Manchester City and England captain Steph Houghton scored an 86th minute winner to knock Chelsea off the top of the table in WSL 1. Houghton’s deflected free-kick earned her side a 2-1 win in front of a record attendance at Staines Town on Sunday.
The 1,857 crowd were treated to a host of players from England’s heroic World Cup squad. Toni Duggan put the visitors in front on just 12 minutes after Hannah Blundell failed to clear Daphne Corboz’s ball through, and Duggan was on hand to calmly slot the ball home.
The hosts came out fighting in the second half and Eniola Aluko levelled the scoring straight after the break with a decisive finish into the bottom left hand corner. But Houghton’s late winner condemned Chelsea to their 2nd consecutive defeat, knocking them off the top spot for the first time this season.
Chelsea were replaced at the top by WSL 1 newcomers Sunderland. The Lady Black Cats have taken the league by storm and thrashed struggling Bristol Academy 4-1 on Saturday as they continue their rise up the table.
Beth Mead opened the scoring for the visitors before Jade Boho Sayo’s leveller in the first half. Steph Bannon put Sunderland back in front just 5 minutes after the break before Emma Kelly’s strike added a third.
Mead rounded off the scoring late on, grabbing her second of the match and her 5th goal in 2 games. The clinical youngster now has 10 goals for the season.
Arsenal stayed level on points with Sunderland at the top, coming from behind to beat FA Cup finalists Notts County 2-1. In form forward Jess Clarke gave County an early lead but second half goals from Dan Carter and Natalia Pablos Sanchon keeps the Gunners firmly in the title race.
Last season’s champions Liverpool fell to their fifth defeat of the season away to Birmingham City Ladies. Karen Carney scored the only goal of the game, converting from the penalty spot after Martha Harris was adjudged to have handled in the box.
The defeat all but ends Liverpool’s hopes of retaining their WSL title, meanwhile for Birmingham the 1-0 win was their first victory of the season and astonishingly, Carney’s goal was the first time the Blues have netted at home in the league this year.
