(no title)

Harriet Meers: Loving Life at Wroxham

In our final catch up this season with Wroxham Women’s Harriet Meers, who Impetus are proud to sponsor, Ben Gilby finds out how the defender got on in her first matches for the club over the past month or so.

**Above:** Harriet (centre) shields the ball in the Norfolk Cup tie against Mulbarton Wanderers. **Photo:** Cyan Fullbrook.

It’s been a rollacoaster ride of a season for 21 year-old Wroxham defender Harriet Meers. She signed for the club in December just before the country went into lockdown again (see Wroxham Prepare to Return To Action and Harriet Meers: Lots To Look Forward To in 2021) which meant it would be three months before she would have an opportunity to train and then play for her new team.

Finally, the club were in a position to play their first game post lockdown in the Eastern Regional League Challenge Cup group stage tie against Cambridge City Development on 11^th April – a game that would see Harriet make her debut.

“It was nerve-wracking!” Harriet reveals, “I definitely didn’t expect to start the game. I thought I might get a few minutes, but didn’t think I’d get the full ninety! It was a tough game, none of us had played for such a long time. I’d never played for the team before, I’d also never played at that level before. So, going into the game we thought it would be a tough one and I do think that on another day the score line would have been very different and gone in our favour.

With their second group tie away to AFC Dunstable the following weekend, Harriet took us through how the team went about putting things right ahead of that match.

“We were disappointed after the Cambridge loss and Bex (Burton, head coach) put on an analysis session in the build-up. We looked through the key plays from the game, what we did and what we could have done differently. That was really helpful for me as I hadn’t played alongside the other defenders before, so it was good to be shown who does what, where and when. So, for example I was going to play more as a sweeper and the centre back I played alongside was going to attack the ball. That analysis session then got put into practice on the Wednesday and Friday at training and when it came to the game itself, we smashed it.”

That game saw Harriet retain her starting position at the heart of the Wroxham defence.

“We were really powerful from the whistle. We were relentless and chased down every ball. Everyone put a stint in and it was a game that left everyone feeling really good afterwards. Everyone was buzzing and it was nice to have drinks after the game as a group as it almost made you think that the last few months of lockdowns hadn’t really happened!”

With Wroxham’s Eastern Regional League Challenge Cup games behind them, attention then moved to the Norfolk Cup with the Yachtswomen drawn against Mulbarton Wanderers, two leagues below them in the Quarter-Finals.

“That was a tough game on the day and a frustrating one for us all. What we tried to do wasn’t working. We didn’t play at our best, we didn’t play to the standard that we’d been trained to do. We win and lose together as a team. We all left feeling pretty miserable, but we know what that feels like now and don’t want to feel like that again, and that’s important.”

Whilst the results may not have gone the way Wroxham would have wanted across the three games, these were the highest level matches that Harriet had ever played in during her short footballing career.

**Above:** Harriet (far right) in the Wroxham dressing room before the game against Mulbarton Wanderers. **Photo:** Cyan Fullbrook.

“The first game was really difficult. I didn’t expect to start it. I was driving to the game in the morning and saw the team sheet released and thought ‘Oh God!’ I was very nervous and played very nervously for pretty much the whole game. It was hard not really know what to do in certain situations. It was tricky. But the analysis session we had afterwards – I can’t say enough how much that helped and I focused on what Bex wanted from me.

“The second game against Dunstable, I definitely improved. The things I had to work on was to create angles, looking at playing out from the back and not shying away from the ball and getting confidence on the ball. Getting the win also boosted the confidence.

“I definitely think that as a player I am improving already. I’ve only had three games, but when the confidence comes I think I can only get better. The opposition is a lot tougher, but it’s also more exciting. It’s nice to go into a game and not know what’s going to happen.”

Harriet’s season didn’t end with the Norfolk Cup tie against Mulbarton Wanderers as she’s been back in the University of East Anglia (UEA) team for their recent games against Wymondham Town (who are in Wroxham’s tier five division) and Norwich City CSF.

“The games with UEA have actually been harder because I had got used to the players around me at Wroxham and what they want and then I was back at UEA where we hadn’t played together for ages. The team has lost a lot of players who were doing this semester from home due to Covid.

“We had two games, against Norwich City CSF which we won and Wymondham who beat us. I actually enjoyed the Wymondham game more because it was a challenge. You have to gel as a team though. UEA have so many individually brilliant players but they’ve got to work together. Next season if things return to normal, we can gel again and improve.”

Playing at tier five for Wroxham and at BUCS level for UEA means that Harriet has a very busy training and playing schedule on top of her Biomedicine studies. She gave an insight into what the physical demands are like.

“It is tough. There’s two training sessions a week for Wroxham and up to three with UEA plus games. Physically, as a defender, my legs are always bruised. It’s great though. I wouldn’t change it. I miss it so much already now the season is over.

“Wroxham ended after the Mulbarton game and there’s nothing I want to do more than go back and start training there again. I can’t wait to get back.

“I’ve got a few exams at the moment that I need to get out of the way. I need to maintain my fitness and improve it if I can. I want to work on ball skill and that will improve me so much when we come back.

“I just want to carry on with Wroxham and get a good season with no cancellations!”

That is a sentiment that we all echo. It’s been great following Harriet’s first steps as a tier five footballer and we look forward to following Wroxham’s progress again next season.

A Deal With The Devil That Sold Out The Fans

by Terri Westgate

Newly promoted FA Premier League club Norwich City have caused huge controversy this week by announcing a major sponsorship deal with a gambling company which uses images of women that were common place in the 1970s. Terri emphasises just how offensive and what a retrograde step the club’s announcement was.

**Above:** Norwich City FC – who have just announced a major sponsorship deal with a company who represent women in a demeaning manner.

I started attending football matches back in 1990, with my first visit to Carrow Road to watch my local team Norwich City in the old First Division. I was a fresh faced 16-year-old and stood on a terrace amongst a mostly male crowd. Back in those days anytime a young woman walked in front of the stand she was serenaded with a chant of “Get your t*ts out for the lads”. I was often mocked for only being interested in looking at players legs (something to this day I have never understood, why would you stand in the cold for two hours on a January afternoon to look at legs?). A few years later I was accosted by supporters of my own team on a train, who declared I knew nothing about football and demanded I explain the offside rule. Although I was angry, to this day I am proud that I managed to contain myself enough to give an accurate description before leaving for another carriage.

This not uncommon behaviour put some people off going to football, and fed into the negative stereotype of fans that prevailed. I persevered partly because I was defiant that I wouldn’t be kept from something that brought me so much joy, and partly because I was surrounded by casual sexism in my everyday life. I grew up in the 1980’s when page three models were national stars and the advertising industry was awash with misogynistic imagery and straplines. I had been told many times that I couldn’t do something “because I was a girl”, and as I reached puberty I became acutely aware of how I would be sexualised by the world, and how I had to change my behaviour and even my clothes to safely navigate the world.

None of this will surprise any woman; recent research has shown that nearly all women (97%) have experienced sexual harassment. However, things have got better at football since the 1990s as clubs have worked with fans to eliminate sexist and homophobic chants, to make grounds more inclusive. My club Norwich have worked with many fan groups making sure everyone who wants to cheer on the Canaries feels welcome. As a result, the newly promoted team has an above average percentage of season ticket holders who identify as female. Famously we are also part owned by a woman, which is a rare thing still in the beautiful game.

On Monday 7^th June 2021 the club announced their new sponsorship deal, yet another online gambling firm – which in itself has many issues. However, within minutes of watching the glitzy intro video fans started to visit the website and social media accounts of the new partner – BK8, and what they saw shocked. It was a sea of photos of young women in sexualised imagery, to the point that you had to work hard to even know that BK8 had anything to do with gambling. Impetus has decided specifically not to reproduce any of these photos as they are a completely unacceptable depiction of women.

That a company in 2021 was using promotional tactics that would be at home in The Sun from the last millennium was appalling. But that a self-proclaimed “family club” had chosen to be associated with the brand was confounding. Supporters of all genders and ages began to express their disgust and disappointment with a growing ferocity on Twitter. Local and national media picked up the story, and fans’ disapproving voices were across the news. Emails to the club were publicly posted, and an almost united opposition to the deal was expressed.

But how did it come to this? If the supporters had found this content within minutes, then the club must have been aware of it. It is a multi-million-pound deal that would have been weeks, if not months, in the making. All kinds of checks and legal proceedings will have happened before anything was signed. And yet still it went ahead, without the club even asking for any content to be removed.

This means that they were aware and decided the money involved was worth the risk. Norwich City are a self-funding club. They have no billionaire backer with cash to burn, unlike most of their Premier League rivals. They have to generate money to be able to invest in players, and the gap between the Championship and the top flight means that survival is no longer achieved with a canny boss and a young and upcoming squad. You have to spend big. If you don’t have the reserves to compete in the transfer market you either have to risk a large debt (which can go disastrously wrong, ask Bolton Wanderers’ fans) or you have sell yourself to the highest bidder.

Norwich City has made the decision that money is king, and either underestimated the backlash or figured they can ride it out. The thing about football fans is we are incredibly loyal, and the majority of Canaries supporters have already paid for their season ticket for the upcoming campaign. The only likely financial hit is a drop in shirt sales, and that might only be a dent in comparison with the size of this contract.

However, the damage done to the relationship with the supporters is not so easily repaired. Norwich is a community club; in recent years it has had open communication with the fans who have turned out in numbers and worn their colours with pride. So much good work was undone on Monday, all the progress made since the 1990’s has been undermined.

So, I ask myself, is promotion worth it? All that joy and elation at winning the league is deflated with the realisation that our club had sold its soul, and the values it had previously professed now seem superficial. Our majority shareholders have said they are guardians of club, rather than owners. Right now, they have failed in those duties, they have taken their eye off the ball and brought our beloved club into disrepute.

Terri Westgate is a Norwich City fan who writes a regular column for the Eastern Daily Press and regularly appears on BBC Radio Norfolk talking about the team.

Laight Goal Decides Close Encounter

Pride Park 1-0 Chesterfield Development

By Boot Room

**Above:** Izzy Ely on the charge for Pride Park against Chesterfield. **Photo:** Shaun Hardwick.

The Ladies welcomed Chesterfield Development to Moorways on Sunday. Pre-match heavy drizzle left the pitch wet on top, but as the rainclouds disappeared the temperature rose and the sun put in an appearance, drying out the surface and making it a warm and muggy afternoon.

After being stretched by injuries and other commitments last week, we had the relative luxury of four substitutes yesterday – which considering the warm and humid conditions was just as well – although two were combining the warm up with a late fitness test!

The game attracted a large crowd, easily our biggest of the season, perhaps tempted by the prospect of some good football and a close game, after the previous meeting between the sides ended in an equaliser for Chesterfield and a winner for Pride Park both coming in time added on.

If that was the case, they won’t have been disappointed, as both sides played some good football that was easy on the eye.

The visitors got the game underway and made a bright start to the game. The Pride were a little slower into their rhythm, but it was the home side who had the first sight of goal; Annie Laight’s shot going wide. Summer Evans burst through a little after the quarter hour and just beat the keeper to the ball, but was brought down by the netminder’s momentum. The referee took a moment of thinking time before pointing to the spot.

Tash Allderidge took responsibility and placed her penalty kick to the keeper’s right, but too close to the keeper, who was able to get down and gather the spot kick in.

The majority of the play was taking place in the middle third, as both teams tried to assert themselves, but with neither able to truly do so. Chesterfield had a sight of goal just before the half-hour, but couldn’t find the target.

Pride Park finished the half strongly, starting with the opening goal after 31 minutes; Maja Znamirowska playing a diagonal ball for Annie Laight, who allowed it to run across her, and calmly waited for the right moment (which, from the touchline seemed to take an age!) before striking an excellent shot across the keeper and into the far side of the goal. It was a fine finish by a player in form – that’s three in three, and five in the last six games.

**Above:** Annie Laight, Price Park’s match winner, gets a ball in against Chesterfield. **Photo:** Shaun Hardwick.

The goal brought added impetus to Pride Park, with Annie testing the keeper twice within a couple of minutes of the goal. As half-time was approaching we won a corner on our left. The ball was delivered into the box, and first Hannah Kwiatek and then Annie Laight had close range efforts blocked.

The second half started with Maja Znamirowska going close within a minute of the restart, and a minute later Jade Howell collected a Chesterfield shot. There were a number of good opportunities to extend our lead, with Eliot (twice), Beth Jones (twice), Otty Baker and Maja Znamirowska all bringing saves out of the Chesterfield keeper. Two of those, and particularly a save from Beth Jones, were exceptional.

Chances also fell to Beth Jones, Izzy Ely, Maja Znamirowska and Tash Allderidge, but their shots were off target.

There were approximately five minutes left to play when Jess Page went down with an ankle injury at one end of the pitch, play continuing and Beth Jones also injuring her ankle in a challenge at the other end of the pitch. Neither were able to continue, so there was a reshuffle required for the five minutes, with Tash Allderidge dropping into the back four. There was one opportunity for Chesterfield in time added on but the striker pulled her shot wide.

It could and should have been a more comfortable winning margin, and but for the Chesterfield ‚keeper it probably would have been. It’s encouraging to have kept another clean sheet – the defensive unit stuck to their task well again, and but for one occasion in the second half, defended very well – and there is something particularly satisfying about a 1-0 win.

Goals have been noticeably harder to come by since lockdown, a combination of players missing through injury, or returning to match fitness, and the results of games have – with one notable exception – been relatively close, with teamwork and tactical discipline being important attributes in those results. Annie Laight took her goal well yesterday, and with the number of chances created, there’s a sense that at some point the goals will start to flow again.

The season comes to its end with next week’s final fixtures – a double header against Belper Town. The first game will kick off at 10.30am, with the second game to follow at approximately midday – to fit in with the TV schedules for the Euros!

AFC Portchester Win Clinches Unbeaten Season & League Title

AFC Varsity 1-2 AFC Portchester

By Lewis Millington

**Above:** AFC Portchester celebrate being crowned as the unbeaten champions of the Hampshire Women’s League Division Three. **Photo:** Lewis Millington.

There were scenes of jubilation from the Portchester team and bench at full time on Sunday at Hatches Farm Sports Ground near Romsey – a hard fought win against a strong AFC Varsity side meant that the Royals Ladies had gone the entire league season undefeated – a remarkable feat considering the team only reformed at the beginning of this season.

However it wasn’t plain sailing. Varsity have themselves had an excellent year, only starting life as a side in 2020, securing second place in the league. In addition to the fact that Portchy had come away victorious in the reverse fixture a few months prior, there was certainly a determination for them to crash the party atmosphere that was due to come at full time.

The venue itself is in a small settlement called West Wellow, which is a few miles west of Romsey. Facilities were decent with a spectator railing and dugouts in place, as well as a new pavilion for changing as well as an outdoor gym for those facing a few chin ups during the half time interval. A pleasant space to spend 90 minutes in the scorching Hampshire sun. Although I’m sure many would agree that it appeared the groundsman had gone to Portugal for a week – the grass could do with a trim!

The game started brightly, with both teams exchanging attacks and trying to work the ball into the box. It could be argued that Portchy started the brighter of the two sides, trying to play some expansive football through passing the ball out to wings to exploit their full backs with the pace of Shannen Woods and Ella Wilson. However the Varsity keeper, who was excellent all game, was wise to this and confidently collected or parried several balls that made their way across the opposition box.

Portchy’s best chance in the first half came from a curling effort from just outside the box by 17 year old Ella Wilson, only to be tipped around the post for a corner from the diving keeper.

Varsity then proceeded to come back into the game, growing in confidence after lofting a few direct balls forward trying to take advantage of Portchy’s high line. They had two or three opportunities that came into fruition through this tactic – one cross behind the defence which fizzed across goal – longing for a Varsity head to connect with it, as well as a couple of foot races between Portchester’s sweeper keeper Roxy Roberts and the oncoming attacker which the experienced Portchy keeper managed to deal with in the nick of time.

With the first half finishing 0-0 and the temperature rising – Portchy’s manager, Mark Dugan, had some crucial words for the girls at half time to ensure they don’t get caught up in the occasion and just need to play ‘their football’ which they did well for the first 20 minutes.

**Above:** AFC Porthchester on the attack at AFC Varsity. **Photo:** Lewis Millington.

Although these words were taken on board and Portchy started the second half brightly, Varsity almost gave them a shock. Another lofted ball over the top was met by Kayleigh Rogers. The hot-shot forward, leading the division’s golden boot race with 10 goals in 9 appearances, struck a looping half volley that took an age to come down, Roberts in goal was clearly beaten but fortunately for Portchy the effort slapped the top of the crossbar.

Clearly awoken by that close call, Portchy sparked back on the offensive and this was rewarded with taking the lead.

This time it was the Tango’s turn to try the direct approach, with a counter attacking ball thrust forward over the defensive line, where a pacy Shannen Woods took the ball sweetly on the half volley. She rifled the ball across goal giving the keeper little chance to save it, which led to rapturous applause erupting from the Portchy bench and supporters.

Clearly buoyed by the goal, Portchester began to crack up the tempo and began a series of swift confident attacks. The best of these efforts came when a ball into the box was fumbled by the Varsity keeper, only for Woods to knock the stray ball just over the crossbar.

Nevertheless, Portchy’s driving attacks continued which eventually led to them getting their second of the afternoon. The confident Shannen Woods received the ball on the right wing, burning past the full back to create an opportunity whereby she crossed the ball into the six yard box where teenage forward Bella Longyear was perfectly positioned to side foot the ball past the Varsity shot stopper.

With nothing to lose, Varsity threw everyone forward for the last 10-15 minutes, which meant that Portchy began to sit deeper. Portchy had substituted one of their pace merchants in Ella Wilson, so the counter attacking threat was lessened for the final portion of the game.

After a few attacks that Roberts in goal had to thwart, Varsity got their golden chance from a corner. A good ball resulted in a chaotic scramble for the ball in the box. Limbs flying everywhere, the ball bobbled to Varsity’s Jade Collins, where she hit the ball low into the bottom right corner of the net which set up a nervy few final minutes for the Tangerines.

Despite this, Portchy managed to use their experience to weather the onslaught and the final whistle arrived. Portchy’s ‘Invincible’ Ladies – they had made it through the league season unbeaten.

Varsity were formidable adversaries and gave Portchy a real game and had it not been for some excellent goalkeeping from both sides the score could have been different. They were true professionals and formed a guard of honour for the league champions, as well as applauding them as Lynsey Crewe lifted the league trophy up in celebration. It has been a fantastic season for both sides, with both likely receiving promotion for next season. Both sides no doubt deserve a well earned rest before coming back next season ready to make a real impact at the next level.

Impetus Announces Partnership with Ashford Town Women

by Ben Gilby

**Artwork:** Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC

Impetus is delighted to announce a partnership with Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC Women of the tier five London & South-East Regional Premier Division for the upcoming season.

This partnership will involve us sponsoring one of ‘The Tangerine’s’ players and publishing regular content on the Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC Women’s Section More details will be announced within the coming weeks.

Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC Women Chairman and First Team Head Coach Will Boye said: “I’m extremely pleased that our senior section and Impetus could come to an arrangement ahead of this season. Their content on women’s football is fantastic and has played a big role in the continual growth of the women’s game, within the UK and beyond. We look forward to working with them this season on a regular basis.”

Impetus’ founder Ben Gilby said: “Impetus is very excited to be entering into this partnership with Ashford Town. We’ve already carried several articles on the club on the site over the past two seasons and know from seeing the first team in action before the pandemic just how talented they are and how bright the future is at the Robert Parker Stadium. The arrangement means that as well as sponsoring a player, we will be working with the club to publish features about them from the first team down to youth level to our worldwide readership. We look forward to putting together the first article as a result of the new partnership in the near future.”

This announcement is the first of several which Impetus will be making over the coming weeks to make our coverage even better ahead of the 2021/22 season as we find new ways to support grassroots women’s football.

Making Waves In Ireland

Ben Gilby spoke to DLR Waves head coach Graham Kelly about the FAI Women’s National League side who have come a long way and are highly ambitious to grow further.

**Above:** DLR Waves head coach Graham Kelly. **Photo:** Oisin Keniry/INPHO.

Graham Kelly has been at DLR Waves for three years and, from the outset, was very clear about what he wanted to achieve.

Upon arrival at the club who are named after the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown county they are based in which is part of the Dublin region, Kelly discussed a five year plan with the club chairman.

“We have big ambitious and in the last three years the club has grown massively from just one senior team to now having a senior team, an U19 Team and an U17 team all playing in the Women’s National League (WNL). We also wanted to ensure we had football for any girl who came to the club who might not be ready just yet to go and play in the WNL so with this in mind we created two new teams in the Metropolitan Girls League at U16 & U18 level so in the space of two full season’s the club has grown from one team to five which is fantastic for all female footballers in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown region and surrounding areas

“Alongside this we are now this year running summer camps and afterschool coaching programmes in local schools to help promote DLR Waves in the community.”

This growth has been all the more impressive with it taking place amidst a global pandemic. “As a club we kept connected with all our player’s and coaching staff through Zoom meetings and home workouts for the players, It was a really tough time for people but in DLR we always say it’s so important that it’s the person comes first before the player.”

With light now at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, Kelly is focused on trying to meet some of the other challenges that DLR Waves face.

**Above:** DLR Waves’ Carla McManus (right) in action against Wexford Youths this season. **Photo:** @LOIWomen

“Our five teams are now up and running and all back training and our continued partnership with University College, Dublin (UCD) is growing from strength to strength. As with nearly every club in the country, the biggest challenge is always securing training facilities which again UCD and DLR have been tremendous in helping us with, We are very grateful for their continued support.”

The FAI Women’s National League season is now well underway for 2021 and Graham is keen to ensure the club’s standing in the competition continues to improve.

“The league this season is definitely shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years. It’s brilliant to see all the clubs continue to develop and every game is really competitive. From our point of view our aim as a team is to try break into the top four. The last two seasons that I have been here we finished sixth so if we can break into that top four this season that would be a big step forward in our development.

“In terms of the FAI WNL itself, it is made up of nine clubs, Peamount United, Shelbourne, Wexford Youths, Galway WFC, Bohemians, Cork City, Athlone Town, Treaty United and ourselves,” explained Graham.”

“All the players that play for the clubs are amateurs and many are still in school, college or full time employment. In the time I have been involved in the league I have seen massive improvements and in fairness to all the clubs they have all worked really hard for this, Also playing in the league are be a number of Republic of Ireland international players which is great for publicity of the league.

“This season the FAI agreed to stream every game live on www.loitv.ie free of charge which again is fantastic promotion of the league and everyone gets to see the real quality playing here in Ireland.

**Above:** DLR Waves’ Jess Gleeson competes for the ball against Galway’s Rachel Kearns. **Photo:** John Crothers.

Despite DLR Waves having five teams of their own, they have put in place an exciting relationship with local clubs to develop a player pathway scheme.

“We have nine partner clubs and when each of these clubs have players that finish at U14/15 level they then have an opportunity to come into our pathway through our U16 MGL team. At present we have around 100 players in the club throughout our five teams.”

As with every club, DLR Waves can only function successfully through a magnificent team of volunteers as Graham highlights:

“We have so many people here from the management committee, U16, U17, U18 coaches right up to all the first team staff that do so much work it’s fantastic and I am forever grateful for all their help. But I have to say without doubt our unsung hero is John Hartigan who is our kit man with the first team but is so much more than a kit man, We are very lucky to have John and we really do appreciate everything he does for us.”

We ended our chat by looking at the growth of women’s football more generally in the Republic of Ireland.

“I think the women’s game in Ireland is growing from strength to strength, The introduction of the new U19 league this season is massive progress as we were losing a lot of players from the game when they finished playing U17 as some may just not have been ready to make the step up to 1st team level, This new U19 league and the continued progression of the U17 league is key to player development, As a league overall we can continue to improve and hopefully as the standard keeps improving we can all help to develop more players for Vera Pauw’s senior international squad and we see Republic of Ireland qualify for the next World Cup.”

Don’t miss Impetus’ regular round-up of all the action from the FAI Women’s National League brought to us by Ciarán Duffy of Post to Post Sport. Check out our specific Irish Women’s Football section at https://impetus885775742.wordpress.com/irish-football/ for all the details!

Irish Women’s National League Round-Up

Ciarán Duffy of Post to Post Sport brings us bang up to date with all the goings on in the FAI WNL over the past month.

Peamount United

Peamount maintained their 100% record over the last three rounds to remain top of the league. They beat Cork City in round seven. Eleanor Ryan-Doyle opened the scoring and put Peas back in front after Cork had equalised. Aine O’Gorman scored late on to secure the victory.

In round eight, Peamount became the first team to beat DLR Waves at the UCD Bowl. Eleanor Ryan-Doyle scored twice, a diving header in the first half, and a penalty in the 2^nd half.

In round nine Peamount beat Galway 4-0. Ryan-Doyle scored 2 more goas, with Walsh and Doherty adding goals.

Shelbourne

Shels remain Peamounts closest challengers. In round seven they beat Galway 5-0, with goals from Ziu, Finn, Grant, Noonan, and Murray. Shels went to Dalymount Park the following week, when Whelan scored the winner to beat Bohemians. Shelbourne played out a 0-0 draw with Wexford Youths in round nine.

Wexford Youths

Wexford were victorious in round seven with a 7-1 win over Bohemians. Two goals from captain Kylie Murphy opened the scoring, with goals from Frawley, and OG, and Flood making it 5-0. Kelly added two late goals. Youths were idle in round eight and played out a 0-0 draw against Shels in round nine.

DLR Waves

DLR continue to have one of their best ever seasons. Carla McManus scored the winner in a 1-0 win at Athlone in round seven. They were beaten 2-0 by Peamount United in round eight before recording their biggest win of the season the following week by beating Treaty United 5-0 in Limerick, with goals from Maher, Malone, Carroll, and two goals from McManus.

We have a dedicated page for all our DLR Waves content, including reaction to their home games, match reports, fixture information, and more. You can view it on PostToPost.Sport.Blog here.

Bohemians

Bohs were beaten in rounds seven and eight by two of the top three. They lost 7-1 to Wexford, with Burke getting their goal. They were beaten 0-1 at home to Shels the following week. Then, last time out, they earned a thrilling 3-2 win away to Athlone. Burke scored their equaliser and put them in front. Their winner came from Darby.

Galway

Galway were beaten 5-0 by Shelbourne in round seven. Their manager Billy Clery stepped down early in the following week due to family commitments. They were narrowly beaten 4-3 under interim manager Maz Sweeney, with their goals coming from Callanan and two from McKey. Stephen Lally was appointed new head coach the following week. His first game in charge ended with a 4-0 defeat by Peamount.

Athlone Town

After a 0-1 loss at home to DLR Waves, Athlone beat Galway 4-3 with goals from Keogh, two from Devaney, and a goal from Brennan. They were victorious despite going down to 10 with Haran sent off. They lost out 2-3 to Bohs, with their goals coming from Keogh and Molloy.

Treaty United

Treaty were idle in round seven. They then got their first win of the season a vital one in a battle of the teams at the bottom – beating Cork City 3-2 with two goals from Rebecca Horgan and a goal from Keenan. Treaty were beaten 5-0 by DLR Waves in round nine.

Cork City

Cork remain without a win after phase one has been completed. They lost to Peamount United 3-1, despite Mangan’s goal. They then lost out narrowly to Treaty 3-2 in the big clash of the bottom sides with McKevitt and Cassin getting their goals. They were idle for round nine.

Next Round’s Fixtures

Saturday 5^th June

Cork City v Galway (K/O 14:00)

Peamount United v Wexford Youths (16:00)

Shelbourne v Athlone Town (19:00)

Sunday 6^th June

Treaty United v Bohemians (14:00)

Table

Pos		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD +/-	Pts
1	Peamount United	8	8	0	0	24	2	22	24
2	Shelbourne	8	6	1	1	19	3	16	19
3	Wexford Youths	8	5	2	1	24	5	19	17
4	DLR Waves	8	5	1	2	12	6	6	16
5	Bohemians	8	2	1	5	14	22	-8	7
6	Galway	8	2	1	5	14	25	-11	7
7	Athlone Town	8	1	2	5	11	21	-10	5
8	Treaty United	8	1	1	6	10	35	-25	4
9	Cork City	8	0	3	5	12	21	-9	3

Gustavsson Squad Brings In New And Old

Ahead of their forthcoming friendlies in Denmark and Sweden, Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson has announced a 25 player squad which has seen key players return and an eagerly awaited call up for a W-League starlet. Ben Gilby reviews the selection and provides Gustavsson’s opinions on the selection.

**Above:** Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has announced a much changed squad. **Photo** **provided by:** Football Australia

Westfield Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson has selected 25 players to take part in the team’s June international friendlies against Denmark and Sweden.

The fixtures against the Scandinavian nations form part of the Australia’s preparations ahead of July’s women’s football tournament with Gustavsson calling in a host of familiar names and fresh faces.

With over 400 matches of international experience combined, Australia vice-captain Steph Catley and centurion Elise Kellond-Knight spearhead a returning quintet of players which also consists of Ellie Carpenter, Kyah Simon and Tameka Yallop – who assisted the team in qualifying for their fourth Games.

**Above:** Kyra Cooney-Cross receives a call up after the 19 year-old had a sensational season in the W-League. **Photo provided by:** Football Australia.

Westfield Young Matildas contingent Kyra Cooney-Cross, Courtney Nevin and Charli Grant all have the opportunity to join the 209 women who have represented Australia on the international stage. On the other end of the spectrum, veteran defender Caitlin Cooper earns another shot at a major tournament, while midfielders Amy Harrison and Alex Chidiac have been rewarded for strong domestic seasons in the Netherlands and in the Westfield W-League.

Of the players who took part in April’s friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands, Beattie Goad retains her place after putting in two hugely promising performances. On the downside, Dylan Holmes is unlucky to miss out having injected a lot of energy off the bench against the Dutch last time out. Those hoping for a recall for Matildas legend Lisa De Vanna are also disappointed. Also missing out is Angie Beard who had a exceptional season for W-League champions Melbourne Victory.

Following an extensive process of evaluation, Gustavsson is keen to begin working with the squad – half of whom he will meet for the first later in the month.

“I believe this group of players bring together some excellent qualities and I am really looking forward to seeing how they can come together,” said Gustavsson.

**Above:** Beattie Goad is back after impressing in the April friendlies. **Photo provided by:** Football Australia.

“We spoke about the April camp giving us questions and answers and, over the past couple of weeks, Mel Andreatta and I have been working with the technical staff to find the players that we believe can address certain key questions. We have analysed the squad and identified the areas that require strengthening and players that have weapons to enhance the national team.”

With 50 days until Australia’s opening tournament match against New Zealand, Gustavsson emphasised the importance of team balance, building chemistry and maximising every moment until the July kick off.

“When it comes to building the roster, we need to ensure we have balance across the squad. We need different player types; we need depth in different positions and need some players that provide flexibility between the lines.”

“All of this means that difficult decisions had to be made, particularly in positions like the forwardline where there is an abundance of talent but limited positions. Unfortunately, that has meant some top quality players have not been selected this time around, however, the door is still open as football is unpredictable and we always need to be adaptable.”

“The focus of this camp will be on preparing ourselves for the opponents we will meet in 50 days. It is why we have chosen tough opponents in Denmark and Sweden. We need to observe, in a challenging environment, if the players called up can assist us in executing game plans that can be successful in July.”

“Finally, we will have a heavy emphasis on building chemistry on and off the pitch. Several of the players coming in have built strong relationships over years of close connection and we want to re-establish that rapport while cultivating new connections within the team,” he concluded.

**Above:** Charli Grant – a great season at Adelaide United was rewarded with a move to top Swedish side Rosengård and now a call up to the Matildas side. **Photo provided by:** Football Australia.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD:

Mackenzie ARNOLD	Goalkeeper	West Ham United (ENG)	25 (0)
Laura BROCK	Defender	En Avant de Guingamp (FRA)	62 (2)
Ellie CARPENTER	Defender	Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)	41 (1)
Steph CATLEY	Defender	Arsenal FC (ENG)	82 (3)
Alex CHIDIAC	Midfielder	Uncontracted	17 (1)
Kyra COONEY-CROSS	Midfielder	Blacktown Spartans (AUS)	0 (0)
Caitlin COOPER	Defender	Illawarra Stingrays (AUS)	10 (2)
Caitlin FOORD	Forward	Arsenal FC (ENG)	85 (20)
Mary FOWLER	Forward	Montpellier (FRA)	6 (0)
Emily GIELNIK	Forward	Vittsjo GIK (SWE)	39 (10)
Beattie GOAD	Defender	SV Meppen (GER)	2 (0)
Charli GRANT	Defender	FC Rosengård (SWE)	0 (0)
Amy HARRISON	Midfielder	PSV Eindhoven (NED)	13 (0)
Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT	Midfielder	Hammarby (SWE)	113 (2)
Alanna KENNEDY	Defender	Unattached	89 (7)
Sam KERR	Forward	Chelsea FC (ENG)	90 (42)
Aivi LUIK	Midfielder	Sevilla (ESP)	27 (0)
Teagan MICAH	Goalkeeper	IL Sandviken (ISL)	0 (0)
Courtney NEVIN	Defender	Blacktown Spartans	0 (0)
Clare POLKINGHORNE	Defender	Vittsjo GIK (SWE)	126 (10)
Hayley RASO	Forward	Everton FC (ENG)	48 (6)
Kyah SIMON	Forward	PSV Eindhoven (NED)	92 (26)
Emily VAN EGMOND	Midfielder	Unattached	99 (23)
Lydia WILLIAMS	Goalkeeper	Arsenal FC (ENG)	89 (0)
Tameka YALLOP	Midfielder	West Ham United (ENG)	87 (10)

Ben Gilby writes for Beyond90, Australia’s leading independent women’s football platform. Visit https://beyond90.com.au/

Impetus’ coverage of Australian Women’s Football is supported by The Chicken Salt Co. They are offering every Impetus reader 5% off all orders of Chicken Salt from their website. Go to https://www.chickensalt.co.uk/?mate=impetus and place your order – 5% will automatically be taken off of the cost. The coupon code is impetus.

Portchy Unbeaten League Run Continues

Basingstoke Town 2-2 AFC Portchester

By Lewis Millington

**Above:** AFC Portchester (orange and black) take on Basingstoke Town. **Photo:** Lewis Millington.

The penultimate game of AFC Portchester Ladies season in the Hampshire County League against Basingstoke Town Women ended in 2-2 draw on Sunday in the scorching Hampshire sun.

The result came of the back of a 12-0 defeat at the hands of a professional Portsmouth Women side – which while providing an invaluable experience for many of Portchy’s young breakthrough stars this year, it would also have been motivation to get back track with an attempt to maintain their 100% record in the league.

However, Basingstoke are no mugs – with Portchy only managing a 1-0 win at the Wicor Rec for the season opener – and they proved that they are good side on Sunday.

Winklebury, a football complex owned by the Hampshire FA and also the home of Basingstoke Town since the sad demise of their previous home, The Camrose, was the venue for the game. I do hope the recent fans campaign, which would see them return to their spiritual home is successful as it a sorry state to see what is a classic non-league ground in such disrepair.

Winklebury is not a bad home for Basingstoke, it has a grandstand, a seated terrace behind one goal and a covered stand behind the other – a modern ground for the ladies to play at. Albeit a little soulless and akin to a School 4G, with the lines of over sports marked out on the fake turf. Nevertheless many clubs at this level would be lucky to have a facility like it.

**Above:** Winklebury, home of Basingstoke Town. **Photo:** Lewis Millington.

Portchy arrived at Winklebury with only 12 available players – several key names were nursing knocks from the big game against Pompey in the week. With the league wrapped up and missing stars, this did hand opportunities to the Portchy youth cohort who have stepped up brilliantly this season. The ‘Class of Covid’ quartet of Ella Wilson, Bella Longyear, Ava Colbourne and keeper Sarah Kelsall all started the match. All players are under 18 and have made a real impression on the first team this season – with Wilson being the breakout star. No doubt playing as a group from the start would have been of great value to them going into next season.

The game started fairly evenly with both teams sharing possession with attacks breaking down in the final third, with arguably Basingstoke having the better of the opening 10 minutes. However it was Portchy’s young talisman, Ella Wilson, who opened the scoring after nine minutes. Wilson, using her trademark pace and dribbling ability that has caused havoc for many defences in the league this season, took on the Basingstoke centre back centrally, knocking it past her and getting inside her and away on goal inside the box. This left the goalkeeper to beat, where Wilson coolly slotted the ball past the oncoming keeper to make the net ripple.

With the lead secured, Portchy grew in confidence and began a period of dominance. Young centre back Ava Colbourne having the best chance, firing a strong header over from a corner.

However, Basingstoke were not going to let this game drift away and give Portchy a processional afternoon. They drew level when Beth Lowe walloped in a long range strike on 33 minutes.

Following this, water breaks came and went, possession traded and half chances created – but neither team could edge a lead in a tightly contested affair.

Finally a second goal came for Portchy following some trickery on the inside of box by Ella Wilson. Trying to beat the defender, Wilson was brought down in a scramble, leading to the official pointing to the spot. Experienced striker Laura Streeter stepped up to take the spot kick. After missing her last penalty strike against Liphook, Streeter made no mistake this time by drilling the ball past the diving keeper to give Portchy a 2-1 lead.

**Above:** Basingstoke Town became the first team to prevent AFC Portchester from winning in the Hampshire County League this season. **Photo:** Lewis Millington.

Celebrations were not to last long though as Portchy had their hearts in their mouths two minutes later when Basingstoke slapped in a 20 yard strike on 77 minutes. However, the linesman had flagged for offside.

Nevertheless, seeing the ball hit the net galvanised Basingstoke. They came back at Portchy before scoring for real around the 85th minute mark to spark jubilations amongst the players and their touch line.

The goal came on the break as Basingstoke played the ball down the right to find Carla Mullan in the box off centre of the goal. However, this and the onrushing Sarah Kelsall did not deter the Town player, with a deft dink over the keeper bringing the game back level.

Following this, Portchester pushed for a winner and had a few opportunities. The best falling to left back Anna Thompson playing makeshift forward where the ball ricocheted to her in the box but she blazed over.

The final whistle blew and with it went Portchy’s 100% record. However, the youthful side did themselves proud in the heat and off the back of chasing the ball around against Pompey Women. Basingstoke showed themselves to be a strong side and were good value for the point.

Portchy Ladies will conclude their season away at AFC Varsity next Sunday in a rescheduled match looking to finish the league season unbeaten.

Changing of the Guard Complete in France

Olympique Lyonnais 0–0 Paris St. Germain

By Ben Gilby

**Above:** The PSG team line-up before the start of a match which virtually assured they will end Olympique Lyonnais’ dominance at the top of D1 Arkema. **Photo:** @PSG_Feminines

Olympique Lyonnais’ domination of D1 Arkema is over after Paris St. Germain earned a point to ensure that they will win the championship for the first time in their history by beating mid table Dijon this coming Friday night.

Lyon had to win to realistically retain their D1 title for a fifteenth successive year, but the 0-0 score line against their closest rivals means that they now need a miracle for that to happen.

PSG went into the match having won their last eighteen consecutive games in Arkema D1. Their last defeat came back in November 2019. They also had the confidence in having defeated Lyon in both the earlier league encounter and the Champions League Quarter-Finals which ended OL’s run of five consecutive titles in Europe’s top competition.

Whilst Lyon’s season has not hit the heights that they have become accustomed to, they went into the game on the back of 51 games unbeaten at home in D1.

Both sides were missing a key player at kick-off as Eugenie Le Sommer failed a late fitness test for OL with Marie-Antoinette Katoto missing with a thigh injury for PSG. In the positive side of the ledger for the Parisians, Kadidatou Diani was back for the first time since April after injury.

**Above:** OL keeper Sarah Bouhaddi denies Kadidatou Diani. **Photo:** Damien LG via @OLfeminin

The first opportunity went PSG’s way after five minutes when Sandy Baltimore got free down the left and put in a dangerous cross which Sarah Bouhaddi got a palm to but could not prevent the ball falling for Diani, but the OL keeper recovered well to get back in time to grab the resulting shot.

For the vast majority of the first half, PSG were more than happy for Lyon to have the ball and attack. It appeared to be the right move as it allowed the Parisians to ensure they had more than enough personnel to largely nullify the impact of Ellie Carpenter, Delphine Cascarino and Sakina Karchaoui. Therefore, Christiane Endler, linked with a move to OL in the summer, had very little to do in the PSG goal.

Both sides were also keen to establish themselves as the physically dominant team. One such example came when Kadeisha Buchanan put in a thumping tackle which saw Baltimore fall awkwardly on her side, taking down her head coach Olivier Echouafni in the process.

Shortly afterwards, Carpenter saved her team in a defensive position by sprinting in to fill a gap and charge down a shot from former Chelsea star Ramona Bachmann.

**Above:** Ellie Carpenter made an important block on Ramona Bachmann’s shot. **Photo:** Damien LG via @OLfeminin

All of PSG’s chances were coming down the left with Baltimore using her pace to break through at will and fire dangerous crosses into the box. Despite her ability to push forward, Lyon’s defence, marshalled as ever by the talismanic Wendy Renard were able to mop up before Bachmann, Bruun and Dabritz could take advantage.

With eight minutes to the break, Bouhaddi denied Signe Bruun from close range as Paris broke from the left of centre once more.

Karchaoui had a great chance shortly afterwards when, from a break through the middle, the ball ended in her path, but her fierce effort was just over the bar as it remained goalless at the break.

Just after the hour mark, Bruun missed a golden opportunity for PSG. The Dane found herself in front of goal with no-one rushing towards her to close her down, but she put her shot agonisingly wide of the left hand post when it anything on target would likely have resulted in a goal.

The vast majority of the offensive pressure was now with the Parisians who knew that a victory would clinch the D1 title with a week to spare.

Ultimately, despite the plethora of talented attacking players on the pitch, it was the defenders who were on top.

**Above:** Sandy Baltimore, who had a magnificent game down the left for Paris St. Germain. **Photo:** @PSG_Feminines

Olympique Lyonnais’ inability to win a game that they absolutely had to serves to emphasise the changing of the guard in French women’s football this season. In the past, somehow, they would have found a way to earn the result they needed.

PSG’s ability to nullify Lyon’s attacking threats was the key to the victory. In doing so, they will end up being the first team other than Olympique Lyonnais to win the top tier of French women’s football since FCF Juvisy’s title success in 2006.

OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS: Bouhaddi, Bacha, Renard, Buchanan, Carpenter, Henry, Karchaoui, Cascarino, Majri, Marozsan, Macario. Substitutes: Gallardo (GK), Kumagai, Parris, Sombath, Cayman, Taylor, Malard.

PARIS ST. GERMAIN: Endler, Morroni, Dudek, Paredes, Laurence, Dabritz, Geyoro, Bachmann, Baltimore, Diani, Bruun Substitutes: Voll (GK), Cook, Nadim, Fazer, Huitema, Le Guilly, Hurtre.

Referee: Stéphanie Frappart.