Maria Farrugia’s dazzling double fired Barclays Women’s Championship strugglers Lewes to a 2-1 win over Sheffield United.
The forward’s 56th-minute winner sealed the deal for Scott Booth’s side, despite a second-half penalty for the Yorkshire side.
Sunderland continued their in-form exploits with a 1-0 win over Southampton to stay top of the table, with Mary McAteer producing the solo score.
London City Lionesses clinched a 2-1 win over Reading whilst Blackburn Rovers and Durham shared the points in a 2-2 draw.
Farrugia’s Lewes heroics
Maria Farrugia’s brace catapulted Lewes to a 2-1 win over Sheffield United at the Dripping Pan.
In-form Farrugia put the Rooks ahead in the 15th minute with a left-footed strike from outside the box to beat Fran Stenson.
Goodwin looked through on goal towards the end of the first half but Sophie Whitehouse got to the ball first, taking a knock in the process.
Lewes came out strong again in the second half and Farrugia bagged her second in the 56th minute, making no mistake when Jacqui Hand played her into a one-on-one with Stenson.
United quickly got themselves back in the game with a 69th-minute penalty, dispatched by Goodwin after a Lewes handball in the box but were unable to find the equaliser in the closing stages.
The Lasses extend their lead at the top
Sunderland retained their spot at the top of the Barclays Women’s Championship table with a 1-0 win over Southampton at home.
Mary McAteer’s 49th-minute strike clinched the victory for the hosts who continue to sit top of the league with another three points.
Sunderland started strong, with an early opportunity from Katie Wilkinson seeing her header soar over the crossbar before Saints saw their first chance through an Ella Morris wide shot.
Claudia Moan was called into action on 22 minutes with a block at the near post to deny a Saints chance following a corner but there was nothing in it at the break.
That all changed just four minutes after the restart, as Kitching played the ball out wide to McAteer who edged into space and fired into the top corner to put her team ahead.
Southampton began to pile on the pressure after the hour mark, both Moan and Kayla Rendell producing shot-stopping saves following strikes from Molly Pike and Natasha Fenton.
Allen’s Lionesses roar to victory
London City Lionesses netted twice in quick succession defeat Reading 2-1 and give Remi Allen a win in her first game in charge.
The hosts had taken a narrow lead into half-time after Brooke Hendrix headed home in injury time but goals from Paige Satchell and Emma Mukandi turned the game on its head.
The visitors dominated possession throughout the half as Satchell and Nicole Douglas troubled the Royals’ defence, but it was Reading who took the lead.
Hendrix rose highest in the second minute of injury time to head the hosts in front at the break.
Eight minutes after the restart, Satchell gave London City their equaliser as the New Zealand international tapped home from a corner.
Mukandi moved the visitors ahead just three minutes later with a devastating 35-yard strike that found the top corner.
Shepherd squeezes a point for Blackburn
Lucy Shepherd’s late strike fired Blackburn Rovers to a 2-2 draw against Durham.
Danielle Maxwell’s score on the stroke of half time got the ball rolling for Blackburn, but a second-half comeback led by Beth Hepple and an own goal from Hannah Silcock fired the visitors ahead.
With 10 minutes to go, it was Shepherd who pulled back a point for the hosts.
Durham’s best chance of the half came from Saoirse Noonan in the 42nd minute.
Watford and Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace and Birmingham City saw their games fall foul of the weather.
