Charlton Athletic kept up the pressure on FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division leaders Tottenham Hotspur with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over West Ham united.
With Spurs’ clash with Cardiff City postponed due to bad weather, Charlton made the most of their time on the pitch – though they didn’t have things all their own way at Sporting Club Thamesmead.
With 45 minutes played, it seemed West Ham would go into the break scoreless, but Charley Clifford converted a cross to give the hosts the lead, which was doubled just moments later with a composed Ruby Southgate penalty.
Clifford’s second wrapped up the contest heading into the closing 20 minutes, while Kit Graham made the most of a defensive mishap to make it 4-0.
And Bupe Okeowo added gloss to the scoreline, drilling into the corner after connecting with a far-post cross for an eighth league win of the season.
Elsewhere, there were also plenty of goals at The Dripping Pan, where Lewes took the honours 3-1 against Swindon Town, moving five points clear of their opponents in the process.
Rachel Palmer’s cross was headed into her own net by a Swindon defender, while Dani Lane doubled the hosts advantage when firing home from close range.
But any hopes of a comfortable Lewes afternoon was thwarted on the stroke of half-time, with an uncleared cross pounced upon by Steph Houston who prodded into an empty net.
And it seemed the game was set for a nervy finish, only for Bex Thompson to fire home from the edge of the area, 15 minutes from time to reaffirm the two-goal advantage.
In the final Southern game to avoid the weather issues, Crystal Palace secured a valuable 1-0 over QPR – the reverse of the score between the two sides earlier this season.
That was despite Palace spurning a golden opportunity from the penalty spot, with a foul from Jean Sseninde leading to a spot-kick only for Roschelle Shakes to fire over the bar.
But with the points looking destined to be shared, Gemma Bryan popped up at the right time to head home – a heartbreaking way for Rangers to lose in stoppage time.
Just one game survived the weather in the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division, but it was certainly a significant one as Blackburn Rovers reaffirmed their place at the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Saffron Jordan opened the scoring for Rovers within ten minutes following an excellent Jess Holbrook through ball, though Charlotte Broad equalised just after half-time for the hosts.
Her shot cannoned in off the post for a deserved equaliser, but Blackburn’s quality shone through in the late stages when Ella Toone lobbed into an empty net, moving three points clear of second-placed Middlesbrough.
