FAWNL Matchweek Three

With the WSL 1 and 2 seasons getting underway this weekend, Sunday just gone was the last weekend for the foreseeable where the FA WNL teams are in the spotlight. A few matches at men's teams stadiums this weekend and winning streaks ending as players start to find their match fitness and new signings begin to settle into their teams. 

No Unity match this weekend so straight to......

Tier 4
FA Women's National League Division 1 Southeast

Andy Cook's Norwich City travelled to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham, both sides having won their opening two league matches of the season. 

An unchanged starting 11 from the previous weekend's 0-2 win over QPR, Cook's side found themselves behind in a match for the first time this season after 19 minutes, Fulham catching Norwich on a quick counter attack when they cleared a Norwich corner. The lead was to only last 5 minutes, a Freya Symonds corner from the right hand side found Grace Riglar who headed in her second of the season. 

Corner's again proving decisive in first half stoppage time, a Fulham corner tapped in at close range by Ella Tagliavini to send the hosts into the break ahead. Fulham extended their lead 5 minutes into the second half, a goal mouth scramble eventually being knocked over the line by half time substitute Becky Stormer. 

Norwich pulled one back with 20 minutes to go, the Fulham keeper put under pressure and unable to clear a ball into the box and Issy Moore scoring her 3rd in 3 games. A fourth for Fulham on 90 minutes ended any remaining hopes of a comeback.

Cambridge United 3 - 1 Dulwich Hamlet
Chatham Town 0 - 1 Queens Park Rangers
Chesham United 1 - 1 AFC Sudbury
Fulham 4 - 2 Norwich City
Luton Town 0 - 4 Actonians
Milton Keynes Dons 0 - 4 London Bees

FA Women's National League Division 1 North

Chester-le-Street Town hosted Wythenshawe who came in to the match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Manchester United PGA and a 2-1 win over Norton & Stockton Ancients whilst the home side were looking to bounce back from 1-4 and 0-2 home losses to Sunderland PGA and Leeds United. 

Georgia Gibson still awaiting her first goal of the season following her transfer from Newcastle United. A 12 minute spell shortly before half time won the match for Wythenshawe, 31st and 32nd minute goals for Amanda Goodwin and Chelsea Flanagan with Olivia Dixon adding a 3rd in the 43rd minute. A 90th minute consolation gaol for the home side via Laura Hockaday. 

Chester-le-Street Town and Blackburn Rovers, the only two teams yet to pick up a point, currently make up the two relegation places but there's a long way to go. 

Looking to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat with both goals coming in second half stoppage time Norton & Stockton Ancients travelled to unbeaten Stockport County. 

A first half clean sheet for Elen Valentine and two in six minutes for Bianca Owens saw Norton lead at the break. Stockport did pull two goals back in the second half  but Owens completed her hat trick on 69 minutes which was sufficient to secure all 3 points. That's six goals in four matches now for Owens, still Norton's only scorer

After picking up their first win of the season a week ago against Blackburn Rovers, Durham Cestria were on their travels to Chorley. A first goal of the season for Grace Collinson wasn't sufficient to keep the winning streak going for Cestria. Collinson was first to react, heading in a 55th minute header after a shot from outside of the box came back off the Chorley bar.

After opening the scoring on 16 minutes, it was again a short spell approaching the break which did the damage. A second for Chorley on 41 minutes was followed 3 minutes later with a third, Cestria disappointed not to have the goal ruled out for handball. 

In the 90th minute the Chorley keeper was penalised for holding on to the ball for more than 8 seconds but nothing came of the resulting corner.

Chester-le-Street Town 1 - 3 Wythenshawe
Chorley 4 - 1 Durham Cestria
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1 - 0 Blacburn Rovers
Huddersfield Town 7 - 1 York City
Leeds United 0 - 1 Cheadle Town Stingers
Stockport County 2 - 3 Norton & Stockton Ancients

A lot to play for in Tier 3 this season. Due to WSL 1 expanding to 14 teams from the start of the 2025/26 season, at the end of this season the winners of the Northern and Southern Premier Divisions will be promoted to WSL 2 however there will also be a play off between the two second place teams to decide who takes the third slot. 

Tier 3
FA Women's National League Southern Premier Division

It's tight at the top with AFC Bournemouth, Lewes and Watford all on seven points from three matches. Plymouth Argyle, Gwalia United and Cheltenham Town only a point behind. Plymouth Argyle gave their goal difference a considerable boost with a 9-0 defeat of bottom side Billericay Town (6-0 at half time). 

Naomi Bedeau's Oxford United fell to their first defeat of the season, an 8th minute goal for Cheltenham Town being enough to wrap up all 3 points for the home side. Frustrating afternoon for the visitors who dominated possession and created numerous chances but couldn't quite find the back of the net. 

AFC Bournemouth 1 - 1 Exeter City
AFC Wimbledon 1 - 2 Watford
Gwalia United 1 - 0 Hashtag United
Cheltenham Town 1 - 0 Oxford United
Lewes 2 - 0 Real Bedford
Plymouth Argyle 9 - 0 Billericay Town

FA Women's League Northern Premier Division

A first home match of the season at the Bet 365 Stadium saw Sharna Wilkinson's Stoke City host Sophie Haywood's Hull City. The visitors started the day top of the league, no Wilkinson in the squad for Stoke but a full 90 minutes for Haywood. 

Not much in the way of chances for either side for the majority of the first half despite the home team having the majority of the possession. The only goal of the first half coming via an Erin Nicholson corner. Nicholson moved from Cestria to Hull over the summer. Her corner picked out Kirstie Hunt who headed the visitors ahead. Controversial moment of the match on the half hour, Stoke City captain Olivia Cook booked for a challenge on Hope Knight leaving the visitors stunned that it wasn't a straight red.

The equaliser for Stoke City came on 55 minutes, Evie Priestley connecting with a cross at the near post. The home team had the better chances for the remainder of the match, denied a late winner by the cross bar and forcing numerous saves from the Hull City keeper but it wasn't to be. Hull City remain unbeaten but drop down to 3rd on goal difference.

The visit of mid-table Loughborough Lightning to the Lancashire County FA ground could've been awkward for Burnley after the sudden departure midweek of manager Matt Beard but temporary manager Louise Roberts lead Burnley to a comfortable 5-0 win putting the pre-season promotion favourites top of the league for the first time this season. 

Middlesbrough ran out at the Riverside for the first time since their promotion to Tier 3, Michael Mulhern naming an unchanged side from the previous weekend's goalless draw against Rugby Borough. Liv Watt was on the bench against Rugby but not in the squad for this weekend's match against Derby County. 

A frustrating first half for the hosts and the home fans, Becky Ferguson forcing the Derby keeper into a couple of saves, Millie Bell getting to a Lauren Robson free kick but flicking her chance just wide of the near post, Leanne Giles also dragging a chance from another Robson free kick narrowly wide and Sarah Burn having.a late chance tipped over the bar. Boro grew into the game as the half progressed but scoreless at half time. 

Giles almost got the second half off to a great start but headed her chance over. With quarter of an hour remaining a Robson set piece finally broke the deadlock, an in-swinging corner finding Millie Bell at the back post Bell headed it back across the 6 yard box and Ellen Turnbull reacted quickest to head her first of the season past the Derby keeper securing Boro's first win in Tier 3. 

No FA WNL league matches this coming weekend as it's back to FA WNL Cup action. And of course Newcastle United Women and the rest of WSL 1 & 2 get their season underway. 

Burnley 5 - 0 Loughborough Lightning
Halifax 0 - 2 Sporting Khalsa
Liverpool Feds 2 - 3 West Bromwich Albion
Middlesbrough 1 - 0 Derby County
Rugby Borough 2 - 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stoke City 1 - 1 Hull City

Scotland

For the first time this season, no Skye Stout goal as Kilmarnock Women were held to a 0-0 draw by Dundee United. 

Once again Bridget Galloway came off the bench for the last 15 minutes for Aberdeen as they travelled to Montrose. Toni Leigh Finnegan put Aberdeen in front 7 minutes into first half stoppage time, a free kick just into the Montrose half found Finnegan who headed home from roughly the penalty spot. Alex Clarke doubled the lead ten minutes into the second half, going round the keeper and sliding the ball into an empty net for her first Aberdeen goal. A first clean sheet for Katie Cox and first win of the season for Aberdeen.  

This win takes Aberdeen into the top half of the SWPL.

Partick Thistle 0 - 7 Celtic
Hamilton Academical 0 - 2 Hearts
Montrose 0 - 2 Aberdeen
Rangers 2 - 1 Motherwell