There were four games across the Women’s Premier League on Sunday and plenty of drama as the teams build up to the business end of the season.
In the Northern Division, Middlesbrough increased their lead at the top of the table whilst in the Southern Division Charlton Athletic regained top spot.
NORTHERN DIVISION
With postponements in the fixtures between Bradford City and Guiseley Vixens, and Wolverhampton Wanderers and Derby County, there was just one game played this weekend in the Northern Division.
But there was no shortage of goals though, as Middlesbrough ran out 4-1 winners over Nottingham Forest helped on by a double from Jess Havelock.
Forest, playing away from home, scored first but Havelock equalised just before the break and from then on it went the way of the north-east outfit.
Eleanor Dale scored just after the break and Emily Scarr made it 3-1 soon after, with Havelock completing her brace in the final ten minutes.
SOUTHERN DIVISION
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a spell at the top of the Southern Division but they’ve now been replaced by Charlton after they beat Cardiff City 5-1 in London.
The home side got the perfect start with Kit Graham’s early strike and further goals were struck by Charlotte Gurr, who got a hat-trick, with Graham also bagging a double.
There was more success in the south east for Gillingham, who recorded the fourth win of their season with a resounding 4-0 win on the road at Swindon, elevating them to ninth in the division.
And there was more London success in the match between West Ham United and Chichester City, with hosts West Ham registering a 2-0 win to finish the weekend eighth in the league.
Captain Amber Stobbs led from the front in east London, as she hit a double to continue West Ham’s unbeaten start to 2018.
GAME OF THE WEEK
West Ham and Chichester are next to each other in the Southern Division table, with the West Sussex club slightly ahead in seventh, on 19 points.
But West Ham are now just two points behind after coming out on top in an entertaining fixture that saw plenty of enterprising play.
Stobbs opened the scoring on 22 minutes and Chichester had the equaliser in the net with six minutes left to play before it was ruled out for offside, leaving Stobbs to seal the result minutes later.
MANAGER OF THE WEEK – Jack Wheeler, Gillingham
Before today Gillingham had only scored five goals away from home all season in the league, but almost doubled that tally away at Swindon.
Gills delivered a complete performance at Cinder Lane, racing into a 3-0 half-time lead, and have now leapfrogged Cardiff in the division with one game still in hand.
GOAL OF THE WEEK – Charlotte Gurr, Charlton
Gurr already had one goal in the bag and had put her side 2-1 up against Cardiff when she struck a sweetly-hit free-kick to increase the lead.
Placing the ball down 25 yards out, Gurr curled the ball into the top corner with her left foot, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
