Charlton Athletic Women Secure Win While Title Rivals Draw

Charlton Athletic Women Secure Win While Title Rivals Draw
Sarah Wilson of Durham celebrates after Lucy Watson obscured scores her teams very late equaliser against Birmingham City Photo by Stu ForsterGetty Images

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.

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Wilf Frith
Wilf Frith is a women’s football news editor who works for Her Goal Magazine and had been with all its predecessors since 1996, becoming a founding team member after running Sunday Kicks. He has also held previous long-term roles as press officer for the Cornwall Women’s Football League and Penzance Ladies FC.
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