Two games remain in the race for Women’s Super League promotion, and after a critical weekend in the Women’s Championship for the three teams at the top, Bristol City have edged that much closer to seizing the coveted ticket to the English top-flight.
Bristol City, London City and Birmingham City have entered the final furlong of the Women’s Championship and the third to last weekend was filled with plenty of drama for all three sides as the penultimate weekend rolls into view.
Top-of-the-table Bristol City smashed lower-table Sunderland 5-0 to keep their chokehold on promotion alive and well, but the shock of the weekend arrived in London City losing to Southampton 1-0, Katie Wilkinson popping up with the dramatic 83rd-minute winner.
The dropped points means London City sit six points adrift of Bristol City at the top, but Birmingham City, who sit third in the table with a game in hand, won’t let promotion come so easily for Lauren Smith's side. A thrilling 4-2 victory over Crystal Palace earned them all three points, and with their game in hand set to be played on Wednesday, Darren Carter’s side could reduce the gap to Bristol City to four points heading into the final two matches.
Below Mirror Football recalls the weekend that was.
Bristol City
Goals had begun to arrive at an uncharacteristic premium for Bristol City, who scored just once in their last three matches while dropping six points in the process.
But there’s a reason Lauren Smith’s side continue to sit at the Championship table’s top and on Sunday, they flexed that calibre against Sunderland as they recorded their biggest win of the season in all competitions with a 5-0 victory.
Shaina Hayles, who scored in the reverse fixture against Sunderland earlier this season, predictably got the goal gala off to its rollicking start as she grabbed a five-minute brace just before the interval. Ella Powell, Jasmine Bull and Abi Harrison rounded off the goals in the second half.
It was a performance more typical of Bristol City’s season and sees them poised to grab promotion with a game to spare this Sunday if they can triumph over Charlton, who sit fourth in the table, at Ashton Gate. Victory would see them avoid the need for a dramatic last-day finale against promotion rivals Birmingham City.
London City
London City knew the requirements if promotion was to remain in reach, but after a surprise second loss in three matches, promotion is firmly in the hands of Bristol City.
The Lionesses were left ruing missed opportunities as Southampton’s Wilkinson scored on the second phase of a quickly-taken corner kick with seven minutes left to play.
Southampton, who climbed to fifth in the table, made life difficult for the promotion hopefuls in the final third and despite Carly Girasoli and Grace Neville both making Southampton keeper Kayla Rendell work hard for her clean sheet, they failed to produce the moment of magic needed to pile the pressure on Bristol City.
Nevertheless, London City face the Championship’s two bottom teams for their remaining game and any wobbles from those around them could prove decisive, especially with Birmingham City and Bristol City set to face each other on the final day.
Birmingham City
Five minutes were all Birmingham City needed to secure their points, with Jade Pennock, Claudia Walker and Lucy Quinn firing three past Crystal Palace in quick succession before the quarter-hour mark.
Palace managed to make affairs nervy as Coral-Jade Haines and Molly Sharpe pulled two back before the break in their own seven-minute quick-fire salvo, but a second goal from Walker just before the 70-minute mark put the match out of reach for the hosts.
For Birmingham City, it was precisely the result required heading into their last three matches. Their game in hand against Durham arrives on Wednesday, before facing them again on the weekend. On paper, it's a fortuitous match-up as Durham sit eighth in the table.
Victory on Wednesday mounts pressure on Bristol City, who would sit just four points above Birmingham City going into the penultimate weekend. Any dropped points from Smith’s side could mean a dramatic final-day battle between the pair.
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