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

Bristol City have tightened their grip on the title race and opened up a lead
of six points with a 3-0 victory away to Crystal Palace. The home side went
into the game seeking a third successive win but Grace Clinton gave City an
eighth minute lead and the same player added a second on the stroke of half
time. Abi Harrison wrapped up the points with the third goal, early in the
second half.
Second placed London City Lionesses meanwhile lost ground when
they went down 2-1 at home to Sheffield Utd, who move out of the bottom two as a result.
Sarah Ewens did give the Lionesses an eleventh minute lead but Courtney Sweetman-Kirk
equalised just before half time and Mia Enderby netted the second, midway through the
second half, to give the Blades their best result of the season so far.
Southampton were unable to make up any ground as they also lost, 1-0 to Charlton
Athletic. The Addicks can climb as high as second by winning their games in hand and they
booked themselves a fourth win in five matches when Bethan Roe scored the only goal of the
game in the sixth minute.
Birmingham City also made up ground on the top three by beating Blackburn
Rovers 2-1. The Blues have struggled for consistency in recent games but are more than
capable of putting a good run together, and did their cause no harm with two late strikes after
Rovers had led for much of the game thorugh Farah Crompton’s first half goal. Charlie Devlin
brought Birmingham back on level terms late on and Libby Smith netted the winning goal
with four minutes remaining.
Lewes ended a run of three straight
defeats with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland. London City Lionesses 1 (Agg 11)
Ellie Mason put the Rookettes in front midway Sheffield Utd 2 (Sweetman-Kirk 43, Enderby 67)
through the second half and Kirsty Barton added - Birmingham City 2 (Devlin 78, Smith 86)
the second goal to seal the win during injury Blackburn Rovers 1 (Crompton 32)
time. -
Durham Women meanwhile notched up Charlton Athletic 1 (Roe 6)
their second victory in three matches, 5-1 against Southampton 0
Coventry Utd. Saoirse Noonan and Jess Clarke -
ensured that the Wildcats were two goals ahead Crystal Palace 0
at half time and Lily Crosthwaite added a third Bristol City 3 (Clinton 8,45, Harrison 48)
four minutes after the break. Isobel Goodwin - Durham Women 5 (Noonan 37, Clarke 42,
gave Coventry hope when she pulled a goal back Crosthwaite 49, Salicki 76,88)
but Becky Salicki restored the three-goal Coventry Utd 1 (Goodwin 58)
advantage shortly afterwards and Deirdre -
Bradley rounded off the scoring with the final Lewes 2 (Mason 65, Barton 90)
goal late on. Sunderland 0
BARCLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP P W D L F A Pts GD
BRISTOL CITY 15 11 3 1 26 7 36 19
LONDON CITY LIONESSES 15 9 3 3 31 13 30 18 LEADING SCORERS
SOUTHAMPTON F.C. 15 7 5 3 16 10 26 Shania HAYLES Bristol City 9
6
7
BIRMINGHAM CITY 14 8 1 5 22 15 25 Sarah EWENS London City Lionesses 8
6
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 13 8 1 4 21 15 25 Saffron JORDAN Blackburn Rovers 7
-8
CRYSTAL PALACE 15 7 0 8 16 24 21 Emily SCARR Sunderland 7
LEWES 14 5 4 5 12 15 19 Jade PENNOCK Birmingham City 6
-3
3
DURHAM WFC 14 5 3 6 21 18 18 Rio HARDY Durham Women 5
SHEFFIELD UTD 15 4 2 9 19 18 14 1
BLACKBURN ROVERS 14 3 5 6 13 21 14 -8
SUNDERLAND 15 4 1 10 17 23 13 -6
COVENTRY UTD 15 2 0 13 14 49 6 -35
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