by Johnathan Stack (25/10/23)
Above: Charlton Athletic celebrate a goal in their South London derby against Crystal Palace. Photo: Barclays Championship.
Lewes 0-2 Sunderland
Sunderland’s undefeated start to the season was extended with a tough 2-0 victory at Lewes. The first-half goals from Jenna Dear and Liz Ejupi proved to be the difference, as the Lasses shot three points ahead at the top of the table. With just one victory in eight games thus far (last weekend against Watford), Lewes remain bottom of the standings.
Reading 1-3 Sheffield United
Sheffield United defeated Reading 3-1 in a fiercely contested game to record their third victory in four games. Charlotte Newsham, Isobel Goodwin, and Ashley Hodson all scored as the Blades bounced back from their 4-0 home loss to Birmingham City the previous week. In injury time, Tia Primmer scored for the Royals, but it was nothing more than a consolation.
Birmingham City 5-2 Watford
Five different players scored for the Blues at St. Andrews as newly promoted Watford’s challenging start to the season continued. Ellie Mason, Charlie Devlin, Libby Smith, Ivana Fuso, and Lily Agg all scored goals for the home side, with Lucia Leon and Carly Johns replying for Watford. The outcome keeps struggling Watford and Lewes tied on points at the bottom of the Championship table and maintains City’s position in the middle.
Charlton Athletic 3-2 Crystal Palace
On an exciting day of Barclays Women’s Championship action, super sub-Melissa Johnson led Charlton Athletic to a derby day victory over Crystal Palace in front of just under 1,000 fans at The Valley.
With 15 minutes remaining, the seasoned striker came off the bench to score the game’s winning goal and help the hosts move up to third place in the table, ahead of their south London rivals. In a wild first half, both teams swapped blows with the in-form Angela Addison and Kayleigh Green scoring for the Addicks.
However, Palace were level by halftime thanks to a header from Elise Hughes and a strike from Araya Dennis.
It was left for former Aston Villa player Johnson to secure the win and ensure Karen Hills’s high-flying team won their fourth Championship game in a row.
Durham 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
With a lovely double from Saoirse Noonan, Durham defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-1. Before Tyler Toland cut the margin in half just before halftime, Noonan scored twice in five first-half minutes to put the Wildcats ahead.
Despite having many opportunities in a commanding second half, the hosts were unable to close out the match, but they held tight to guarantee that the crucial three points stayed in the northeast.
London City Lionesses 1-0 Southampton
With the aid of Lois Joel’s long-range goal, the London City Lionesses shocked Southampton by winning 1-0. The captain regained possession from 35 yards out, lobbing Saints’ keeper Kayla Rendell to score a dramatic first-half winner.
The visitors from second position fought hard to level the score in the second half but were unable to register a point in the capital, suffering their third loss of the year. The Lionesses’ triumph proved significant since it put an end to their string of four straight losses and moved them four points clear of the drop zone.
Coming Up …
The Barclays Women’s Championship has the week off due to the international window, but the action returns between 3rd and 5th November with the following matchups: Lewes at home against Charlton Athletic, Durham host table-topping Sunderland, Birmingham City visit Reading, and London City Lionesses travel to Blackburn Rovers; meanwhile high-flying Southampton are at home against Sheffield United, and Crystal Palace make the short trip to play in another local derby at Watford.
Follow Impetus on social media – we’re @ImpetusFootball on Threads, Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook. DON’T MISS our brand new TikTok platform @ImpetusFootball too!
impetusfootball.org 