Birmingham City Women’s 4-2 victory over Newcastle United sees them lead the Barclays WSL2 table on goal-difference from both Sunderland and Charlton Athletic.
Birmingham City 4-2 Newcastle United
Charlton Athletic 0-0 Ipswich Town
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Crystal Palace (Att: 1,158)
Portsmouth 1-0 Sheffield United (Att: 1,129)
Southampton 0-1 Bristol City (Att: 1,821)
Birmingham City struck twice in the opening quarter of an hour, Veatriki Sarri netting from outside the area and Batcheba Louis doubling the advantage. Lily Crosthwaite got a third before the break, Jasmine McQuade pulled one back with a header after an hour, Océane Hurtré made it 4-1, Beth Lumsden then got a second for United.
Crystal Palace picked up an opening win of the campaign at Nottingham Forest. Palace’s Justine Vanhaevermaet picked out the far top corner of the net from a tight angle, Kirsty Howat making it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark. Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah got a goal back for Forest from distance but three minutes into added time.
Portsmouth got off the mark 1-0 at Fratton Park against Sheffield United. Meg Hornby fired Pompey in front from a free kick that went in off the far post. Amy Andrews thought she had levelled as she followed up her penalty against the post to net at the second attempt but it was disallowed as no-one else touched the ball in-between.
Bristol City’s Lexi Lloyd-Smith made an 88th-minute breakthrough to give them all three points away to Southampton, their second win in three games.
Ipswich claimed their first-ever point at this level at the third attempt, with a goalless draw away to Charlton Athletic.
