Durham moved level on points with Birmingham City at the top of the Barclays Women’s Championship by overcoming fellow high-flyers London City Lionesses on an action-packed day.
At the other end of the table, Blackburn picked up a vital victory while Sunderland continue to climb after recording their fourth win in a row.
Here’s how it all played out…
Hepple on the spot for Durham
Durham edged an enthralling clash at Maiden Castle to move joint-top of the table.
Goals from Carly Johns, Mollie Lambert and Beth Hepple were enough for the Wildcats, while Isobel Goodwin missed a crucial penalty after bagging a brace.
Love it!🫶
We will see you next Sunday as we continue our League Cup campaign at Maiden Castle against Sheffield United. Up the Duzza!💙#DurhamWFC pic.twitter.com/OUsN2qNZo7
— Durham Women FC (@DurhamWFC) November 17, 2024
Durham struck first on 17 minutes as Johns swept home but the visitors equalised a minute before the break when Sofia Jakobsson found herself in behind and squared the ball to Goodwin to thump in.
The Wildcats retook the lead four minutes into added time, with Lambert reacting quickest from Grace Moloney’s save to fire in the rebound.
Things went from bad to worse for the Lionesses when they conceded a penalty ten minutes after the break, which Hepple duly converted to make it 3-1.
The London outfit got back into it when Jakobsson fed Goodwin again for the star striker to curl home her seventh of the season.
A handball in the area then gave Goodwin a chance to complete her hat-trick but Tatiana Saunders brilliantly kept her out.
The post denied London City in injury time as Durham held on for a crucial win.
Dale leaves it late
Eleanor Dale’s 85th-minute strike made it four wins on the bounce for Sunderland, who beat struggling Sheffield United 1-0.
5⃣ goals in 4⃣ games 🥶
Match winner. pic.twitter.com/uwaX9UyODS
— Sunderland AFC Women (@SAFCWomen) November 17, 2024
The 22-year-old made it five goals in four games, firing home on 85 minutes in a tight affair at Bramall Lane.
The Blades had the ball in the net on 18 minutes, but Amy Goddard’s header was disallowed for a foul on Sunderland keeper Demi Lambourne.
Katie Kitching rounded the goalkeeper soon after but couldn’t keep her effort down, while Jacqui Hand missed a presentable chance for United shortly afterwards.
Libbi McInnes rattled the bar after the break and Sunderland found their winner five minutes from time, as Dale slammed through Rogers’ legs from Ellen Jones’ layoff.
The Blades fall to ninth, but in form Sunderland now sit fifth.
Cooper scores dramatic equaliser for Magpies
Newcastle United snatched a point with a 99th-minute Deanna Cooper equaliser, as they drew 1-1 with Southampton.
IT’S DEANNA COOPER AT THE DEATH!!!!!!! INCREDIBLE!!!!!
[1-1] 90+9′ pic.twitter.com/Yaqjs4OlxH
— Newcastle United Women (@NUFCWomen) November 17, 2024
The visitors took the lead after seven minutes when Magpies goalkeeper Claudia Moan was robbed by Freya Gregory, who rolled her effort into the net.
Molly Pike forced Moan to tip a dipping shot onto the bar, before Newcastle’s Katie Barker saw her own long-range strike thump the upright.
Two more saves followed from Moan but the hosts continued to carry a threat and might have had an equaliser were it not for a stunning save from Frances Stenson, who tipped over Jasmine McQuade’s shot.
But their resolve was rewarded when Cooper scrambled home to send St James’ Park into raptures.
The result leaves both sides level on 15 points in sixth and seventh, with Southampton ahead on goal difference.
Lloyd-Smith continues fine form
Lexi Lloyd-Smith fifth goal in six games helped Bristol City climb to third as they won 2-1 at Charlton Athletic.
First City start. ✅
First City goal. ✅🗣 Libby Bance on this afternoon’s victory. pic.twitter.com/ERbFTSWtLv
— Bristol City Women (@bristolcitywfc) November 17, 2024
Bristol City exploded out the blocks to race into a 2-0 lead after 17 minutes, with Lloyd-Smith flicking a header home at the near post before Libby Bance drilled in a left-footed shot from Jamie-Lee Napier’s cutback.
The home side found themselves back in the game when Jodie Hutton converted a volley following a corner on 41 minutes.
Princess Ademiluyi came close with a header and Sophie Whitehouse had to tip over a powerful Mari Ward strike after the break.
Abi Harrison came close for City with a sweetly-struck volley late on while the hosts continued to throw everything at it in search of a point but are now winless in five.
However, five wins from six has the Robins flying up the table and they are two points off the leaders.
Rovers end losing streak
Blackburn Rovers overcame fellow strugglers Portsmouth 2-0 at Ewood Park to break their streak of six defeats on the spin.
COME ON ROVERS!!
🌹 #RoversWFC 2-0 #PortsmouthFC 🔵#Rovers 🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/H4EbG9E0xH
— Blackburn Rovers WFC (@RoversWFC) November 17, 2024
A Tyler Toland penalty and Maria Edwards’ strike from range pushed Rovers into ninth, while Pompey couldn’t build on last week’s point and remain bottom.
Rovers went in front when Georgia Walters was felled in the box and captain Toland made no mistake from the spot, picking out the bottom-right corner.
Pompey striker Lily Dent couldn’t beat Alexandra Brooks with a header as the visitors sought an equaliser.
Ellie Noble later fired over the bar for Rovers, who wrapped up all three points when 21-year-old Edwards curled past Eve Annets from outside the area.
