FAWNL Matchweek Two

A return to league football this past weekend for the FA WNL teams after the midweek cup matches. Mixed fortunes for the team's of the Northeast although some impressive winning streaks are being put together and a controversial first managerial departure of the season. 

Tier 5
Northwest Regional Football League - Premier Division

A third league match in 7 days saw Mancunian Unity travel to Tameside Stadium looking to make it 3 wins from 3 to start the season as they took on Curzon Ashton. 

After a nervy finish in midweek, being pegged back from 3-0 to 3-2, Sunday's match was far less stressful for the travelling fans with the half time whistle seeing Unity going into the break with a 0-4 lead. A further 3 second half goals and comfortable 0-7 win took Unity to second in their league, only behind AFC Fylde on goal difference. 

Congratulations to new signing Emily Owens on being named player of the match. 

Curzon Ashton 0 - 7 Mancunian Unity

Unity were on their travels again on Wednesday evening August 27th, a trip to Poulton Vics Sports Ground to take on Poulton Vics. With Fylde not having a midweek match two goals in each half was enough to take Unity top of the league and reduce the goal difference gap to 3 although Fylde do now have a game in hand. 

Poulton Vics 0 - 4 Mancunian Unity

4 wins from 4 in 10 days, superb start to the season for Unity. 

Tier 4
FA Women's National League Division 1 Southeast

Also maintaining a 100% start to the season is Andy Cook's Norwich City. Following an opening day 4-0 defeat of Actonians and a midweek 2-0 win over Peterborough United in the FA WNL Cup the Canaries had their first away match of the season travelling to London to take on QPR. 

A few chances for the visitors in the first half, closest chance being Grace Riglar denied her second of the season as she saw her header cleared off the line by a QPR defender. Freya Symonds had a shot hit the side netting but no score for either side at half time. 

Symonds did open the scoring on the hour mark converting Norwich's second penalty of the season. Issy Moore doubled the lead shortly after the penalty with her second of the season, finding the back of the net after impressive work from Riglar finding a way past a number of QPR defenders. 

Actonians 2 - 3 Fulham
Cambridge United 5 - 0 Luton Town
Chatham Town 3 - 2 Milton Keynes Dons
Dulwich Hamlet 2 - 0 Chesham United
London Bees 8 - 2 AFC Sudbury
Queens Park Rangers 0 - 2 Norwich City

FA Women's National League Division 1 North

Almost a third consecutive clean sheet for Elen Valentine as Norton & Stockton Ancients travelled to Wythenshawe. 

A 3rd goal in 3 games for Bianca Owen, the scorer of all Norton's goals so far this season appeared to have secured all 3 points for the visitors as they remained 0-1 up from the 20th minute to the 90th minute but half time Wythenshawe substitute Kirsty Chambers produced some last minute heroics during six minuts of added time, equalising in the 91st minute and scoring the winner in the 94th. Valentine received a yellow card following the equaliser. 

90 minutes for Georgia Gibson as Chester le Street Town hosted Leeds United. No goal involvements for Gibson this weekend a goal in each half was sufficient to secure a 0-2 win for the visitors. 

Bouncing back from their 1-4 midweek "El Lassico" FA WNL Cup loss to Middlesbrough, Durham Cestria recorded their first win of the season as Blackburn Rovers came to Maiden Castle. 

Cestria were denied a penalty in the first 10 minutes of the match when Grace Collinson was brought down in the box by the Blackburn keeper. Another chance for the home side to take the lead on 19 minutes, Nicki Gears on the Cestria wing beating two defenders and playing a ball across the goal but nobody in a blue shirt was able to get on the end of it. Gears lmost broke the deadlock shortly after the half hour, Collinson this time on the wing putting a cross across the goal mouth but Gears was narrowly away from heading home. 

Important save from Amelia Lydiatt just before half time, turning a Rovers shot around the post to keep the scores level at half time. 

A little over 5 minutes into the second half, Fran Ward put Cestria in front, firing home from roughly the penalty spot after a short goal mouth scramble. 

Cestria once again denied a penalty in the 64th minute, a Rovers defender seemingly handling in the box but both referee and linesman awarding a free kick, somewhat controversially. 

A first win of the season for Durham Cestria, three straight losses for Blackburn Rovers. 

Cheadle Town Stingers 2 - 1 Huddersfield Town
Chester-le-Street Town 0 - 2 Leeds United
Chorley 2 - 3 Stockport County
Doncaster Rovers Belles 5 - 0 York City
Durham Cestria 1 - 0 Blackburn Rovers
Wythenshawe 2 -1 Norton & Stockton Ancients

Tier 3
FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division  

Following a comfortable 0 - 5 win away to MK Dons during the week, Naomi Bedeau's Oxford United played host to AFC Wimbledon on Sunday. 

A 52nd minute Oxford goal from Adele Lindbek was cancelled out 4 minutes later by Hannah Mackenzie. 

The draw sees Oxford United move to 4th in the table, level on points with Watford and Lewes although one goal worse off than Watford and 3 points & 7 goals behind league leaders AFC Bournemouth. Still plenty of season ahead.

Billericay Town 1 - 8 Gwalia United
Exeter City 1 - 2 Lewes
Hashtag United 1 - 2 AFC Bournemouth
Oxford United 1 - 1 AFC Wimbledon
Real Bedford 1 - 4 Cheltenham Town
Watford 2 - 0 Plymouth Argyle 

FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division

Sophie Haywood's Hull City kept their early season momentum rolling. After a 5-1 midweek victory against Doncaster Rovers Belles in midweek, a 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion takes Hull City top of the league and the only team with 6 points from the first two matches. 

The scoreline doesn't tell the whole story of this match. The visitors dominated posession for much of the 90 minutes but found chances hard to come by whilst more than once being caught out by Hull City's high press. 

A brace for Hope Knight following her hat trick mid week. It was Knight who opened the scoring on 24 minutes. Impressive footwork from Erin Nicholson on the edge of the box saw her beat multiple challenges, she found Ellie Tanser who in turn found Knight, some more nice footwork to beat the remaining defenders before finding the bottom corner. 

The lead was doubled just after the half hour.City's pressing winning a corner, Nicholson whipped in the corner kick finding the head of Tanser at the back post.

Another high press lead to another Hull City corner on the hour. Nicholson again whipping in a corner which this time evaded everybody and went straight in. Not a bad way to score your first goal. 

10 minutes later, a low block won possession back for Hull City and sent Haywood away down the wing on a quick counter attack. Haywood put Rachael Ackroyd through on goal and after her first shot was blocked she was clipped going for the follow up winning a penalty. Knight found the bottom corner from the spot making it 4-1 and taking City top. 

Early promotion favourites Burnley were held to a goalless draw away to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Three days after the match Burnley announced the resignation of manager Matt Beard only 68 days after announcing his arrival. It has been reported that Beard was denied permission by Burnley to speak to WSL 1 side Leicester City about their vacant managerial position, understandable as he's only been at the club two month's. The decline of this request prompted Beard to hand in his resignation. Later that evening Leicester announced the sacking of their manager Amandine Miquel but with Beard placed on gardening leave with immediate effect Leicester may have to look at other options. 

First team coach Louise Roberts steps in as interim Burnley manager. 

Sharna Wilkinson retained her starting 11 place for Stoke City but is still looking for her first goal, a 2-1 midweek loss to Wolves followed up by a 2-0 loss to Halifax. 

Middlesbrough still looking for their first win in tier 3 after being held to a goal less draw by Rugby Borough. 

Ruby Cook retained the gloves for Boro following the "El Lassico" with Liv Watt again on the bench and Grace Boyes with the armband. 

Limited chances for Boro in the first half although if a goal was going to come it would likely be from either Armani Maxwell or Lauren Robson. 

An inspired performance from Cook in the second half earned Boro a point. A superb acrobatic save on 50 minutes, a shot from outside the box seemed to have the top corner written all over it but Cook, at full stretch, somehow managed to get a hand to it and tip it on to the bar before it was cleared off the line by Ellen Packham. 

Solid stop low to her right from Cook in the 67th minute denied Rugby a goal from a free kick and a minute later Cook, again low to her right, got a hand to a shot from the outside of the box tipping it on to the post. Two big stops from Cook on 90 minutes to secure the point, an outstanding 45 minutes and well deserved clean sheet.

Derby County 1 - 2 Loughborough Lightning
Halifax 2 - 0 Stoke City
Hull City 4 - 1 West Bromwich Albion
Middlesbrough 0 - 0 Rugby Borough
Sporting Khalsa 1 - 2 Liverpool Feds
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 - 0 Burnley

Scotland

Bridget Galloway came off the bench for the last 15 minutes as Aberdeen fell to a narrow 0-1 loss to Glasgow City. A lot of positives for Aberdeen in this match despite the result, a resolute performance from the defence and they had chances to at least take a point.

Partick Thistle 0 - 5 Hibernian
Aberdeen 0 - 1 Glasgow City
Rangers 2 - 2 Hearts
Motherwell 1 - 4 Montrose
Celtic 5 - 0 Hamilton Academical

Skye Stout continues to defy her doubters, a half vollley from a good 25 yards out flew into the top corner for Kilmarnock's 3rd in a 3-4 win over Boroughmuir Thistle.