Brighton & Hove Albion moved four points clear at the top of The FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division after edging out their south coast rivals Portsmouth 3-2.
Fresh from their 3-1 extra-time victory in the Premier League Cup last month, Albion headed back to Privett Park with plenty of confidence and they came out on top as goals from Kate Natkiel, Lucy Somes and Amy Taylor saw them home despite goals in each half from Portmouth’s Imi Umotong and Emma Sherwood.
It was the visitors who broke the deadlock after just seven minutes through Natkiel, but Portsmouth were quickly back level when Umotong sent a low strike past Faye Baker three minutes later.
The FA Women's Premier League
Northern & Southern Divisions
Sunday 18 October 2015
By Pippa Field
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But the visitors did regain the lead when the Pompey defence failed to clear their lines and Somes scrambled the ball over the line.
Taylor’s low strike on 78 minutes then gave Albion some breathing space, with substitute Sherwood’s free-kick proving just a consolation for the home side in stoppage time.
The win not only increases the Seagulls' lead at the top of the table but leaves them unbeaten from 12 matches in all competition this season.
Meanwhile, second-placed Cardiff lost ground on their rivals after they slipped to a 3-0 home defeat to Coventry United, a match came alive after the break – although it was visitors Coventry who were left celebrating.
Cristina Torkildsen opened the scoring before Helen Dermody slid in for a second following clever work by Ashleigh Neville.
And while the latter then missed the opportunity to make it 3-0 when her shot went inches wide, Dermody showed how it should be done with a deft chip for her second of the afternoon to help Coventry up to fifth in the table.
At the other end of the table, West Ham escaped the bottom two after a battling 2-2 draw at eight-placed Lewes – although it could have been even better had it not been for a late equaliser.
The visitors had found themselves 2-0 up at the break after Paige Anderson-Jones capitalised on a defensive mistake to score while Romina Pinna smashed home a second.
Kelly Newton pulled a goal back with an angled strike through a crowd of players to set up a tense finish and Julia Louis-Joseph broke West Ham hearts deep into stoppage time with a fierce shot into the net.
The point however did lift West Ham up the table, with Plymouth Argyle instead dropping into the bottom two following a 2-1 away loss to C & K Basildon.
Debutant Lily Mellors hammered in for the hosts before Claire Lacey’s header made it 2-0 at the break, and while they conceded a second-half own goal following pressure from Argyle, Basildon held on for the win.
In the Northern Division, Derby County moved to the top of the table after edging out Blackburn Rovers in a seven-goal thriller at Borrowash Victoria with Melissa Johnson and Aimee Perry both grabbing a double as the hosts eventually won out 4-3.
The season is heating up in both the Northern and Southern Division of The FA Women's Premier League
The Rams came into the clash having collected six wins and three defeats in nine league games, but they were given a thorough examination by visiting Blackburn who took the lead early on through Sophie Jones before Johnson drew her side level on 13 minutes.
Jones then added a second when Derby failed to clear their lines from a free-kick. But Derby were unnerved and continued to push forwards in search of another equaliser – Aimee Perry and Jemma Grimadell drawing saves out of the visiting keeper.
It was Perry who got the second leveller two minutes before half time as she headed home following a series of Derby corners.
And a minute later the Rams got themselves in front for the first time as Johnson rifled a shot into the right-hand corner from 18 yards out.
Blackburn continued to battle hard after the break but Derby pulled further in front on 67 minutes when Perry grabbed her second.
Jones added a third shortly afterwards to ensure she would be going away with the match ball and Blackburn were unable to find an equaliser, leaving them fifth in the table.
There were another seven goals in the game between Huddersfield Town and Loughborough Foxes. But it was the former who were in seventh heaven after running up a 7-0 scoreline.
Katie Lockwood got proceedings underway in the second minute before Emily Heckler doubled their lead from the spot on 27 minutes.
Town were not done for the half there though and Heckler doubled her tally for the afternoon two minutes before the break with a headed finish.
Lockwood added her second on 69 minutes before Kate Mallin got in on the act six minutes later.
Loughborough’s defence was wilting under the pressure of the home side’s attacking play and Heckler duly completed her hat-trick on 81 minutes to make it 6-0 while Hastings rounded matters off with a goal in the final minute.
The result moves Huddersfield up to 11th in the table following their third win of the season, ten points off new leaders Derby.
Loughborough meanwhile sit tenth, a further eight points behind Sunday’s opponents with a solitary victory in the win column for the season.
The weekend’s only other scheduled Northern Division fixture – Newcastle Town v Guiseley AFC Vixens – was postponed.
