Page 5 - Women's Soccer Scene Issue No.16 2022-23

London City Lionesses made a strong return to action following the winter
break as they ran out 5-0 winners away to Crystal Palace to preserve their one
point lead at the top. Sarah Ewens opened the scoring, before Jamie-Lee Napier
and Karin Muya added further goals ahead of half time. Muya completed her
double midway through the second half and Lucy Shepherd rounded off the
scoring in injury time.
The Lionesses’ win was all the more impressive
seeing that they played after Bristol City, who had
temporarily regained the leadership with a dramatic
3-2 victory against Coventry Utd. Chloe Bull gave
City a ninth minute lead but after the break, Coventry
hit back and after Eleanor Ryan-Doyle levelled the
scores, Mary McAteer put them ahead with eight
minutes remaining. A shock looked on the cards but as
the game went into injury time, goals from Grace
Clinton and Abi Harrison gave City what had seemed
an unlikely win.
Third placed Charlton Athletic did not play as
their match at Blackburn Rovers was postponed,
whilst Birmingham City went level on points with
them by winning 1-0 away to Sheffield Utd. Claudia
Walker marked her return to the Blues by scoring the
only goal of the game, just after the hour mark. Sunderland’s Elizabeta Ejupi closes down
Southampton would have gone back into the Maria Farrugia of Durham Women (Will Cheshire).
top three had they avoided defeat at home to
Lewes, but it was the Rookettes who returned back Sunderland 3 (Ejupi 41, Holmes 82, Watson 88)
along the South Coast with a 1-0 victory under their Durham Women 2 (Wilson 15, Hardy pen 61)
belts. Emily Kraft scored the only goal of the game, -
seven minutes before half time, as Scott Booth’s Blackburn Rovers P-P Charlton Athletic
side brought the Saints’ unbeaten run to an end. -
The derby match in the north east saw Sheffield Utd 0
Sunderland come from behind to win 3-2 against Birmingham City 1 (Walker 61)
Durham Women. Sarah Wilson gave Durham a -
fifteenth minute lead but Sunderland were back on Southampton 0
terms by half time, Elizabeta Ejupi scoring on her Lewes 1 (Kraft 38)
-
debut against her former club. The Wildcats went Bristol City 3 (Bull 9, Clinton 90, Harrison 90)
back in front via a Rio Hardy penalty, then in a Coventry Utd 2 (Ryan-Doyle 67, McAteer 82)
dramatic final eight minutes, Abby Holmes levelled -
matters once more and Katy Watson gave the Crystal Palace 0
Wearsiders three valuable points as she scored a London City Lionesses 5 (Ewens 21, Napier 34,
late winner. Muya 45,66, Shepherd 90)
BARCLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP P W D L F A Pts GD
LONDON CITY LIONESSES 11 7 3 1 25 7 24 18
BRISTOL CITY 10 7 2 1 17 6 23 11 LEADING SCORERS
5
CHARLTON ATHLETIC 10 6 1 3 19 14 19 Sarah EWENS London City Lionesses 7
5
BIRMINGHAM CITY 10 6 1 3 15 10 19 Shania HAYLES Bristol City 7
SOUTHAMPTON F.C. 11 5 4 2 13 9 19 Saffron JORDAN Blackburn Rovers 6
4
2
LEWES 10 4 4 2 10 8 16 Emily SCARR Sunderland 6
-4
CRYSTAL PALACE 10 5 0 5 11 15 15 Rio HARDY Durham Women 5
-5
BLACKBURN ROVERS 10 3 3 4 10 15 12 Emily SIMPKINS Charlton Athletic 5
DURHAM WFC 10 3 2 5 15 16 11 -1
SUNDERLAND 11 3 1 7 13 16 10 -3
SHEFFIELD UTD 10 2 1 7 14 13 7 1
COVENTRY UTD 11 0 0 11 7 40 0 -33
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