Only goal difference separates the Barclays WSL 2 bottom four after this weekend’s results.
Ipswich Town 2-1 Durham
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Sunderland
Crystal Palace 1-0 Nottingham Forest (Att: 714)
Portsmouth 2-2 Bristol City
Southampton 0-1 Birmingham City (Att: 2,503)
Portsmouth held fourth-placed Bristol City to a 2-2 draw but finished the day at the bottom, level on points with three other sides. Jessie Gale scored from a Katie Robinson cross for City, but an own goal by Oliwia Wos quickly levelled the scores. Portsmouth were awarded two penalties in quick succession, Meg Hornby’s effort was saved by Fran Bentley but Lucy Shepherd tucked away the second. Rio Hardy also scored from the spot for Bristol, after Lexi Lloyd-Smith was brought down by goalkeeper Jess Gray, but was dismissed in stoppage time.
Ipswich Town started the day in last place but beat Durham to move level on points with them. Princess Ademiluyi finished off a cross from Ava Baker, whose second assist helped Lucy Ashworth-Clifford double the lead before half-time. Tyler Toland gave Durham hope after Grace Collinson set her up to score in the last 20 minutes.
Charlton Athletic stayed 9 points clear at the top after a narrow win over Sunderland. Amalie Thestrup put Charlton ahead following Elisha N’Dow’s first-half corner. The Addicks’ victory was aided by a second yellow card shown to Sunderland’s Louise Griffiths.
Second-placed Birmingham City scored the only goal at Southampton, with Asato Miyagawa making a 76th-minute breakthrough.
Crystal Palace edged Nottingham Forest 1-0 with an Aimee Everett header from Kirsty Howat’s early corner, keeping them within a point of Birmingham.
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