Matchweek Two of the Women’s Super League 2 delivered a little bit of everything. Sunderland left it until the 98th minute to maintain their perfect start, Leicester came from behind to make it two wins from two and Newcastle joined them on six points after another clean sheet. Elsewhere, Wolves made history with their first ever WSL2 victory, Nottingham Forest recovered from two goals down against Watford, while Southampton discovered that having 23 shots does not necessarily mean the football gods are obliged to give you a goal. Here’s how all six matches unfolded. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bristol City 0-1 Newcastle United Newcastle United’s perfect start continues. Tanya Oxtoby’s side followed their opening-day victory over Wolves with a considerably tighter 1-0 win against Bristol City at Ashton Gate, making it six points and two clean sheets from their opening two matches. This was much more evenly contested than Newcastle’s first game. The sides shared possession almost equally and Bristol City caused problems of their own, with Signe Markvardsen hitting the crossbar as Charlotte Healy’s team searched for their first points of the campaign. Newcastle nevertheless carried plenty of threat, particularly through Beth Lumsden on the right. Lumsden registered three shots and 11 touches in the Bristol City penalty area, while Rachel McLaughlan created four chances from full-back. Eventually, however, the breakthrough came from the opposite side. Martha Thomas created room on the edge of the box and struck the post. Unfortunately for Bristol City, the rebound fell directly to Kathleen McGovern, who made no mistake. Sometimes the assist is intentional. Sometimes the woodwork gets involved. Bristol thought they had rescued something late on when Gemma Lawley found the net from a short free-kick routine, but the flag went up for offside. That preserved Newcastle’s 1-0 victory and their second consecutive clean sheet. Two games, two wins, no goals conceded. Newcastle’s promotion ambitions have certainly not been harmed by the opening fortnight. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southampton 0-0 Ipswich Town Southampton had the ball. Southampton had the territory. Southampton had 23 shots. Ipswich had a point. The Saints dominated much of their first home match of the season at the Silverlake Stadium, finishing with 60% possession and heavily outshooting their opponents, but David Wright’s Ipswich side refused to budge. Mary Bashford was Southampton’s biggest attacking threat, leading her team for shots and chances created while also twice going particularly close to breaking the deadlock. Abbie Ferguson threatened too, while Amy Goddard actually had the ball in the net during the first half before the goal was disallowed for a foul in the build-up. Ipswich goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx was required to make several important interventions as the pressure continued. But despite all of Southampton’s attacking work, the Tractor Girls survived. Ipswich had opportunities of their own after the break, with former Southampton player Tegan McGowan testing Grace Moloney before Georgia Hunter also threatened from a corner. There was no breakthrough at either end. Southampton therefore have four points and back-to-back clean sheets from their opening two matches, while Ipswich are also unbeaten after drawing both of theirs. For Saints, though, this was probably one of those matches where the expected goals column spends the evening looking rather smug. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burnley 1-2 Sunderland Elise Hughes experienced approximately three separate football matches in one afternoon. She scored for Sunderland. She scored for Burnley. Then she scored for Sunderland again in the 98th minute. The Black Cats travelled to Turf Moor looking to build on their impressive opening victory over Bristol City, while newly promoted Burnley were making their first WSL2 home appearance after drawing at Watford. Sunderland struck first after putting Burnley’s attempts to play out from the back under pressure. A difficult backpass and heavy touch from goalkeeper Kirstie Levell allowed Hughes to win possession and finish into the empty net. Advantage Sunderland. Then came the equaliser. Burnley sent a dangerous set-piece into the penalty area, Sunderland failed to properly clear it and the ball eventually deflected into the net off Hughes. One goal at each end. Very efficient. For a long time, it appeared Burnley would hold on for another hard-earned point. Then, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Hughes completed one of the more unusual individual afternoons you are likely to see this season by reacting first inside the area and converting Sunderland’s winner. From hero, to unfortunate own-goal scorer, and straight back to hero again. The 2-1 victory means Melanie Reay’s side have won both of their opening fixtures and remain among the early pace-setters. Burnley, meanwhile, were seconds away from remaining unbeaten. Football can be quite rude like that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nottingham Forest 2-2 Watford Nottingham Forest were two goals down. Then Nottingham Forest remembered they were playing at the City Ground. Watford made an excellent start and took the lead from an early corner before Saoirse Noonan doubled their advantage with a powerful header. At 2-0, the newly promoted Hornets were threatening to leave Nottingham with considerably more than the point they eventually collected. Forest needed a response before half-time. They got one. Watford were caught trying to play from the back and Alana Murphy took full advantage, firing home her second goal of the season to reduce the deficit before the interval. That completely changed the complexion of the match. Forest emerged after half-time with considerably more attacking purpose and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah eventually completed the comeback, beating the goalkeeper from a tight angle to make it 2-2. From there, it became increasingly difficult for Watford to escape their own defensive third. Forest finished with 26 shots and repeatedly pushed for the winner. Boye-Hlorkah was at the centre of virtually everything, and the hosts struck the woodwork twice as Watford desperately protected their point. One of those attempts came from Boye-Hlorkah herself, whose stoppage-time free-kick crashed against the frame of the goal. Watford survived. So Forest remain unbeaten after two matches, but also remain without a victory. Watford are in exactly the same situation after consecutive draws on their return to WSL2. Probably an excellent match for neutrals. Possibly less relaxing if you support either team. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Sheffield United History made — and Wolves decided ordinary goals were apparently not dramatic enough for the occasion. Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed their first ever WSL2 victory with a 3-1 win against Sheffield United at the SEAH Stadium, producing three excellent second-half goals along the way. The opening half somehow finished goalless despite both sides hitting the woodwork. Then Amber Hughes introduced Wolves to the WSL2 scoresheet in style. Four minutes after the restart, she collected possession around the edge of the penalty area and sent a superb effort into the top corner for Wolves’ first goal at this level. Amy Sims evidently looked at that and decided there was no reason Goal of the Week should be settled so easily. She doubled the lead with another excellent strike from outside the area, connecting beautifully with a volley that left Sian Rogers with little chance. Sheffield United responded almost immediately. Mollie Rouse capitalised after Emily Orman punched away a delivery, reducing the deficit and giving the Blades hope of a comeback. Wolves refused to retreat. Instead, they attacked again and wrapped up the victory in the 81st minute when Mel Filis broke down the right and supplied Yana Daniëls, who finished to make it 3-1. That secured Wolves’ first victory in WSL2 and their first three points since promotion. After losing their opener at Newcastle, Dan McNamara’s side have their landmark win. And when the first three goals you score at a new level include two absolute rockets, subtlety can probably wait until next week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leicester City 4-2 Durham Leicester went behind. Leicester responded by scoring four. That seems a reasonably effective solution. Durham stunned the King Power Stadium when Beth Hepple opened the scoring on her 300th appearance for the club, finishing a counter-attack to put the visitors ahead against the run of play. The lead did not last. Paulina Nyström scored her first Leicester goal after combining with captain Sam Tierney, bringing the Foxes level and beginning a first-half turnaround. Jessica Ziu then put Leicester in front, connecting with Missy Goodwin’s delivery. And before Durham had much opportunity to process that, Asmita Ale produced arguably the pick of the bunch. The left-back unleashed a superb right-footed effort from outside the box, finding the top corner via the post to send Leicester into half-time 3-1 ahead. Durham were not finished. Jade Pennock pulled one back during the second half, reducing the deficit to 3-2 and creating the possibility of a rather uncomfortable ending for the hosts. Instead, Leicester finished the job. Nyström drove into the penalty area late on and attempted to send the ball back across goal, where Durham captain Sarah Wilson inadvertently turned it into her own net. 4-2. Rick Passmoor’s Leicester therefore have six points from six following relegation from the WSL and are already making clear what their objective is this season. Sunderland, Leicester and Newcastle are the three teams who have won both of their opening matches. It is only Matchweek Two, so nobody needs to start engraving anything yet. But the early promotion race has definitely introduced itself.   submitted by   /u/MonthRemarkable9919 [link]   [comments]