Tottenham Hotspur took a huge step towards the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division title as they edged past nearest rivals Charlton Athletic 1-0 at Sporting Club Thamesmead on Sunday.
Wendy Martin grabbed the only goal of the game just after the half-hour mark to move Spurs two points above second-place Charlton at the summit but, crucially, with three games still in hand on the south Londoners.
Lucia Leon had already hit the post for the visitors, when Addicks goalkeeper Alex Baker repelled Natasha Baptiste’s initial shot but the ball fell to Martin and she tucked home from close-range.
After the break, Baker twice superbly denied Baptiste and Charlton almost snatched an equaliser six minutes from time but Rosey Sullivan fired against the underside of the bar from 20 yards.
Spurs now have 11 wins and one draw from their 12 league games this term and are three points clear, with a game in hand, of third-place Cardiff City, who suffered a shock 3-2 loss at C & K Basildon.
Basildon found themselves 2-0 down inside 12 minutes but produced a superb comeback as Angela Addison reduced the deficit, Zoe Rushen equalised and then, in injury-time, Jay Blackie snatched the unlikeliest of winners.
And in the day’s other game in the Southern Division, Dayna Chong grabbed a late equaliser for West Ham United to secure a 2-2 draw against Swindon Town in a battle of the relegation strugglers.
In the FA WPL Northern Division Blackburn Rovers are still unbeaten after grabbing a last-gasp winner to triumph 3-2 at lowly West Bromwich Albion.
Ellie Stewart had opened the scoring with her second Blackburn goal when her eighth-minute shot could not be held by Bec Thomas in the Albion goal and Ella Toone’s spectacular lob made it 2-0.
But the Baggies battled back as Olivia Mitcham flicked in from close-range and Trina Greaves bundled home Paige Stewart’s 68th-minute free-kick to make it 2-2.
However, there was one final twist in the tail as Jess Holbrook strode through and buried a shot in injury-time to give the table-toppers the win.
Middlesbrough, who were not playing on Sunday, are the only side within 23 points of Rovers but Laura Walker’s strike moved Fylde up to third with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
And Derby County leapfrogged Stoke City into sixth with a 4-3 win over the Potters – the Rams overcoming a 3-0 half-time deficit as Nicole Ledgister ultimately notched an 81st-minute winner.
