conti Cup final, here's all you need to know Edward Payne 4 March 2023 By Paul Donegan The 2023 FA Women’s League Cup (Conti Cup) final takes place at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park on Sunday 5th March (kick off 3pm GMT) between London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea. Arsenal have won the Conti Cup a record five times whilst Chelsea are two times winners. This will be the West London sides fourth appearance in a row in the showpiece event. For the Gunners, it is the first time since 2020 they have reached the final. Arsenal will be looking to win their first silverware since 2019. In the last four years, Chelsea have won eight trophies. The final is a 24,000 sell out, so it looks like the record attendance set of last year of 8,004 for the final and competition is going to be broken! Here is our guide to the final including information about how Arsenal and Chelsea reached Selhurst Park, the two squads, the stadium and transport, and TV/radio coverage. How they got to the final Both sides didn’t enter the Conti Cup until the quarter-final stage due to playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In the last eight, Chelsea travelled to Tottenham Hotspur where they won 3-1. Sam Kerr scored twice and Fran Kirby got the other for the Blues. They faced another London derby in the semi-final when they were drawn to play West Ham United away. The side from West London won 7-0 with Kerr scoring four this time. The other goals were scored by Kirby, Lauren James and Guro Reiten. Arsenal have had two home ties at Meadow Park as they reached the final. In the quarter-finals, they beat Aston Villa 3-0. Frida Leonhardsen Maanum was the star of the show and scored twice with Caitlin Foord getting the other goal. In the semi-final they took on holders Manchester City and with the scores being level at 0-0 after 90 minutes, the match went to extra-time. Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal in the 93rd minute for the Gunners as they won 1-0. Past Meetings The sides have faced each other twice this season already. In January, they drew 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the WSL. Kim Little opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Arsenal before Sam Kerr scored a late equaliser for Chelsea. They played each other in the FA Cup fifth round last weekend at Kingsmeadow. Chelsea won that tie 2-0 with Sophie Ingle and Kerr scoring the goals. In the Conti Cup, there have been five meetings between the sides with Arsenal winning three of them and Chelsea two. Their only previous meeting in the final of this competition was in 2020 which Chelsea won 2-1 thanks to Bethany England’s late winner. Photo: Edward Payne Arsenal Arsenal normally play in a 4-3-3 formation but head coach Jonas Eidevall did change to 3-4-3 in two recent games against Manchester City. Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema are both unavailable due to long-term injuries, and Gio is cup-tied after playing for Everton earlier in the season in the Conti Cup. Eidevall confirmed in his pre-final press conference that no other players are ready to return yet so this probably rules out Teyah Goldie. In goal, Manuela Zinsberger has been number one for most of this season but January signing Sabrina D’Angelo has played in both Conti Cup games. D’Angelo picked up an injury whilst on international duty with Canada recently and Eidevall said on Friday that she is progressing but not sure whether she’ll be available. Kaylan Marckese is another goalkeeper that can be called upon. Noelle Maritz or Laura Wienroither normally play on the right side of defence for the Gunners. In central defence, it will probably be two from Leah Williamson, Rafaelle, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Jen Beattie. Both Steph Catley and Katie McCabe can play on the left side of the back four. Lia Walti normally plays in the defensive midfield role though Williamson can also play in this position. Captain and penalty specialist Kim Little plays a bit further forward in the middle of the pitch, and Frida Leonhardsen Maanum has been playing as an attacking midfielder recently. Two January signings, Victoria Pelova and Kathrine Khul, are other midfielders that could be involved in the final. From those available, the attacking wide positions are normally filled by Lina Hurtig (who Eidevall confirmed is in contention after a recent injury), Caitlin Foord and McCabe. Stina Blackstenius normally plays in the centre furthest forward though Foord can also play here. Youngster Michelle Agyemang can also play in attacking roles. Photo: Edward Payne Chelsea Emma Hayes has typically lined Chelsea up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season. Hayes confirmed in her pre-final press conference on Friday that “the same number of players are available this week as last week”. Pernille Harder, Katerina Svitkova and Fran Kirby will all miss the final with injuries. There doesn’t seem to be a number one goalkeeper with both Zecira Musovic and Ann-Katrin Berger starting a fair share of games each. Emily Orman is another goalkeeper in the squad. Eve Perisset is a regular starter at right back. The two central defenders could come from Millie Bright, Kadeisha Buchanan and captain Magdalena Eriksson. Eriksson has also been a frequent starter at left back this season. Chelsea have a couple of versatile defenders with Jess Carter who can play anywhere across the back and Niamh Charles who can play in either full back position. Other defenders that might be involved include Maren Mjelde (can also play in midfield) and Alsu Abdullina. In midfield, Sophie Ingle normally occupies the defensive position while Erin Cuthbert always seems to be everywhere. With Fran Kirby injured, Jelena Cankovic played in the attacking midfield position last week. Melanie Leupolz and Jessie Fleming are other players who could feature in midfield for the Blues. The attacking three normally consists of Lauren James, who was recently Player of the Tournament in the Arnold Clark Cup after her performances for the Lionesses, and Guro Reiten in the wide positions with Sam Kerr furthest forward. Kerr may have only played two games in this season’s Conti Cup so far but is already top scorer in the competition with six goals, and has also scored in the last two finals. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd is an alternative for James and Reiten. Selhurst Park Selhurst Park Stadium is in South London, just north of Croydon. The stadium opened in 1924 and has been the home of Crystal Palace FC ever since. The current Main Stand was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened at the same time as the ground. The stadium hosted two football matches during the 1948 Summer Olympics. Two clubs, Charlton Athletic FC and Wimbledon FC, had spells groundsharing at Selhurst Park between 1985 and 2003. The Women’s FA Cup final was held here in 2001, 2002 and 2003 but this will be the first time the Conti Cup final has taken place at this stadium. Selhurst Park consists of four separate stands. They are the Main Stand, Holmesdale Road Stand (Arsenal end), Arthur Wait Stand and Whitehorse Lane Stand (Chelsea end). The capacity of the ground is 25,486. Turnstiles into the stadium open at 1pm, two hours before kick-off. Bags small enough to fit under seats can be taken in but will be searched. The stadium is cashless so only debit/credit card payments are accepted for food/drink inside it. Programmes will be available to buy from outlets around the stadium. It is encouraged supporters travel by public transport. The closest railway stations to the stadium are Norwood Junction (due to engineering works will only be served by a replacement bus on Sunday), Thornton Heath and Selhurst which are all about a 10/15 minute walk from the stadium. The latter two are served by trains from central London (Victoria station), Clapham Junction and Croydon. A number of bus routes pass close to the ground including the numbers 50, 75, 130, 157, 198 and 468. There is no spectator parking available at the ground. There is limited parking for accessible users only which must be prebooked. Several residential streets surrounding the stadium are now permitted to permit holders only so check if parking nearby. Free cycle parking is provide on-site from three hours before kick-off. Head to the CPFC Information Point (Entrance 9) for bicycle parking instructions. Photo: Edward Payne Fan Zone The fan zone will be open from midday in the main car park by entrance 10. Match Officials The referee for the final is Kirsty Dowle and she will be assisted by Ceri Williams and Sophie Dennington. The fourth official is Lou Saunders and Abby Dearden is the reserve assistant referee. TV/Radio coverage In the UK, the final will be shown live on BBC One/Sport Website/iPlayer with coverage starting at 2:25pm (GMT). There is live radio commentary of the final on talkSPORT 2. Their coverage starts at 2pm (GMT). Outside of the UK, it will also be available to watch live on the FA Player.

Unique women's football merchandise. Merchandise Stickers Lucy Bronze Sticker Lucy Bronze Sticker Tobin Heath Sticker Tobin Heath Sticker Leah Williamson Sticker Leah Williamson Sticker 1/1 Join Sarah (aka Lucysbronzer ) in her quest to kit out football fans with products to wear out to games, or to support your favourite team and players. The Woso Central Store is as Eco-Friendly as possible, with 100% bio-degradable packaging, 100% recyclable card and tissue paper; along with products being made out of 100% cotton material - not just nice to wear, but also good for the environment! Stickers LeahWilliamsonn_Sticker Leah Williamson Arsenal Sticker nwsl_ATP "Across the Pond" Selection Stickers mewis_sisters The Mewis Sisters Sticker Press_WWC Christen Press WWC Sticker AMorgs_Sticker Alex Morgan WWC Sticker PinoePose Megan Rapinoe WWC Sticker 1/1 Bianca is kitting football fans out on both sides of the pond with high quality stickers. With plenty more in the works, Bianca has started with this awesome collection of USWNT and Houston Dash players, with a little Leah Williamson thrown in for good measure! Chelsea Merch Creed Creations (3) Kingsmeadow Design Puzzle Creed Creations (5) Chelsea Squad Number on Notebook Creed Creations (1) Chelsea Squad Number on Tote Bag Creed Creations (3) Chelsea Squad Number on Cushion Creed Creations (4) Chelsea Motto on Reusable Cup Creed Creations (2) Blue Football Heart Creed Creations (1) Red Football Heart Creed Creations (7) Green Football Heart 1/1 Creeds Creations are able to print their Chelsea designs or football heart designs onto a number of products - including puzzles, phone cases, t-shirts, notebooks, bottles and coasters - as shown in the gallery above. Get in touch with Creed Creations and get yourself some fantastic personalised products! *Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns or problems with any products featured in the shop. We are happy to contact the seller directly on your behalf.