Charlton Athletic Women Secure Win While Title Rivals Draw

Charlton Athletic Women extended their lead at the top of Barclays WSL 2 as Durham deny Birmingham City at the death.

Durham 1-1 Birmingham City
Crystal Palace 2-1 Bristol City
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Charlton Athletic
Portsmouth 1-2 Ipswich Town
Southampton 1-2 Newcastle United

Charlton Athletic went five points clear at the top with a victory over Nottingham Forest.

Lucy Fitzgerald bagged a swift brace in the first quarter of the match, finding the top corner from outside the area and then heading in a cross from Jodie Hutton.

Durham denied Birmingham City victory with a very late stoppage-time strike.

Wilma Leidhammar made a 58th-minute breakthrough for City with a header from Océane Hurtré’s corner. But in the eighth minute of added time, Lucy Watson hit a free kick into the top corner to stun the visitors and earn a point for the hosts.

Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Bristol City and move within a point of their third-placed visitors.

Lexi Lloyd-Smith put Bristol ahead by the half-hour mark after Sille Struck’s header found her. Abbie Larkin tucked away a Kirsty Howat cross to level the score before half-time. Palace completed the turnaround just after the hour mark, with Ashleigh Weerden scoring from a Molly-Mae Sharpe assist.

Newcastle United won 2-1 at Southampton to leapfrog them into fifth place.

Jordan Nobbs gave Newcastle a first-minute lead following a ball from Molly Pike. A couple of minutes before the 45 were up, Nobbs doubled her tally with an assist from Emily Murphy this time. Tegan McGowan scored a late goal for the Saints.

Ipswich Town moved off the bottom on goal difference, replaced by Portsmouth, whom they beat 2-0.

Rianna Dean scored the opening goal for Ipswich as the interval approached. Sophie Peskett scored a crucial second goal off a Malaika Meena delivery, as deep in added time Meg Hornby netted for Pompey.