Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.30 2022-23

Bristol City are back in the Barclays WSL after two years away, as they
clinched the title in style with a 4-0 victory over Charlton Athletic. In front
of over 7,000 at Ashton Gate, Grace Clinton settled any nerves by giving City
the lead midway through the first half and Abi Harrison made it two, a minute
after the interval. Brooke Aspin, who had missed most of the season with a
serious injury, added the third and Ffion Morgan rounded off a great day for
her side with the final goal late on.
The Robins needed to win to make sure of the title after Birmingham City’s 2-1 win at
Durham Women beforehand. The Blues have made a valiant effort in recent weeks and first
half goals from Lucy Quinn and Charlie Devlin sealed a fifth straight win, with Sarah Wilson
replying for the Wildcats after the break.
London City Lionesses will finish in the top three for the second successive season,
which they confirmed with a 3-2 success at Blackburn Rovers. The Lionesses raced into a
three-goal lead at the interval, thanks to a Karin Muya double and Amy Rodgers, but needed to
withstand a second half fightback from Blackburn as they replied through a Saffron Jordan
penalty and Lauren Thomas.
Southampton have done well in their first season in the league and will finish in the top
half following their 4-0 victory over Coventry
Utd. The first half was goalless but Katie Crystal Palace 4 (Sharpe 3, Olding 11, Haines pen 45,
Wilkinson broke the deadlock from the penalty Dean 90)
spot seven minutes after the restart and Ella Pusey Lewes 1 (Palmer pen 43)
quickly made it two. A Jodie Bartle own goal made -
it three for the Saints and Beth Lumsden rounded Durham Women 1 (Wilson 50)
off the scoring late on. Birmingham City 2 (Lucy Quinn 3, Devlin 45)
Crystal Palace will also be in the top six -
after the defeated Lewes 4-1. Molly-Mae Sharpe’s Coventry Utd 0
early strike was added to by Hollie Olding and Southampton 4 (Wilkinson pen 52, Pusey 56, Bartle
after Grace Palmer pulled one back from the spot, og 83, Lumsden 85)
-
Coral-Jade Haines quickly responded with a Sheffield Utd 4 (Haywood 19, Sweetman-Kirk 21,
penalty of her own. Rianna Dean put the seal on Enderby 30, Rayner 45)
the victory with the final goal in injury time. Sunderland 2 (Scarr 27, Ejupi 82)
Sheffield Utd made it three wins in a row -
with a 4-2 victory against Sunderland. Sophie Blackburn Rovers 2 (Jordan pen 48, Thomas 63)
Haywood, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, Mia Enderby London City Lionesses 3 (Rodgers 17, Muya 20,41)
and Rebecca Rayner all netted first half goals for -
the Blades, with Emily Scarr and Elizabeta Ejupi Bristol City 4 (Clinton 25, Harrison 46, Aspin 80,
replying. Morgan 88)
On Wednesday night, Blackburn Rovers Charlton Athletic 0
moved themselves out of the bottom two when a -
late goal from Farah Crompton gave them a 1-0 Blackburn Rovers 1 (Crompton 90)
win over Lewes. Lewes 0
BARCLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP P W D L F A Pts GD
BRISTOL CITY 21 15 3 3 39 10 48 29
BIRMINGHAM CITY 21 14 2 5 37 22 44 15 LEADING SCORERS
LONDON CITY LIONESSES 21 13 3 5 40 20 42 Shania HAYLES Bristol City 11
20
7
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 21 11 4 6 33 26 37 Melissa JOHNSON Charlton Athletic 11
8
SOUTHAMPTON F.C. 21 9 6 6 22 14 33 Jade PENNOCK Birmingham City 11
CRYSTAL PALACE 21 11 0 10 27 33 33 Saffron JORDAN Blackburn Rovers 10
-6
LEWES 21 7 5 9 19 27 26 Sarah EWENS London City Lionesses 9
-8
0
DURHAM WFC 21 7 4 10 28 28 25 Emily SCARR Sunderland 8
SHEFFIELD UTD 21 7 3 11 31 25 24 6
BLACKBURN ROVERS 21 4 8 9 19 29 20 -10
SUNDERLAND 21 5 3 13 26 37 18 -11
COVENTRY UTD 21 2 1 18 16 66 7 -50
news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk