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London City Lionesses v Coventry United Photographer Edward Payne Jamie-Lee Napier netted a scorching 9-minute hat-trick among the London City Lionesses 9-0 win over Coventry United in the final game of the season. Coventry have now been relegated from the Women's Championship.

Team Information: Aston Villa Aston Villa Website https://www.avfc.co.uk/teams/womens/ Manager Carla Ward - ENG Captain Marisa Ewers - Remi Allen Squad Player Position Number Nationality DOB Hannah Hampton GK 1 ENG 16/11/2000 Sian Rogers GK 23 ENG 28/06/1998 Sarah Mayling DF 2 ENG 20/03/1997 Meaghan Sargeant DF 3 ENG 16/03/1994 Elisha N'Dow DF 5 ENG 13/10/1996 Anita Asanti DF 6 ENG 27/04/1985 Natalie Haigh DF 15 ENG 08/02/11993 Olivia McLoughlin DF 16 ENG 15/10/2004 Freya Gregory DF 18 ENG 12/01/2003 Maz Pacheco DF 33 ENG 25/08/1998 Remi Allen MF 4 ENG 15/10/1990 Chloe Arthur MF 8 SCO 21/01/1995 Ramona Petzelberger MF 10 GER 13/11/1992 Emily Syme MF 14 ENG 23/07/2000 Marisa Ewers MF 21 GER 24/02/1989 Ruesha Littlejohn MF 31 IRL 03/07/1990 Alisha Lehmann FW 7 SUI 21/01/1999 Emily Gielnik FW 9 AUS 13/05/1992 Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah FW 11 ENG 08/09/1995 Jodie Hutton FW 12 ENG 11/02/2001 Sophie Haywood FW 17 ENG 10/01/1996 Shania Hayles FW 22 JAM 22/12/1999 Ground Banks's Stadium, Walsall WS1 4SA Aston Villa Shania Hayles Photographer: Girls on the Ball Aston Villa Celebrate Photographer: Girls on the Ball Aston Villa 1/4

Back Caroline Weir Club Manchester City Position Midfielder D.O.B 20/06/1995 Bio Manchester City midfielder Weir has a wand of a left foot, there is simply no other way to describe it. Another player to bolster the left side, Weir is creative with her positioning and in her passing demonstrated by her ability to regularly assist toward scoring opportunities. However, Weir herself is no stranger to hitting the back of the net. Whether it is from a long-range set piece or a live attack, Weir is able to hit the target with the sauciest of strikes. via Caroline Weir Twitter C5

Number 29 is sticking around Back Ashleigh Neville signs on the dotted line Number 29 is sticking around Tottenham Hotspur 7 May 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Tottenham Hotspur fullback Ashleigh Neville has signed a three-year contract that will see her remain with the club until 2025. Neville has made a total of 102 appearances for the Lilywhites and has been a key player in their rise to the top half of the table this season, registering two goals and two assists, as well as being names February’s Player of the Month. On her extension, Neville commented, “I’m super happy here – the girls, the coaching staff, the way we play, how far we’ve come in the last five years - the journey we’re on is something I want to be part of.” News

Dulwich Hamlet and West Ham goalkeeper Mia North takes us through her professional football journey so far; becoming more than "the girl in goal" Back Hand over the mic: Mia North Dulwich Hamlet and West Ham goalkeeper Mia North takes us through her professional football journey so far; becoming more than "the girl in goal" Courtesy of Mia North 2 August 2021 My journey in football started when I was around 10 years old. Due to there not being many girls’ teams around I was forced to play in a boys’ team which was technically ‘mixed’. At the time, playing in a boys’ team was more normal due to a lack of girls’ teams around so the prospect of playing with boys did not really scare me, it just made me excited that I could play football properly. There was a challenge though with the whole facade that “girls can’t play football” and that I was an immediate weakness just because of my gender. As a result, there was added pressure on myself to make even less mistakes because I felt like I had to prove myself and I did not want to think about how the other boys would react or feel if they saw the girl making an error. There were multiple occasions where I would have boys sit behind my goal and laugh at me for being “the girl in goal”. This could have easily been a point in my life where I stopped wanting to play but instead, I used it as a motivation for me to prove them wrong. The social aspect for the first couple of years was a lot harder as well seeing as the boys on my team were very different to me. I struggled for conversation starters and the boys were much rowdier compared to me as I was quite shy so I struggled to make real friends. However, they never made me feel inferior to them and the coaching staff and parents were also lovely so there was enough enjoyment for me to carry on. Courtesy of Mia North I finally joined a girls’ team when I was 12. I spent the next 3-4 years with this team where I enjoyed a really successful few years, winning our league multiple times, multiple tournament victories and multiple county cup triumphs. During these years, I also stepped into the county environment and I was selected for a training camp with Wales U19s at the age of 16. Once I turned 16, I joined WSL team Yeovil Ladies where I spent the next 2 years of my career. The second year of being there saw me go into my first year of college in Bridgwater, meaning I had to move out and live in an accommodation whilst training every day. Moving out at 16 was a big change for me, and there was one point where I did not want to do it. I was fearful of being home sick and missing my friends at school, but I ended up embracing the new environment more than my parents or I would have ever expected it. In my first year I never got homesick once! I still missed my friends, but I was enjoying the new independence and due to making lots of new friends at accommodation - I was always up to something and rarely on my own, so it became very easy. Alongside this, it massively helped that I went home practically every weekend due to not having any games so I was able to still see my parents and friends every week, so I was not thrown in the deep end of not coming home for prolonged periods of time straight away. "Being at Yeovil was when I first experienced academy football and played the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal etc. I also had 2 first team bench appearances against Arsenal and Everton Women." After my first year of college, I decided I wanted to move on from Yeovil which saw me eventually end up where I am now which is West Ham. Soon after playing with the U21s, I was called up to the Wales U19s squad for the Euro Qualifiers where I enjoyed 10 days in Northern Ireland competing against Norway, Northern Ireland and Moldova. Following this tournament, I had another call up to the first team after which, I completed the rest of the season with the U21s before COVID-19 hit and our season unfortunately had to be null and void. Courtesy of Mia North If we skip to present day, I am currently a first year at UEL and in my second year with West Ham, I came out of college with 3 distinction stars in my BTEC and have just completed my first term on Sports and Exercise Science where I achieved firsts across all my modules. I am now on loan at Dulwich Hamlet Women where I am looking to gain experience within the women’s game and also looking to develop massively as a player. When I look at the modern women’s game now, it definitely has come a long way since I first started playing. First of all, I think in a way we have benefitted from less exposure. The women’s game has a lot less dramatics, much less diving and dialogue on the pitch itself is definitely less violent. However, the recent WSL deal with Sky Sports is a really exciting one and one which I hope will start to give the game the exposure it needs to be more successful. "Hopefully over the next few years, the game will grow exponentially and we will hopefully see more equity between the men and women’s game." Furthermore, if I think back to when I was young, there were few women’s teams around my local area and across the country, there were not many professional academy setups, this is why the county route for girls was so prevalent. Nowadays however, that has changed, for instance, West Ham have the West Ham Foundation where they coach and bring up young girls through their ranks which a lot more highly affiliated clubs are now doing. If I was born in that generation, I think the pressure on me would have definitely been higher because I would be having been in a more professional setup playing alongside other girls. However, there are so many positives that come from academies and a more stable pathway from grassroots for young girls will do wonders not only in terms of ability but also to provide the belief that football can be more than a hobby. Looking back now, I am glad I got to just enjoy football as a fun hobby before joining Yeovil academy because when you are so young, I think enjoyment is the most important thing and putting a child into a serious environment straight away may deter them more than it nurtures them which is why I am thankful to have had my time in the boys team as well as the early girls team I played for in my career. . . Mia North, Womens Football, West Ham

Thoughts on: Jill Scott MBE Thoughts on: Jill Scott MBE Scott Back 12 September 2020 By Charlotte Stacey The Woman. The Myth. The Legend via The Telegraph When it comes to icons of the women's game, Jill Scott should be a name that immediately comes to mind. Boasting a prolific career for both club and country, the Manchester City and England midfielder is nothing but deserving of her recent appointment as a Member of the British Empire. Jill Scott is a true veteran of the game. With 146 caps for England and counting, and over 200 collective appearances for the three domestic clubs she has represented, Scott is certainly a familiar face on a football field. It is her experience, alongside her clear respect for the game, and of all those involved in it, that has naturally elevated her to become somewhat of a mentor for upcoming players. Scott's deep rooted receptiveness does much to dispel any unease felt by those less familiar with the pressures of the game . With a buoyant energy that is seemingly endless, Scott has an endurance that rivals that of a player ten years her junior. Her maturity, along with her exceptional vision, enables her to quite comfortably control play from the middle. Pairing the finest of attitudes together with an unparalleled work ethic, Scott encompasses everything that is needed in a world class midfielder. Whilst her skill set sees her principally positioned in the middle, Scott is a threat at both ends of the field. Her absolute strength in dispossessing others, and assertiveness in retrieving a lost ball, shows her utter commitment to her defence. Scott is spirited, and although this can occasionally spell trouble, it is this passion that has kept her at the forefront of the game for so long. Likewise, in attacking, Scott is more than proficient. Scott is clever in making judicious runs off the ball, and in producing stellar passes when on it. Her aptitude to create, and finish, chances in the most crucial of times demonstrates a player with a well rounded acumen needed in pulling a team together in a crisis. Reuters Scott is always attentive to those around her under every circumstance. Off the pitch, she is widely regarded as 'the nicest player you will ever meet'. With a warm personality and friendly demeanour that is seen in every interview, it is easy to see why she is a firm favourite amongst players and fans alike. Her soccer schools are just one example of her consideration to, not only the development of the sport, but to the next generation. What is clearly evident, is that Scott harbours the generosity, integrity and kindness of a truly special individual. There is absolutely no doubt that Scott is worthy of every trophy, title and honour that she has won, and every accolade that may come her way in the future. Jill Scott is, and will always be, an essential part of the Lionesses and the FA's history. Her sincere dedication to her sport, and to the wider community, is second to none; and it is this devotion to give something back that means she stands, quite literally, head and shoulders above the rest. Luckily for us, she shows no signs of stopping yet.

A look back at the 2023/24 Women's Championship season, the one that was wide open.... Barclays Women's Championship 2023/24 Review Tuesday, 30 April 2024 By Paul Donegan A look back at the 2023/24 Women's Championship season, the one that was wide open.... Ryan Asman The 2023/24 Women’s Championship finished on Sunday, and what a season it was! Big congratulations to Crystal Palace who claimed the title after one of the closest and tightly fought races for it in years. At the other end of the table, it is commiserations to Watford and Lewes who were relegated to the FA Women’s National League for the 2024/25 campaign. Here, in the order that they finished, is a review of all the 2023/24 Championship sides. Photo: Ryan Asman 1st Crystal Palace What an amazing campaign Crystal Palace had as they won the league and promotion to the WSL! Last summer, Grace Williams was brought in as head of women’s football (joining from last season’s Championship winners Bristol City) whilst Laura Kaminski joined as manager. The goals from Elise Hughes, who finished as the Championship’s top goalscorer, and Annabel Blanchard helped them to some big wins including 9-1 and 5-1 over Durham, 6-1 against London City Lionesses, and beating Blackburn Rovers 4-0 home and away. In total, Palace scored 55 goals in the league. The Eagles made few changes in playing personal last summer and the astute signings of WSL and international experienced players Ria Percival and Izzy Atkinson in January helped them over the line as they won 7 of their last 9 games. 2nd Charlton Athletic Karen Hills led her side to runners-up spot in another season of what can be seen as progress at the Addicks. This is their best ever finish in the Championship as they ended a point off top spot. Away from home they had a brilliant season, undefeated and winning 9 of their 11 games whilst conceding just 2 goals. Their home form let them down a bit with only 4 wins out of 11. A 1-0 defeat to Reading and conceding two late goals to lose against London City Lionesses may be looked back on as critical points dropped at home during the second half of the campaign. The club have already announced they will be playing all their home league matches at The Valley next season and they will be looking to carry on their upward progress there. Photo: Ryan Asman 3rd Sunderland Another side who had an amazing season was Mel Reay’s Sunderland. Even after adop ting a hybrid playing model for this campaign, I don’t think many expected them to be challenging for the title until the second last match and eventually finish in third position, as well as reaching the Conti Cup quarter-finals. The Lasses were strong defensively, conceding only 18 goals throughout the season, and their goalkeeper Claudia Moan won the Championship Golden Glove. After a positive campaign, Sunderland will be looking to build on this in the next one. 4th Southampton Another club who can see this as a season of progress are Southampton. In their second campaign at this level, they have gained their highest ever finish in 4th place as well as getting more points than last year. The Saints also went through the whole season without drawing a game, winning 13 and losing 9 as they finished seven points off top spot. Their best result was probably a 4-3 win away at champions Crystal Palace. Southampton will hope the upward trend continues in the next campaign with a new manager in place after it was announced that Marieanne Spacey-Cale has moved to a more senior role at the club. 5th Birmingham City Birmingham were seen as one of the favourites for the Championship title, especially after their good end to last season. Instead, they had a slightly mixed and disappointing time as their hopes for top spot faded and they finished in 5th place. The Blues made a slow start, picking up just one point from their first 4 games. Things then picked up as they went on a 9-game unbeaten run, winning 8 of them. During the second half of the campaign their form was inconsistent, and Darren Carter left the club with 3 games remaining. Women’s Technical Director Hope Powell brought in Amy Merricks, her former assistant at Brighton, as their new head coach on a 3-year contract in April. Photo: Adam Mitten 6th Blackburn Rovers Blackburn’s great campaign that saw them finish in 6th position seems to have gone under the radar a bit. Simon Parker was appointed manager last summer and led Rovers to their best league finish and number of points, their most goals scored in the Championship, most shots saved, a record unbeaten run and a new attendance record of 1,591. Big wins for Rovers included beating Southampton and Birmingham at home and Sunderland away. They ended this campaign with an eight-game unbeaten run which saw them finish level on points with Birmingham and confident for next season. 7th Sheffield United The heartbreaking news of the death of Sheffield United’s Maddy Cusack was announced in September. Maddy’s family and friends continue to be in our thoughts. Former head coach Jonathan Morgan first stepped away for a period as the club conducted an internal investigation and was then sacked in February over what the club described as his “conduct before arriving at Bramall Lane”. Luke Turner took over as interim manager. On the pitch, the Blades had a mixed season, before going on a good run in March when they won 4 games in a row, including beating Crystal Palace at home, which helped them to eventually finish in 7th place. Forward Isobel Goodwin scored 15 goals, finishing as the second highest goalscorer in the Championship. Photo: Adam Mitten 8th London City Lionesses London City Lionesses appointed Italian legend Carolina Morace as head coach in July. Last summer also saw a large player turnover at the Pride as they prepared for this campaign after finishing in third place last year. Things weren’t going that well, and with the club hanging just above the drop zone, Morace was sacked in February, at about what would have been half time in their Conti Cup quarter-final against Arsenal, which had been postponed. Remi Allen was brought in to replace her and things picked up, with the Lionesses getting wins against high flying Sunderland and Charlton Athletic in consecutive weekends in March which helped them to finish nine points clear of the relegation places. 9th Durham It is looking more and more that independent clubs, unless they have lots of money behind them, are going to find life harder in the Championship. Durham have been a mainstay at this level for a number of years now but this season they struggled and were only confirmed to be safe with a few games remaining. They won five times during the first half of the campaign, but then went from January until the final day of the season without a victory, when they beat Birmingham 1-0. 10th Reading After being relegated from the Women’s Super League and with their men’s side also dropping down a level last summer, it was announced that Reading would be changing to a part-time model for this season. Liam Gilbert was also brought in as manager replacing long-serving Kelly Chambers. The Royals beat Sunderland and Charlton in February/March but then suffered some heavy defeats, and only confirmed their safety on the penultimate weekend after they had beaten fellow strugglers Durham and Lewes had lost. Perhaps, with everything else going on at the club, staying up was a big achievement in its own right! 11th Lewes It was a tough campaign for Lewes, another side that doesn’t have the backing of a Premier League/EFL club. The Rooks had to wait until their seventh game before they won their first match of the season away at Watford. Away from home, they only picked up 4 points all campaign. Their relegation to the FA Women’s National league was confirmed when they lost at home to Crystal Palace in front of a record league crowd at The Dripping Pan of 2,614 on the second last weekend of the season. 12th Watford After winning the FA Women’s National League Championship Play-Off final and promotion, the Hornets struggled all season and were eventually relegated with a couple of games left. Their star player was Arsenal loanee Michelle Agyemang but she missed portions of the campaign injured. Their best result was probably beating Birmingham, who were on a 9-game unbeaten run, 2-0 at home when Agyemang came on as a substitute and scored both goals. This has been the best Championship season we can remember. It has been unpredictable and slightly wild at times with five sides still in the hunt for the title until the last couple of matches and the two relegation spots not confirmed until late on. For the 2024/25 season, Bristol City will be rejoining the Championship after getting relegated from the WSL whilst Newcastle United and Portsmouth will be joining it for the first time after winning the FA Women’s National League Premier Division titles and getting promoted. Thank you, 2023/24 season, you were amazing! Hopefully next season’s Championship will be as exciting as this one, and we cannot wait until September for it to begin!

New Zealand star Stott makes her return to the Albion Back Rebekah Stott returns to the WSL New Zealand star Stott makes her return to the Albion Brighton and Hove Albion 5 August 2022 By Charlotte Stacey Brighton and Hove Albion have announced the return of the New Zealand international on a two-year contract, subject to international clearance. Stott originally joined the Seagulls in 2020 and made eight appearances, but had to cut her time short after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Head coach Hope Powell said, “The circumstances around Stotty’s departure in 2021 were really difficult for everyone, no one more so than for her. “Now she’s back to full fitness and wants to have a proper go at the WSL and we are happy to have her back. Taking the emotions out of the signing, we know we’re getting a really good player with proven international experience and a knowledge of the league. “We’re really looking forward to working with Rebekah again.” News

Arsenal have announced that Viktoria Schnaderbeck has gone on loan to Tottenham Hotspur Women for the rest of the season Back Tottenham sign Viktoria Schnaderbeck on loan from Arsenal Arsenal have announced that Viktoria Schnaderbeck has gone on loan to Tottenham Hotspur Women for the rest of the season via Spurs Women 27 January 2022 By Josh Bunting She has made 40 appearances for the Gunners since joining from Bayern Munich in May 2018 and was part of the squad that won the WSL title in 2018/19. With the addition of Rafaelle Souza she has fell down further in the pecking order and her opportunities were going to be limited. The 31-year-old defender spent 11 years with Bayern Munich, where she won two Frauen Bundesliga titles and a Frauen DFB-Pokal cup. She featured on 132 occasions and scored five goals during her time in the Bundesliga including five appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Schnaderbeck became a key squad player in the 2019-20 season and at the beginning of the 2020-21 season for Arsenal,usually playing as a centre-half but sometimes filling in at left-back too. The versatile player made her debut for the Austria national team in 2007 and has gone on to make 43 appearances. In March 2019, she was voted Austrian Player of the Year. Speaking about signing for Tottenham she said ““I am really looking forward to joining Tottenham Hotspur, the girls have done so well this season and I’m excited to help the team as much as I can. I can’t wait to get started.” Spurs boss Rehanne Skinner went on to add “Viki is an experienced centre half who brings a lot of value to the team. As Austrian national team captain she also brings strong leadership qualities. Viki will help us to establish control both in and out of possession with her ball quality.” The Austrian has been handed the number 11 shirt at the Lilywhites. News

Watford earn promotion to the Championship in a 1-0 victory at Stadium MK Back Match Report FAWNL Play-off: Nottingham Forest v Watford Watford earn promotion to the Championship in a 1-0 victory at Stadium MK Edward Payne 21 May 2023 By Paul Donegan Poppy Wilson headed in the only goal of the match in the 17th minute as Watford beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 to win the FA Women’s National League Championship Play-Off Final, and promotion back to the Women’s Championship at the first attempt. In an entertaining match, both sides had chances but Wilson was the only one to find the back of the net. Forest weren’t clinical enough with their opportunities, and Watford goalkeeper Jacqueline Goldsmid made a few good saves to deny them. It had already announced that this would be the last play-off between the winners of the National League Northern and Southern Premier Divisions to decide the single promotion spot. From next season, both Premier Division champions will be promoted with the bottom two in the Championship relegated. The sides had met in the League Cup final last month which Nottingham Forest won 3-2 after extra-time. The supporters of both clubs, just over 3,000 of them, were making a good noise before the start of the match on a nice sunny afternoon at Stadium MK. Both sides had early chances. A great ball found Bianca Baptiste but her cross couldn’t find any of her Watford teammates. Forest’s first effort came in the 5th minute when Charlotte Greengrass’ shot was easily saved. Goldsmid got down and saved with her legs to stop an effort from Yasmin Mosby after she had been played in by Sophie Domingo. Annie Rossiter saw a half-chance go wide for Watford in the 16th minute. Watford did take the lead a minute later when Gemma Davison’s cross from the left side found Wilson at the far post and she headed the ball into the net. Forest had a chance on the break in the 22nd minute but Domingo saw another effort saved. A free kick a couple of minutes later caused the Watford defence problems before the ball was cleared. As the game approached the half-hour mark, Forest came close to equalising but Rebecca Anderson put her free-kick narrowly the wrong side of the post. Their front three of Domingo, Mosby and Greengrass were playing some nice combinations but they just couldn’t take any of the chances they were creating. Wilson, who impressed me during the first half, was finding space for the Golden Girls but saw an effort blocked in the 41st minute, and then seconds later sent a shot from 35-yards not far wide. In stoppage time, Wilson couldn’t get on the end of a free kick in front of goal. Charlotte Steggles had the final chance of the half for Forest but put her effort wide of the post. Greengrass saw an effort easily saved in the first five minutes of the second half after a free kick had been played in as Forest looked for an equaliser. There was nice build up from Davison and Wilson as Watford attacked but the final ball was too far in front of Rossiter, then Wilson saw a header cleared. At the other end in the 54th minute, a cross came off Mosby and went narrowly wide. Andria Georgiou, who was named as Player of the Match, and Alison Pausch were making some fantastic tackles for Watford to stop Forest attacks. Watford had the ball in the net again in the 62nd minute but this was disallowed for offside, despite the music blasting out and the scoreboards showing multiple goals for and against both sides. Four minutes later, Rossiter put an effort over from an angle. Domingo played the ball back to Amy West in the 70th minute but her shot flashed just wide of the post as Forest went close again to levelling. Sophie Mclean sent a shot wide for Watford three minutes later. Greengrass headed over a free kick with ten minutes remaining for Forest. The Watford fans were singing and encouraging their side as the match entered the final five minutes. The Golden Girls dealt with what Forest threw at them during the five minutes of injury time, including Goldsmid getting booked for a committing a foul outside the area to stop an attack. Anderson sent the resulting free kick wide. That was their last chance of the match as the final whistle went seconds later, sparking celebrations amongst the Watford players and fans. Speaking to the media after the match, Watford head coach Damon Lathrope said he “was over the moon” after winning. He felt for Forest as “they deserved to be promoted, they won their league and it is a sour one with the rules changing next year”. Lathrope thought his side had a “little bit more control, and if we had cutting edge in the final third, we maybe could have got a second goal and killed the game”. He praised goalkeeper Jacqueline Goldsmid saying she “came good today and deserves some recognition after making some very vital saves”. Lathrope said the Watford fans were a massive factor and gives them “that extra motivation and energy when we need it” and their support “is much appreciated.” He finished by admitting they will have a lot of work to do next season in the Championship and it is going to be very tough but “we will enjoy this success first.” Nottingham Forest manager Andy Cook said that after winning the league and cup, the feeling after losing this match is “it’s almost worthless, we have done all that work, we have done brilliantly throughout the season but to not gain promotion almost feels worthless” . Cook continued by saying he was proud of his players after doing the double. He added that a motivation for next season is knowing that if they win the league, they will go straight up. Cook felt they lacked “that little bit extra” in front of goal and mentioned the 5/6 good chances and that “you have got to score goals and win games and they (Watford) managed to do that and we didn’t”. He finished by praising the Forest fans, saying they were “fantastic”. Line ups Nottingham Forest (4-1-2-3) : Batty, James, Harkin (c), Cook (Powell 89’), Daniels, Steggles, West, Anderson, Domingo (Mitchell 77’), Mosby (Reynolds 77’), Greengrass Unused substitutes: Hewitt, Taylor Watford (3-4-1-2) : Goldsmid, Meiwald, Chandler (c), Pausch, Baptiste (Fyfe 64’), Mclean, Georgiou, Head, Wilson, Rossiter (Wallace 90’+2), Davison Unused substitutes: Gibson, Ward, Brough

Review of the Lionesses double header against France England versus France: 2025 Euro's Qualifiers Back Review of the Lionesses double header against France Lionesses Sunday, 9 June 2024 By Paul Donegan England faced a tough double-header against France in UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying over the last week or so. The meetings between the sides second and third in the world rankings resulted in a win apiece with the visitors being victorious 2-1 on both occasions. Here is a look back and some thoughts on the matches. The first game took place at St James’ Park in Newcastle on Friday evening. This was the first time the Lionesses had played there and it was also Sarina Wiegman’s 50th match in charge. Wiegman decided to pair captain Leah Williamson and Millie Bright together in defence for the first time in over a year after both had suffered injuries during that time. Alex Greenwood can maybe feel a bit unfortunate to miss out after having a great season with Manchester City. Mary Earps won her 50th cap but within the first minute picked up a hip injury and had to be replaced by Hannah Hampton shortly after. England looked a bit shacky at the back in the early stages, maybe not surprising considering how long it was since Bright and Williamson last played together. It was Williamson’s long pass forward that started the move that led to the Lionesses taking the lead on the half-hour mark with Beth Mead finishing Lauren Hemp’s low ball across the area. Hampton made a good save to stop Maelle Lakrar’s header four minutes later as France looked for a quick equaliser. The visitors did level the score before half time when Elisa De Almeida’s stunning volley from a corner looped into the corner of the net. Not much England could do about that one. Pauline Peyraud-Magnin made a good save of her own in first half stoppage time when she stopped Mead’s curling effort. Marie-Antoinette Katoto put France ahead in the 68th minute with a low volley into the net. Though maybe she shouldn’t have had the chance in the first place as the Lionesses had numerous chances to clear the ball before it reached the unmarked Katoto. Apart from the early enforced goalkeeper substitution, Wiegman didn’t make any other changes until the 79th minute when Fran Kirby and Chloe Kelly came on. This was perhaps a bit surprising considering it was the end of a long season and changes could have been made slightly earlier with England being behind and hardly threatening during the second half. The two substitutes helped improve things with both looking lively, and it was Kelly who had the best chance to equalise but saw her long-range effort dip over the crossbar. So, it was a defeat for England, and another recent match where a side has marked Keira Walsh closely and the Lionesses have produced little. There really needs to be a plan B for occasions when performances aren’t great and key players aren’t being effective. Moving onto Tuesday in Saint-Etienne when France knew that if they won then they would qualify for the Euro finals in Switzerland next year whilst England couldn’t really afford to lose after Friday night. Wiegman only made one change from the first meeting with Hampton starting in goal in place of Earps whilst Toone won her 50th cap. More changes might have been expected after the disappointing performance four days previously with the likes of Greenwood, Kelly and Kirby coming in. Both sides had early chances with Russo having the best of the Lionesses. Maybe having a number 9 to finish some of the chances could be useful as not really had one since Ellen White retired in 2022. A great Georgia Stanway first time strike from just outside the area gave England the lead in the 21st minute after Hemp had passed to her. The Lionesses looked more threatening and attacking with Toone playing higher up the pitch. Russo headed in England’s second goal in the 34th minute, Hemp providing the cross this time for her third assist in two matches. Stanway had the Lionesses final chance of the first half before Katoto headed narrowly wide to send a warning to England that France weren’t out of it yet. Indeed, the hosts were better after the break but the Lionesses were defending well. France were pressing more in the second half, and on one occasion when the visitors were playing out from the back, they won the ball back and Grace Geyoro was brought down in the area by Williamson with the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Kadidiatou Diani stepped up and sent put the ball into the net to make it 2-1 in the 72nd minute. Wiegman left it late to make substitutes again, making the first in the 75th minute then another in the final minute of the match with Kelly and Kirby coming on again. In the 89th minute, Hampton made a fantastic one-handed match winning save when she got down and tipped Katoto’s close-range effort wide of the post. There were no further chances in what was a slightly nervy finish to the match as England moved level on points with Sweden and two points behind France with two games remaining. Personally, in what was a much better performance overall especially in the first half in Saint-Etienne, I thought Russo, Stanway, Hemp, Toone, Jess Carter and Hampton all had really good games. The final group games take place in July with the Lionesses facing the Republic of Ireland in Norwich before travelling to Gothenburg play Sweden

Arsenal kick off the Women's Super League with a 4-0 win over Brighton Back Match Report WSL Opener: Arsenal v Brighton and Hove Albion Arsenal kick off the Women's Super League with a 4-0 win over Brighton Olivia Cantwell 19 September 2022 By Paul Donegan Arsenal won the opening match of the 2022/23 Barclays Women’s Super League 4-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,238 at Meadow Park. Emma Kullberg was sent off early on for the visitors, and then the home side took near enough total control with the goals coming from Kim Little, Stina Blackstenius and two from Beth Mead. Jonas Eidevall named two of the Lionesses Euro 2022 winners in his starting line-up with Leah Williamson and Player of the Tournament and Top Scorer Beth Mead included. Hope Powell gave debuts to Jorja Fox, Poppy Pattinson, Veatriki Sarri and Elisabeth Terland in Brighton’s starting eleven. Before the match started, there were tributes and a minutes applause for Arsenal super-fan Maria Petri who died in July, and then a minutes silence and the National Anthem was played in tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Artwork: Charlotte Stacey Arsenal had the first chance of the game in the 5th minute when Rafaelle headed wide at the far post from a corner. Brighton were reduced to ten players two minutes later when Blackstenius was played through and Kullberg brought her down on the edge of the area. The Brighton defender was shown a straight red card as she was the last defender. Arsenal had plenty of chances in the next 15 minutes or so with Mead seeing a free kick deflected wide, Vivianne Miedema having an effort blocked, Megan Walsh saving shots from Caitlin Foord and Mead, and Foord shooting just wide and then having another effort saved. Brighton had a chance in the 26th minute when they broke quickly, as they had tried a few times earlier in the half unsuccessfully, and this time the ball reached Terland but her shot went narrowly wide. In the 28th minute, Arsenal did take the lead when Foord took advantage of a slip in the Brighton defence and passed back to Little who took a touch and finished low into the net. The home side continued to dominate up to half time with Blackstenius seeing her effort from the edge of the area hit the crossbar, Foord shot wide after a lovely through ball from Miedema, Mead shot over from the edge of the area, Walsh tipped away a shot from Lia Walti, and Rafaelle had a header from a corner cleared off the line. There were times when Arsenal were playing with a line of six up front but it was only 1-0 at the break despite all the chances they had had. Arsenal’s first chance of the second half came in the 48th minute when Blackstenius had an effort saved but the offside flag was up anyway. A minute later, Brighton had a chance of their own but Manuela Zinsberger made a good save to keep out Katie Robinson’s shot. That turned out to be a big save as just a minute later, Mead turned and passed to Blackstenius who finished into the top corner to make it 2-0 to Arsenal. Arsenal were dominating possession, and they added a third in the 63rd minute when Miedema pulled the ball back to Mead who finished first time low into the corner of the net from about 8-yards out. A minute later, Lina Hurtig came on to make her Arsenal debut. Arsenal continued to create chances with Hurtig providing a lovely back-heel to Mead but the final ball was missing, Miedema had the ball in the net but it was disallowed for offside, and Walsh saved from Mead and Frida Maanum. Brighton did look dangerous on the odd occasion when they broke forward with Little putting a low cross from the away side behind for a corner. The corner came to nothing. Arsenal hit the crossbar again in the 81st minute when Jordan Nobbs saw her effort come back off the woodwork this time. It was 4-0 two minutes later when Maanum had a shot saved and the rebound fell to Mead who controlled, took a nice touch past a defender and goalie and finished into the net. Arsenal had further chances in the last five minutes with Mead seeing her shot blocked, Maanum putting a low cross across the front of goal that Hurtig was unable to get on the end of, and both Nobbs and McCabe sending shots well over. A comfortable win for Arsenal and it could have been more if more clinical. Brighton did have a couple of good chances of their own though. Arsenal’s next game is at home to Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday evening at Meadow Park before they face Tottenham in the WSL at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, whilst Brighton’s next game is at home to Reading next Sunday at the Amex Stadium. Line ups Arsenal: Zinsberger, Wienroither, Williamson (Wubben-Moy 83’), Rafaelle, McCabe, Walti (Maanum 77’), Little, Mead, Miedema (Nobbs 77’), Foord (Catley 64’), Blackstenius (Hurtig 64’) Unused substitutes: Marckese, Beattie, Maritz, Iwabuchi Goals – Little 28’, Blackstenius 50’, Mead 63’, 83’ Booked – Foord (59’) Brighton & Hove Albion: Walsh, Fox, Williams, Kullberg, Pattinson, Bance (Robinson 45’), Zigiotti (Ferguson 86’), Lee, Sarri, Terland, Green Unused substitutes: Startup, Park, Jarvis Sent off – Kullberg (7’) Referee – Lisa Benn Attendance - 3238