Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.16 2020-21

The FA Women’s Championship season came to a close on Sunday in
entertaining fashion, with the five matches producing a total of 22 goals.
Leicester City have had a tremendous season and this was crowned
with a 4-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at the King Power Stadium,
followed by the presentation of the trophy. Natasha Flint opened the scoring midway through
the first half and Hannah Cain added a double ahead of the break, before a Shauna Vassell own
goal made it four with five minutes remaining. The win means that Leicester reached the
50-point barrier in their final match and have won the title by a margin of eight points.
Durham Women took the runners-up spot as they powered to a 7-1 win against
Coventry Utd. Kathryn Hill and Molly Sharpe put the Wildcats two ahead inside the opening
six minutes, Destiney Toussaint reducing the arrears moments afterwards, with Beth Hepple
contributing a brace before half time. Bridget Galloway removed any hopes of a Coventry
fightback on the hour and Durham went on to finish off the best season in their history to date
with further goals from Ali Johnson and Abby Holmes.
Liverpool finish the campaign in third place after a second half comeback saw them
held to a 2-2 draw by mid-table London City Lionesses. The Reds needed a victory to stand
any chance of a top two place and they went into a two-goal lead, Becky Jane and Amy Rodgers
scoring either side of half time. The Lionesses did not give up though and after Harley Bennett
gave them hope by pulling a goal back, Lily Agg earned them a share of the spoils as she headed
in the the equaliser, nine minutes from time.
A late, late goal saw Sheffield Utd end their season on a winning note, 2-1 away to
Blackburn Rovers. After United goalkeeper Fran Kitching had saved an early penalty from
Elise Hughes - her second spot kick save in successive weeks - Katie Wilkinson confirmed
herself as the Championship’s top goalscorer by giving the Blades an eleventh minute lead with
her seventeenth league goal of the campaign.
Blackburn hit back after the break, Aimee
Hodgson firing in the equaliser ten minutes into Blackburn Rovers 1 (Hodgson 55)
Sheffield Utd 2 (Wilkinson 11, Pennock 90)
the second half and this looked to be enough to -
give them a point until Jade Pennock headed in an Crystal Palace 2 (Gaylor 41, Waldie 86)
injury time winner for Neil Redfearn’s side. Lewes 1 (Lane 50)
Crystal Palace meanwhile lifted -
themselves into a mid-table position as they won Durham Women 7 (Hill 3, Sharpe 6, Hepple 30.45,
2-1 against fifth placed Lewes. Amber Gaylor put Galloway 60, Johnson 72, Holmes 84)
Dean Davenport’s side in front just ahead of half Coventry Utd 1 (Toussaint 8)
time, with the Rookettes battling back after the -
break and levelling the scores through Danielle Leicester City 4 (Flint 21, Cain 32,42, Vassell og 85)
Lane, five minutes after the restart. With four Charlton Athletic 0
minutes remaining, Lewes were unable to clear a - Liverpool 2 (Jane 44, Rodgers 56)
corner and Lizzie Waldie was on hand to tuck the London City Lionesses 2 (Bennett 68, Agg 81)
ball home for the winning goal for Palace.
CHAMPIONSHIP P W D L F A Pts GD
LEICESTER CITY 20 16 2 2 54 16 50 38
DURHAM WFC 20 12 6 2 34 15 42 19 LEADING SCORERS
22
LIVERPOOL 20 11 6 3 37 15 39 Katie WILKINSON Sheffield Utd 19
SHEFFIELD UTD 20 11 5 4 37 15 38 Nat Leicester City 17
22asha FLINT
LEWES 20 8 4 8 19 22 28 Bet Durham Women 10
-3h HEPPLE
LONDON CITY LIONESSES 20 6 6 8 19 19 24 Bianca BAPTISTE Crystal Palace 8
0
CRYSTAL PALACE 20 5 5 10 27 35 20 Jess KING Charlton Athletic 6
-8
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 20 4 7 9 19 29 19 -10 Leicester City 6
Lachante PAUL
BLACKBURN ROVERS 20 4 6 10 20 31 18 -11
COVENTRY UTD 20 5 1 14 21 51 16 -30
LONDON BEES 20 3 2 15 14 52 11 -38
Issue no. 16 - 6 May 2021 news@womenssoccerscene.co.uk