Sent Her Forward awards – honourable mentions and the Dream Teams

Beth Roe’s outstanding progress with Brighton saw her rub shoulders with the country’s elite and not look out of place (Photo: Geoff Penn/BHA)

The match reports might have come to a halt and the news features become few and far between, but there’s always time for a Sent Her Forward award or two.

And for this website’s fifth season – during which I have seen slightly fewer matches and reported on only two-thirds of them – it’s a slightly streamlined honours board.

Advertisements

Brave Brighton offer Hope for the future – but City slicker

Ini Umotong again showed her ability to trouble the best of opponents, albeit in a losing cause (Photo: Kyle Hemsley)

FA Women’s Cup 4th Round

Brighton 0
Manchester City 2 (Christiansen 45; Emslie 66)

For the second time in three months Brighton’s fast-developing team proved that they can live with the very best in English women’s football.

Akehurst double keeps Worthing United in contention after Sparrows scare

Worthing United 3 (Akehurst 27, 62; Thaxter 83)
Horsham Sparrows 1 (Sandle 13)

It was back to the football routine at long last after what felt like an endless winter break for Sussex County League title chasers Worthing United and strugglers Horsham Sparrows, but their respective performances were anything but routine as they eased their way gingerly into the new year.

Licence to thrill – but at a cost: the Super League winners and losers

Brighton won the Premier League Southern in 2016 and will be in WSL 1 next season (Photo: Clive Jones)

The race is on to see who can buy the best team in women’s football. 

If the creation of the Super League was a turning point in the game in England, the current upheaval represents a crucial, perhaps defining, watershed.

Pompey star Hillier bows out with ultimate club accolade

Hillier led Portsmouth Ladies in their first ever game at Fratton Park in December 2013 (Photo: Jordan Hampton)

For a footballer who means so much to a club, Gemma Hillier’s retirement from Portsmouth, the team she has represented for more than 17 years, was a rather ill-fitting anti-climax.

Goal glut reveals gulf between Super League hopefuls and rest of Premier League

Round-up of today’s Premier League action

Portsmouth gained revenge for their defeat at Lewes earlier in the season (Photo: James Prickett)

The gulf between the ambitious Premier League sides still craving a Super League future and the rest was illustrated emphatically in today’s crazy scores in the league’s Southern division.

Chichester rue dropped points after stunning comeback rocks Cardiff

Chichester bounced back from two goals down before conceding a late equaliser (Photo: John Holden)

Chichester City 3 (Lewry 17; Wride 40, 57 pen)
Cardiff City 3 (Evan-Watkins 7; Williams 16; Isaac 74)

Two teams going through testing times showed the sort of spirit and resilience that will undoubtedly see them through as the Cities of Chichester and Cardiff fought out an enthralling 3-3 draw at Oaklands Park.