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Bristol rise to the top of the table after an emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace Back Match Report WC: Bristol City v Crystal Palace Bristol rise to the top of the table after an emphatic 3-0 win over Crystal Palace Bristol City Women 24 October 2022 By Paul Donegan Bristol City continued their undefeated start to the season when they beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Sunday at the Robins High Performance Centre. After having two goals disallowed during the first half, Shania Hayles gave the home side the lead in the 41st minute. Emily Syme scored their second in the 48th minute, and Abi Harrison added the third four minutes later. Ffion Morgan saw her shot hit the crossbar later in the second half for The Robins as they had chances to win by more. Having beaten Palace 4-0 in the Conti Cup recently, Bristol City had the first chance in this game withing the first 30 seconds of the start when Ffion Morgan was just unable to get onto Harrison’s cross across goal. The home side did have the ball in the net in the 14th minute but Harrison’s effort was ruled out for offside. Crystal Palace had their first opportunity a minute later when Blanchard cut in but sent her effort well over. Harrison was unable to convert a cross in the 18th minute, and Fran Kitching made a fantastic save from close-range to deny Morgan five minutes later. In the 24th minute, Syme saw her header deflected wide. Palace were having the occasional chance and in the 26th minute a dangerous cross from Blanchard was cleared. Kitching made another good save in the 28th minute from Morgan, and Bristol City found the net again three minutes later but it was disallowed after referee Amy Fearn spotted an offence from a corner. In the 40th minute, Elise Hughes was just unable to get her head on a Fliss Gibbons cross for the away side. The home side took the lead four minutes before half time. Kitching got her hands on Hayles’ low shot but was unable to stop the ball from crossing the line. Anna Filbey made a superb clearance off the line a minute later to deny Harrison. Palace broke down the other end which ended with Chloe Arthur putting the chance over. The Robins had a barrage of chances just before the break but were denied by saves from Kitching and blocks by Palace players. The rain that had started during the first half had got heavier after half time. Three minutes into the second half and the hosts made it 2-0 when Syme’s first time strike from the edge of the area found the corner of the net. Bristol City made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute. Morgan put a cross in which was headed in at the far post by Harrison. Hayles had a good chance to score City’s fourth in the 56th minute but shot wide when one on one with the goalkeeper. A minute later and Morgan saw her strike from 25-yards hit the crossbar and bounce away. Aimee Palmer then put a free kick from 35-yards out over. On the hour mark, Harrison was unable to get a touch on Morgan’s low cross across goal. The visitors did have the odd chance but Paige Bailey-Gayle couldn’t get past Bristol City goalkeeper Fran Bentley, and Gibbons was stopped by a good tackle after running through. Harrison saw her shot from 12-yards saved in the 79th minute, and Jodie Hutton’s dipping effort went over two minutes later for the hosts. Kitching made another save to deny Morgan in the 82nd minute. Morgan had another effort from close range saved five minutes later. Palace had the final chance of the match but Hughes put her effort wide. After the weekend’s matches, Bristol City remain three points clear of London City Lionesses at the top of the Championship. Lauren Smith’s side will look to continue their good start to the season when visit Charlton Athletic on Sunday. Dean Davenport will look to pick Crystal Palace up after three defeats in a row in all competitions when they travel to Durham on the same day. Line ups Bristol City: Bentley, Cataldo, Layzell, Bruce (Wilde 90’), Powell, Palmer (c) (Woolley 78’), Syme, Mustaki (C.Bull 69’), Morgan (Boddy 90’), Harrison, Hayles (Hutton 69’) Unused substitutes: Clark, J.Bull, Teisar Goals – Hayles 41’, Syme 48’, Harrison 52’ Crystal Palace: Kitching, Doran, Everett, Filbey, Waldie, Haines (c) (Barton 89’), Blanchard (Bailey-Gayle 62’), Guyatt (Olding 76’), Arthur (Peplow 62’), Gibbons (Sharpe 77’), Hughes Unused substitutes : Negri, Johnson, Reilly, Noble Booked – Waldie 46’, Peplow 66’ Referee – Amy Fearn Attendance – 671

Chelsea advance to the semi-finals as they hunt down a third successive FA Cup after cruising past Reading 3-1. Back Match Report FA Cup Quarter Final: Reading v Chelsea Chelsea advance to the semi-finals as they hunt down a third successive FA Cup after cruising past Reading 3-1. Getty 19 March 2023 Rosa Maitland Current FA Cup champions, Chelsea, booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final thanks to goals from Jess Carter, Maren Mjelde and Guro Reiten. With a busy week ahead on the road for Emma Hayes’ side she named a line-up with six changes to the team that beat Manchester United last weekend. Amongst others, attacking duo Sam Kerr and Lauren James dropped to the bench with Niamh Charles leading the line. Kelly Chambers, who was keen for her side to bounce back after their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal last week, made just three changes with Lily Woodham returning to the side following a spell out with injury. The last time the Blues travelled to Berkshire, Reading inflicted a rare 1-0 loss to the current WSL champions. The Royals’ will be hopeful for a similar scoreline as they aim to make the FA Cup semi-final again after a penalty loss in the same stage in 2019. It was a relatively quiet start from both sides with both teams enjoying spells of possession, although nothing to test either keeper. Charles’ had the first chance of the game as she took advantage of Grace Maloney’s poor pass, but the striker struggled to find the target. Reading had their fair share of chances, with most joy coming from the wings but the quality in the final third was lacking. Chelsea started to grow into the game and control the majority of possession. The visitors broke the deadlock midway through the first half when an initial corner was not dealt with by the Reading defence. Reiten picked up the ball before delivering an inviting cross to unmarked Carter at the back post who was able to tap it in. Minutes after Chelsea opened the scoring the visitors had a chance to add a second. Brooke Hendrix conceded a penalty after clattering into the back of Charles. Mjelde was able to calmly send the ball in the bottom left corner after sending Grace Maloney the wrong way. Reading responded well to going two behind and pulled one back for themselves only for it to be ruled offside. Sanne Troelsgaard Nielson picked up on a loose pass before emphatically thumping it home after a long wait the referee chalked it off for offside. Lily Woodham was a threat down the left hand side and delivered a good ball into the box, but the final finish was missing from Charlie Wellings whose header went just wide. Halftime: Reading 0-2 Chelsea Chambers made one change a half time with Gemma Evans replacing Brooke Hendrix. Chelsea found their third, just five minutes into the second half following a clinical passage of attacking play. A pinpoint through ball by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd was met by Alsu Adbullina who unselfishly squared it to Reiten to make it 3-0. Following the third goal the home side struggled to see much of the ball and Chelsea looked to dominate and see out the game. Maloney had to remain switched on as she made a strong save to deny Charles her goal and Chelsea’s fourth. Charlie Wellings found herself in space after a Chelsea defensive error but fired her shot across goal. After her goal was ruled out offside earlier Troelsgaard found the back of the net for the second time, and this time it stood. Wellings did well to keep the ball in play before finding Troelsgaard who did well to hold of Millie Bright and find the left corner. Reading continued to look for a second to increase the pressure on Chelsea, but the visitors remained stubborn in their defending and Reading struggled to find the qualify in the final third. Fulltime: Reading 1–3 Chelsea The current FA Cup champions profess to the semi-finals, despite Reading’s chances they struggled to make them count and their focus will now turn to the WSL. Chambers’ side will now prepare for two crucial games against Brighton and Leicester. Meanwhile, Emma Hayes’ will prepare for her sides’ trip to Lyon in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions league quarter final, before travelling to Manchester City in the WSL. Line-ups Reading: Moloney, Bryson (Wade 65’), Mukandi (c), Wellings, Eikeland, Hendrix (Evans 45’), Mayi Kith, Moore, Rowe, Woodham, Troelsgaard Substitutes: Burns, Evans, Wade, Caldwell, Jane, Vanhaevermaet, Meadows Tuson Goal: Troelsgaard 70’ Chelsea: Musovic, Bright, Ingle (Akpan 65’), Carter, Reiten (Claypole 65’), Eriksson (c), Fleming (Blades 89’), Mjelde, Rytting Kaneryd (Brown 90’), Charles (Leupolz 80’), Adbullina Substitutes: Berger, Leupolz, James, Kerr, Buchanan, Claypole, Akpan, Blades, Brown Goals: Carter (23’), Mjelde (25’), Reiten (50’)

Chelsea clinch a win over West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Ground Back Match Report WSL: West Ham v Chelsea Chelsea clinch a win over West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Ground Paul Donegan 11 March 2022 By Paul Donegan After a day dominated by off the field news, Chelsea took on West Ham, who were unbeaten at home in the league, on Thursday evening at the Chigwell Construction Stadium looking to reduce Arsenal’s lead at the top of the WSL. Chelsea started off brightly and Pernille Harder saw a header hit the post from a Jonna Andersson corner in the first 2 minutes. Sam Kerr had a header easily saved in the 8th minute and shortly after Ji put a shot wide. In the 17th minute, Bethany England saw an effort saved and seconds later Sophie Ingle saw a long range shot go over. Chelsea did take the lead after 21 minutes when after West Ham gave the ball away, Andersson passed to Harder who took a touch and shot into the corner of the net. Three minutes later Chelsea increased their lead when Harder headed back to Niamh Charles who scored with a shot from outside the area that took deflection on its way in. West Ham’s first effort came in the 26th minute when Tameka Yallop saw her curling, dipping effort tipped over by Zecira Musovic in goal for Chelsea. The resulting corner was scrambled clear by Chelsea. It was 3-0 to Chelsea after 33 minutes when Ji’s delightful through ball was headed in by Harder for her second goal of the match. Yallop saw a header saved in the 38th minute as West Ham looked to get a goal back before half time. Two minutes later, in a repeat of the corner routine from earlier in the half, Andersson crossed but Harder this time saw her header go over. West Ham had a good chance to get a goal back two minutes before half time when Katerina Svitoka headed wide Kate Longhurst’s cross. West Ham started the second half well and scored three minutes after the break when Longhurst’s cross was volleyed in by Dagny Brynjarsdottir. West Ham continued to be the better side and Svitoka saw a long range shot go wide after 51 minutes and 10 minutes later the same player saw a header caught by the Chelsea goalkeeper. Chelsea didn’t have a second half chance until the 63rd minute when they made it 4-1 when after a bit of pinball between West Ham players in their own box, the ball fell to Kerr who finished from inside the area. Chelsea blocked a West Ham chance after 65 minutes as they looked to get back into the game again. After coming on a substitute in the 75th minute, Lois Joel had two late chances for West Ham when she saw a header saved after 81 minutes and three minutes later saw a shot from the edge of the area saved low down. A big win for Chelsea as they move five points behind Arsenal in the league with two games in hand. Teams West Ham United: Arnold, Parker, Flaherty, Cissoko, Longhurst, Hasegawa, Brynjarsdottir, Svitkova (Joel 76’), Wyne (Evans 57’), Yallop (Filis 76’), Walker (Leon 57’) Unused substitutes: Stringer, Snerle, Leat, Cairns, Houssein Goal - Brynjarsdottir 48’ Chelsea: Musovic, Carter, Bright, Nouwen, Charles, Ingle, Ji (Reiten 67’), Andersson (Abdullina 76’), England (Spence 67’), Harder (James 79’), Kerr Unused substitutes: Mjelde, Berger Goals – Harder 21’, 33’, Charles 24’, Kerr 63’ Referee – Carl Brook

Stevenage earned a 4-2 victory over rivals Royston Town Back Match Report Royston Town v Stevenage Stevenage earned a 4-2 victory over rivals Royston Town Edward Payne 27 March 2023 By Barry Ross Mathilda Fidler was the catalyst for Stevenage FCW to reach their second semi final of the season as they defeated Royston Town in a competitive match at Garden Walks on Sunday. With the knowledge that both sides will contest the County Cup final in a month’s time, this match could have been seen as the dress rehearsal, had it not been for the two league games that had already taken place. Those occasions had led to a victory for the team playing at home, however, that advantage was immediately nullified as Stevenage got off to a blistering start. Kelsey Millen showed early attacking endeavour and sent a superb ball through the defence to Fidler who fired the ball low into the net and stunning the home side. Royston soon settled into the game and worked to regain parity. Annie Georgiou sent a long range effort goalwards from around 25 yards, but Mia O’Brien was equal to it and turned it expertly around the post. There was no such luck for O’Brien when the equaliser arrived. This time, Georgia Miller was in space at the edge of the box and took control of the ball as it was headed clear from a corner. Her shot was placed brilliantly out of reach of the diving O’Brien who was left with no chance. Photo: Edward Payne The game continued at pace and with both sides battling to gain the ascendancy. Amy Gooderham had a good opportunity after Shianne Swarres set her free, but after a neat shift to the right, the ball was sent just wide of goal. At the opposite end, Poppy Smith was left one-on-one with O’Brien who raced out and saved well with her legs to prevent the goal. Smith may have been unlucky but she received a huge slice of luck with a few minutes of the first half remaining. This time, O’Brien’s legs could only take the pace off the ball after Smith took advantage of a loose ball in the defence. Vicky Neal raced back and she looked to have cleared the ball off the line but the official, whose sight was obscured by Neal herself, gave the goal despite protestations from the captain for the day. With time almost up for the half, Boro’ won a free kick on the left flank which Nicole Farmer lined up. Her shot went high and over Amy Martin who could not prevent the ball from bouncing into the net and ending a pulsating first half with both sides level. Photo: Edward Payne With the threat of extra time looming, both sides wanted to put the game to bed before the ninety expired. Stevenage had the first chance of note when Erin Price met a Millen corner with her head, sending a looping header that threatened to go in but bounced off the crossbar and out for a goal kick instead. It took three minutes for Stevenage to regain control of the tie. Swarres lofted a ball over the top for Gooderham to race onto. Her control was good and her shot powerful, but Martin was equal to it. She could only parry the ball, however, and Fidler was on hand to guide the ball into the empty net. The Crows were never going to drift silently into the cup abyss and fought tooth and nail to peg Boro’ back. It was difficult for either team to get into a flow with a flurry of stoppages and infringements, but with the game on a knife edge it needed a calm head. Enter captain Lucy Webster. Her effortless running caused the defence trouble, but it was her accuracy that eventually did it for Royston. Rosy Wodhams took control of a melee in the middle of the area and threaded a ball into Webster who took aim with her right foot sending the ball neatly past Martin and securing the tie for Stevenage. Manager Fadi Mazloum said afterwards “I know Tilly’s qualities and we put her in the Development squad to get her rhythm. I feel like it’s here now, to get two goals in a game like this and the Player of the Match award too. We knew we had the quality, we just needed to work harder than them and it paid dividends” The cliché goes that football was the winner in games like these. It would be churlish to use that line in a game where Stevenage advance in a trophy that they have not contested for many years. However, with the County Cup final looming on the 23rd April, it is apparent that anybody attending will be treated to an absolute belter on this evidence. Line-Ups Royston XI: Martin, Fox-Barker, Georgiou, Page, Houghton, Gunn, Hendricks, Miller, Croucher, South, Smith Subs: Lucas, Holt, Todd Goals: Miller, Smith Stevenage XI: O’Brien, Neal (c), Farmer, Brooks, Swarres, Price, Bodily, Millen, Nebbitt, Gooderham, Fidler Subs: Webster, Shephard, Schofield, Wodhams, Hendy Goals: Fidler (2), Farmer, Webster

London City Lionesses v Bristol City Photographer Ryan Asman London City Lionesses put on a stout display against top of the table rivals Bristol City to close the gap to just three points with a 2-0 win. Midfielder Atlanta Primus netted a five-minute brace in the early stage of the second half, rewarding the Pride for their first half efforts which had the Robins on the ropes more than once. Winger Jamie-Lee Napier had come the closest to opening the scoring before the 45' mark with two almost identical chances created by Amy Rodgers. The holding midfielder played a spectacular game and showed off her illustrious skillset both defensively, with quick feet and adroit ball shielding, and in attack by providing sublime through balls that cut through Bristol's backline like a knife through butter. Goalkeeper Fran Bentley was also called up into action to put a stop to Shanade Hopcroft's excellent deadball deliveries, notably when captain Harley Bennett was the one getting on the end of them. Bentley made a number of good saves throughout the match and did well to deny the Pride's flurry of efforts that might have earned them a third goal. Bristol did work a few chances over the course of the 90' but never quite found their stride despite some nice runs and clever movement from the usually deadly Grace Clinton, Abi Harrison and Shania Hayles. The downfall of the Robins did not necessarily lie in their quality on the ball nor in their attacking passages of play (in fact, both of these were far more well executed than London City), but with their inability to win duels - most apparently in midfield - and possession miscues which allowed London City to easily win back balls. Bristol also did not use London City's weaker areas to their advantage, including the Pride's extremely narrow formation of play. With centre-forward Sarah Ewens playing on the right wing and right-footed Jamie-Lee Napier on the left, London City were constantly holding the ball up and cutting in centrally. This meant wide areas were left exposed and could have been exploited more aggressively. Bristol did not make good enough use of the wings to stretch their opposition out towards the touchlines once possession had been gained in their own half. Instead, the Robins also largely relied on playing through central lanes, however the Pride's midfield trio of Primus, Hopcroft and Rodgers physically made it difficult to progress much further and flying Robins were grounded to a halt. This result means the top of the Championship is mighty close leading into the final weeks of the season and things have just gotten a whole lot more interesting. Words by Charlotte Stacey

Women's Football Weekend kicks off with a massive Merseyside Derby Back Match Preview Merseyside Derby: Everton v Liverpool Women's Football Weekend kicks off with a massive Merseyside Derby Ryan Asman 24 March 2023 By Charlotte Stacey An evening at Goodison Park will kick off this year’s Women’s Football Weekend with a massive Merseyside derby. Over 20,000 tickets have been sold to catch the 15th meeting between Everton and Liverpool in the WSL. Currently, the Toffees are narrowly ahead with six victories to Liverpool’s five, all other ties have ended evenly. Home Side Everton have progressed steadily this season, rising to the middle of the table whilst rebuilding a sense of identity after a somewhat disastrous run of form last term. The Toffees are currently winless in their last three games after they failed to find the back of the net against relegation zoned Leicester City last week. Despite this dry spell Brian Sorensen’s side are certainly capable of matching, and indeed beating, their Merseyside rivals as they won by three goals to nil in the reverse fixture. Youngsters Jess Park and Aggie Beaver-Jones have proven to be rather elusive for oppositions this season with their pace and trickery making them difficult to keep hold of. Alongside central playmaker Hanna Bennison, the Toffees have real creative potential forming in the middle and attacking thirds. Everton's Courtney Brosnan. Photo: Ryan Asman Further back, goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan also has a fair few standout moments under her belt, notably an almost one-woman effort to deny title contenders Manchester United a goal just a few weeks ago. Expect another big performance from the Ireland international tonight. Away Side Liverpool have performed fairly well and kept themselves afloat in their first season back in the top division. Whilst it hasn’t been a perfect run, the Reds have performed with character and class and shown that they deserve to be competing with the best. Boss Matt Beard has used a number of different formations this season, usually opting for a defensively structured 5-4-1 against pressing sides and more ‘evenly’ spread 4-3-3’s when taking on more resistant teams. Looking at these patterns, it would be fair to predict that Beard will likely use a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 variation this evening. The Reds do not have the most impressive record away from home and have only won one in their last 16 games on the road. However, they are dogged in coming back from behind, having claimed eight points from losing positions this season, and should not be written off until the final whistle has blown. Ones to watch Everton's Gabby George. Photo: Ryan Asman Whilst the home side excite with their zesty wingers, a player that should not be overlooked is Gabby George. The defender has transformed under the management of Sorensen who, by pushing George out to a wide position, has utilised her supportive attacking attributes whilst still benefitting from her defensive prowess. George operates along the left hand-side fulfilling both the left-back and wingback roles when the Toffees opt for a 3-4-3. With tact, George plays the supportive role well becoming an extra body in attacking phases whilst also tracking back and providing her trademark blocks when defending. Undoubtably, George is one of Everton’s most imperative figures. Liverpool's Katie Stengel. Photo: Ryan Asman On the other side, Liverpool’s Katie Stengel is a rather superb centre-forward. The American striker has netted six goals in 13 WSL appearances so far, yet her presence on the field brings much more than just goals. Stengel is a typically relentless central striker, chasing down loose balls, off-the-shoulder runs, instinctively ready to get on the end of crosses and deliveries. Stengel, however, is also an exceptional example of an attacking player “defending from the front”. With aggression, Stengel puts pressure on single opponents and the movement of the ball in attempt to cut out passages of play from oppositions before they start. All in all, the lively Red could prove to be a real nuisance to Everton’s centre-halves. How to watch The match will be shown live on Sky Sports for viewers in the UK with coverage beginning at 19:00 (GMT). The FA Player will also stream the game for those watching outside of the UK, however please also check local listings.

Arsenal exit Continental Cup at the hands of Manchester United. Back Match Report Conti Cup: Arsenal v Manchester United Arsenal exit Continental Cup at the hands of Manchester United. Julian Finney 20 January 2022 By Josh Bunting Arsenal went down 1-0 to Manchester United at Meadow Park as the Gunners hopes of adding another trophy to the cabinet ended on Wednesday night. Alessia Russo’s late header proved to be enough to dump the Gunners out of the Continental Tyres League Cup. Arsenal started with a high intensity, pressing Manchester United from the off ,with Jordan Nobbs getting a shot in but it was directed into the hands of Sophie Baggaley. With 11 minutes on the clock the Gunners put a fine move together ,when Beth Mead poked the ball into Katie McCabe and her cross was a whisker away of finding the sliding Vivianne Miedema at the back-post. McCabe’s crosses were causing Manchester United issues, as she flashed a low ball across the box but neither Miedema or the onrushing Nikita Parris at the back-post could make a connection. Mead , McCabe and Nobbs link up play down the left was giving the Red Devils plenty to think about as McCabe cut inside once more but was well tackled by Kirsty Hanson. Manchester United however came close to opening the scoring on 22 minutes when Nobbs gave the ball away to Martha Thomas,who drove forward playing a low pass into the path of Ella Toone who drilled her shot across goal and wide. The Red Devils started to come into their stride when Thomas held of Viktoria Schnaderbeck on the edge off the box, pulling the ball back to Hanson who’s shot was easily held by Manuela Zinsberger. As the half was coming to a close Arsenal had a half chance via Mead who cut inside however, her low shot was blocked by Maria Thorisdóttir. Arsenal had the first opening of the second half on 51 minutes when Toone brought down Mead outside the area, allowing Mead so swing in a free-kick for Miedema to head over the crossbar. Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall then was to find himself in the book as Thomas clattered Mead heavily with the Swede reacting in an angry manner. Thomas was also booked in the process for her challenge on the Gunners number 9. Eidevall then made his first change of the game as Schnaderbeck was replaced by the returning Leah Williamson who was met by a rapturous reception by the Arsenal faithful. Mead didn’t recover from that earlier knock as she was replaced in a triple substitution that saw two debutants, as Stina Blackstenius and Laura Wienroither came on for Noelle Maritz and Miedema as Heath replaced Mead. Manchester United were inches away from taking the lead in a second half of very few chances, when Vilde Bøe Risa drove a strike just wide from the edge of the area when it looked for all the world it would nestle into the corner of the net. Mark Skinner’s side however did take the lead five minutes from time, when Beattie gave away a free-kick allowing Katie Zelem to float the ball into the box for Russo who came off the bench to head into the back of the net. Arsenal did have one big chance before the end however , Heath getting on the end of a cross before heading wide as the Gunners excited the competition at the quarter-final stage. Eidevall now has to get his side to react in a positive manner when they travel to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League on Sunday. Teams Arsenal Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Zinsberger; Maritz (Wienroither, 70), Schnaderbeck (Williamson, 61), Beattie, McCabe; Maanum, Little; Parris, Nobbs, Mead (Heath, 70); Miedema (Blackstenius, 70) Subs not used: Stenson,Goldie, Boye, Head Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Baggaley; Thorisdottir, Mannion, Turner, Blundell; Ladd (Boe Risa, 73), Zelem; Hanson (Fuso, 34), Toone, Galton (Batlle, 73); Thomas (Russo, 73) Subs not used: Earps ,Smith, Jones Referee: Tom Reeves

Bromley bow out of FA Cup in heavy 9-0 defeat to confident Millwall Back Match Report FA Cup: Bromley v Millwall Lionesses Bromley bow out of FA Cup in heavy 9-0 defeat to confident Millwall Bromley FC 2 October 2022 By Charlotte Stacey A sunny Sunday afternoon saw a record crowd of 669 pack out Hayes Lane to see Bromley take on the Millwall Lionesses in the FA Cup Second Round Qualifiers. After a bright start from Bromley and a couple of early attacking spells, the visitors slid into gear and scored the opener at the 18-minute mark. Millwall’s Otesha Charles darted through the middle before threading an inch perfect ball to Angel Reid. Reid was able to skip round onrushing goalkeeper Sophie Porou and, despite a valiant goal line block from defender Hannah Paige, send the ball over the line. Millwall’s next goal came just four minutes later after two blocks, again by Porou and Paige respectively, was not enough to keep Reid out for the second time. Things quickly unravelled for Bromley from this point and the Lionesses took full advantage of this netting another three goals in a five-minute period. As was a common theme throughout the first half, the visitors sixth goal came from a through ball that split the centre-backs. This time it was clinched by Gemma Bryan, who after silkily decoying the keeper, calmly struck a perfectly weighted ball into the back of the net. Just before the half time whistle blew, Millwall made it seven when Charles managed to poke another passed Porou after a scramble in the six-yard box. Millwall were in the driving seat heading into the break after finding they were able to slip beyond the backline with off the shoulder runs far too easily and far too frequently. This was made simpler for the visitors by Bromley gifting the Lionesses easy routes to the finish line through 'off' decision making in and out of possession, rash ball placement and ‘clustering’ in the defensive third. To the crowd’s delight the home side took charge of the reigns for the first part of the second half leading to a huge chance for Tanya Holley. After collecting the ball in a prime position, Holley beat out the defender in a 1v1 situation and managed to release a low and hard shot. Her effort flashed just wide and hit the side netting. It was not long, however, before Millwall put their stamp on the scoresheet once again, this time through Reid who was able to snake the ball in from the left and strike it sublimely past the keeper. The Ravens had themselves another big chance just before the 70-minute mark after Holley squared a clever pass to Jade Davenport who had made the run into the area. Davenport dribbled into space before goalkeeper Serena Hand came in with a strong challenge on the ball to direct the effort away. Millwall’s ninth and final goal of the match was a headed effort by Charles from a corner at 75 minutes. Despite the result, Bromley put on a much tidier display in the second half. They were able to pin back Millwall into negative spaces through more disciplined marking and restrict the time and space the Lionesses had front of goal. However, a lack of confidence in their own decision making when in possession meant Bromley were unable to claw one back. Plenty of smiling faces, however, showed the Ravens crowd were in high spirits until the final whistle with players being swarmed by adoring fans after the match. Supporters were also treated to face painting, a half time penalty shootout and a meet and greet with players. Line-ups Bromley: Sophie Porou (GK), Hannah Paige (C), Mercedes Bromfield, Frankie Mardon (25’), Ellie Bovill, Kira Howard, Stacie Taylor, Jade Davenport, Olivia Woolacott, Tanya Holley, Kristodia Danso Substitutes: Becky Bays-Pickett, Samantha Kilroy-Downs, Morgan Parnell, Abi Washington (25’), Katie Busher, Millie Main, Charlotte Bennett Yellow Cards: Bromfield 73’ Millwall Lionesses : Serena Hand (GK), Millie Connell, Jasmine Auguste, Lauren Williams, Poppy Payne (C), Otesha Charles, Milly Penfold, Gemma Bryan (69’), Jade Keogh, Maisie Joyce, Angel Reid Substitutes: Amy Lewington, Sharna Giordani, Lucy Jellett (69’), Mollie Hawkins, Sophie McCormick, Chanel Richards, Amy Nash Goals: Angel Reid - 18’, 21’, 55’ Gemma Bryan – 23’, 35’ Milly Penfold – 25’ Otesha Charles – 27’, 44’, 75’ POTM: Tanya Holley Attendance: 669

A quick guide to Crystal Palace who compete in the Women's Championship. Crystal Palace Website https://www.cpfc.co.uk/palace-women/ Manager Laura Kaminski - ENG Captain Annabel Johnson Aimee Palmer Crystal Palace Crystal Palace 1/1 Squad Number Title Position Nationality 1 Fran Kitching GK ENG 2 Annabel Johnson DF ENG 3 Fliss Gibbons DF/LB ENG 4 Chloe Arthur MF SCO 5 Anna Fibley MF WAL 6 Aimee Everett DF ENG 7 Chloe Peplow (on loan from Reading) MF ENG 8 Molly-Mae Sharpe FW ENG 9 Rianna Dean FW ENG 9 Elise Hughes FW WAL 10 Annabel Blanchard FW ENG 11 Kirsten Reilly MF SCO 12 Lizzie Waldie DF ENG 12 Lia Cataldo DF ENG 13 Natalia Negri GK ENG 14 Paige Bailey-Gayle FW JAM 15 Hollie Olding DF ENG 15 Hayley Nolan DF IRL 16 Ellie Noble MF ENG 17 Isabella Sibley DF ENG 18 Kirsty Barton MF ENG 19 Keira Barry (in on loan) FW ENG 20 Polly Doran DF AUS 21 Shauna Guyatt MF ENG 22 Hope Smith GK ENG 22 Hope Smith GK ENG 23 Coral Haines MF ENG 24 Shanade Hopcroft FW ENG 24 Leigh Nicol MF SCO 25 Charley Clifford MF ENG Ground The VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Ln, Sutton SM1 2EY

Chelsea put on another punishing display at Kingsmeadow netting six goals against Leicester City Back Match Report WSL: Chelsea v Leicester City Chelsea put on another punishing display at Kingsmeadow netting six goals against Leicester City Chelsea FCW 13 May 2023 By Paul Donegan Chelsea were convincing 6-0 winners over Leicester City in the Women’s Super League on Wednesday evening at Kingsmeadow. Pernille Harder scored twice with the other goals coming from Guro Reiten, Erin Cuthbert, Lauren James and Jelena Cankovic. This made it 13 goals in their last two games for the Blues following their 7-0 win over Everton at the weekend. The win sees them move a point behind Manchester United at the top of the WSL with a game in hand. Leicester remain two points above Reading at the bottom of the table after this defeat. Chelsea made six changes from that Everton win including Harder making her first start since November 2022. Manager Emma Hayes said after the match that all these changes are “seamless because of the work they have done throughout the season to ready all of the players”. Katerina Svitkova and Kadeisha Buchanan were named on the bench for the first time after injuries. Leicester made three changes from their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Friday evening. Manager Willie Kirk said afterwards that Ashleigh Plumptre was missing as on four bookings and didn’t want to risk her getting another one in this match. Shannon O’Brien was named as a substitute for the first time since injury and came on during the second half. The Blues had a couple of early corners with first being headed behind then the second one caught by Janina Leitzig. A Reiten cross was put behind after a nice pass from Niamh Charles shortly after. Chelsea took the lead in the 8th minute. Harder’s cross from the right side found Reiten who finished from close-range. The home side went looking for a quick second goal but Cuthbert put her effort into side netting two minutes later. Harder then saw an effort from close-range blocked by Leitzig in the 14th minute. James was allowed to run to edge of area before sending a shot wide two minutes after that. Cuthbert scored her 50th goal for the club when she won the ball in midfield, advanced on goal before rounding the goalkeeper and finishing low into the net to make it 2-0 to the Blues in the 18th minute. A Leicester free kick into the area lead to a slight scramble before the ball was cleared. The home side immediately went down the other end and Reiten headed wide. Remy Siemsen’s cross from the right side hit the outside of the post for the Foxes and went behind for a goal kick. Cankovic sent in a cross that James headed into the Leicester goalkeepers hands. Chelsea made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute when James’ low shot was parried by Leitzig in the direction of Harder who tapped in almost on the line. Harder scored her second of the match and Chelsea’s fourth in the 42nd minute. She received the ball and run towards goal before sending a low shot that took a slight deflection into the net. Nice build up from the hosts finished with an Eve Perisset bundled effort saved. Leicester had a chance during the one minute of first half stoppage time but Remy Siemsen put it wide. The home side went looking for more goals in the second half with James running across the edge of the area before sending a shot over four minutes into it. Leitzig then kept out a James effort at near post in the 53rd minute. James did make it 5-0 for the Blues in the 56th minute. She picked the ball up on the right side, cut into the area then smashed a shot into the top corner of the net. Chelsea continued having chances with a James effort across goal being deflected just wide just after the hour mark. Harder then headed wide after a succession of corners. Chelsea made a quadruple substitution in the 65th minute. This led to some positional changes for players including Charles moving into an attacking role. Emma Hayes admitted afterwards that they lost momentum after making these changes. Buchanan came on a bit later meaning Sam Kerr was rested on the bench before the FA Cup final on Sunday. Leicester were having the odd opportunity and Sam Tierney put an effort not far wide in the 69th minute. The Blues almost scored a sixth in the 85th minute but Jessie Fleming was denied by a good save from Leitzig, just as the heavens opened. Jemma Purfield dragged a shot wide for the Foxes two minutes from the end. Cankovic completed the scoring for the home side deep into stoppage time with a cracking finish from 18-yards. This turned out to be the last kick of the game as the referee blew the final whistle seconds later. Emma Hayes thought it was a “comfortable first half performance” for her side then added they have to prepare for a “big games programme” so she had to make decisions during the second half thinking ahead. She remarked she is happy with the team and they are “coming into form at the right time of the season, and a lot of players are in form” . Hayes continued by saying “confidence is really high right now, we are in the best place we have been in all season”. She said she likes chasing others (Manchester United) and “this position is fun.” She concluded by saying “we like pressure, we want it, we don’t do well without it.” Willie Kirk said after the match when speaking to the media that “it had been a tough night and Chelsea punished us for ever mistake we made. They scored some good goals as well but we gave them a few easily”. He added that even though they were a bit understrength, he still expected a slightly stronger performance from his side and they weren’t at their best. He praised Chelsea saying they “have a fantastic squad”. Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday before taking on West Ham away next Wednesday then Arsenal at home in the league. Leicester don’t play again until Sunday 21st May when they play West Ham United at the King Power Stadium in the WSL. Line ups Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Berger, Perisset, Carter, Eriksson (c) (Buchanan 76’), Charles, Leupolz, Cuthbert (Ingle 65’), James (Kaneryd 65’), Cankovic, Reiten (Abdullina 65’), Harder (Fleming 65’) Unused substitutes: Musovic, Svitkova, Mjelde, Kerr Goal – Reiten 8’, Cuthbert 18’, Harder 32’, 42’, James 56’, Cankovic 90’+3 Booked - Fleming Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Leitzig, Bott, Purfield, Mace, Nevin, Green (Robinson 64’), Tierney, Siemsen (O’Brien 75’), Goodwin, Whelan (c), Cain (Pike 75’) Unused substitutes: Lambourne, Levell, Jones, Smith, Reavill Booked - Cain Referee – Rebecca Welch Attendance – 1,308

Paul Donegan catches up with all the action from the second round of Conti Cup matches Conti Cup: Round Two Friday, 10 November 2023 By Paul Donegan Paul Donegan catches up with all the action from the second round of Conti Cup matches Manchester City WFC The second set of Conti Cup group stage matches took place over this midweek. Not all the groups played but there were still 6 games with plenty of goals and drama. Holders Arsenal started their defence of the cup when played their first game in this season’s competition. Manchester United and Aston Villa also played their first matches. Here is a round-up of what happened. Arsenal v Bristol City I was at Meadow Park to watch the holders take on Bristol City in Group D on Thursday evening. The North Bank were in good voice before the match and carried on singing throughout it. Beth Mead was named in the starting line-up for the Gunners for the first time since her ACL injury. The home side did most of the attacking in the early stages and they had the ball in the net within the first minute but the offside flag was up to deny them. Arsenal did take the lead in the 27th minute when Mead played in Frida Leonhardsen Maanum and she finished from 12-yards via the underside of the crossbar. A few minutes later, Katie McCabe’s long-range strike was brilliantly tipped over by The Robins goalkeeper Olivia Clark. Clark made another save in the 35th minute when she touched Maanum’s effort behind for a corner. From the corner, Lotte Wubben-Moy headed in to make it 2-0 to the Gunners. Maanum, who was having a good half along with the other Arsenal midfielders, curled an effort wide in the 41st minute. The home side went in 2-0 ahead at the break. The hosts continued to have chances early in the second half with Maanum shooting into the side, then Kyra Cooney-Cross’ shot from 25-yards was saved easily by Clark. Bristol City made it 2-1 in the 70th minute when Sille Struck’s effort found the back of the net. The Robins came close to equalising four minutes later but Tianna Teisar headed wide. Vivianne Miedema, who had come on as a substitute for the hosts, saw her headed from a corner hit the top of the crossbar a couple of minutes later. Caitlin Foord then cut in and hit the bar as Arsenal went close again. A looping Rachel Furness header was caught by the Arsenal goalkeeper and this turned out to be the visitors best effort of the remainder of the match. Miedema saw two efforts blocked before Stina Blackstenius fired over in additional time. Blackstenius made it 3-1 in the match in the final minute of stoppage time with a low finish into the net. The final whistle was blown a few seconds later with the Gunners starting their defence of the Conti Cup with a win. Round up of the other Conti Cup matches. Elsewhere in Group D, second half substitute Lexi Lloyd-Smith scored the only goal of the game in the 85th minute as Southampton won 1-0 against Reading. The Saints currently sit top of the group with five points. In the River Wear derby in Group A, Sunderland and Durham drew 2-2 with the Wildcats picking up an extra point after winning the penalty shoot-out. Mollie Lambert gave Durham the lead in the 5th minute before Natasha Fenton and Brianna Westrup scored to give the Lasses the lead at half time. It remained 2-1 until second half stoppage time when Saoirse Noonan equalised for Durham. The Wildcats goalkeeper Naoisha McAloon was the hero in the shoot-out saving three penalties as they won it 3-1 and picked up a bonus point which puts them top of the group. In the other Group A match, Aston Villa beat Sheffield United 5-0. Rachel Daly scored a nineteen-minute hat-trick in the first half with Ebony Salmon also finding the net before half time to score her first goal since rejoining the club. Danielle Turner added a fifth during the second half for the Villans. The Blades had a chance to score a late consolation but Jodie Hutton’s penalty was saved by Anna Leat. There were plenty of goals at Prenton Park on Wednesday evening as Manchester City overcame Liverpool 4-3 in Group B. Filippa Angeldahl gave City the lead in the 33rd minute but Gemma Bonner, on the night she broke Liverpool’s appearance record in the WSL era, equalised just before half time. Natasha Flint gave the Reds the lead two minutes after the break but Jess Park immediately equalised for the Citizens. Chloe Kelly scored twice, the first of which was a superb swerving shot, to put City 4-2 ahead. Liverpool got a goal back in stoppage time at the end of the match when Mia Enderby scored her first goal for the club. There were no further goals as Manchester City made it two wins out of two in this season’s Conti Cup. The biggest winners of the week were Manchester United who beat Everton 7-0 in the other Group B match. Nikita Parris scored a hat-trick, and the other goals were scored by Rachel Williams, Hayley Ladd, Geyse and Leah Galton. The win puts United in second position in the group behind their city rivals.

This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Ground Guide Leicester City By Paul Donegan I went to watch Leicester play Spurs in the FA WSL on Sunday 3 rd October 2021 and this ground guide is based on that visit. Things might be different when you visit as this ground is based on just one visit. I might have to go and see Leicester play at home again when they play at Burton and do a ground guide for there too?! Address King Power Stadium, Leicester, LE2 7FL Location and Ground History Leicester is in the East Midlands, just off the M1 motorway. The ground is south of the city centre, about a 20/25 minute walk away from it. Leicester Cathedral is worth a visit if you have time. The stadium opened in 2002 as Leicester City’s new ground when they moved from nearby Filbert Street. The women’s side started playing there in 2021 after getting promoted to the WSL having previously played at Quorn. They will be playing the majority of games here with the other ones being played at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium. Getting There Leicester station is well served with trains to towards London (St Pancras), Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield, Birmingham and Peterborough. It takes about 20/25 minutes to walk from the station to the ground passing the rugby ground on the way. There is car parking available around the ground as well as street parking. A number of buses run from the city centre along Aylestone Road which is a few minutes walk from the ground. Tickets The ticket office at the ground (between the fanstore and turnstiles in the north west corner of the ground is open on matchdays and you can buy tickets (if available) on the day paying by card. I bought tickets online and printed at home (ticket is an attachment on the confirmation email) and there is a link to the ticketing page below. My ticket cost £7 plus a £1.50 booking fee. Buy Tickets https://tickets.lcfc.com/en-GB/categories/lcfc%20women The Stadium The King Power Stadium is a fully enclosed covered all seated stadium and there are two big scoreboards at both ends of the ground. The capacity of the stadium is 32,261. One end of the west side was open for this match. There was a quick bag search before going in. One set of turnstiles were open (see above for where these are) and these lead into a concourse area that felt quite spacious. It did say on the ticket that the turnstiles open an hour before kick-off but they were already open slightly before this when I went. In the concourse area, there are some paintings on the walls of Claudio Ranieri and of the side that won the Premier League in 2016 as well as kiosks selling food/drink, toilets and steps leading up into the seating area. In the south east corner, outside of the ground by the car park area, there is a memorial garden that remembers Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and the 4 others that were killed in the helicopter crash there in 2018 and it is worth going to spend a few minutes there. Food and Drink Two food kiosks were open in the concourse area. Not the biggest choice of food but see the pictures below to see the full list of what is available and prices. It is card payment only for food/drink inside the stadium. Alcohol is only allowed to be drank in the concourse area. There are lots of places to eat/drink in the city centre if you fancy something else. Merchandise The big fanstore is open on matchdays where there is a lot of Leicester City merchandise available to buy. Outside, behind the north stand, there were a few football games for children to play. It is an online programme that costs £1.50 and a link to this was posted on Leicester City Women’s Twitter feed and website on the matchday. A free clapper is left on each seat and these did help with the atmosphere during the match.