Charlton Athletic midfielder relishing Crystal Palace derby

Kiera Skeels is relishing her first taste of derby action when Charlton Athletic head to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Confidence should be high in the  Eagles’ ranks after they beat FA Women’s Championship leaders Durham last weekend.

Charlton are a point ahead of their hosts despite a run of three matches without scoring – although they picked up their first positive league result since early October with a 0-0 draw at Sheffield United last time out.

Shauna Vassell’s goal in the third minute of stoppage time cancelled out Lois Heuchan’s first-half finish when the teams last met at Hayes Lane in March.

Bianca Baptiste, Siobhan Wilson and Millie Farrow were on target for Palace to seal Durham’s second loss of the campaign. Dean Davenport’s side are unbeaten in their last five fixtures.

Skeels,  who signed for Charlton from Reading at the start of August, said: “They will definitely have a bit of momentum from their recent performances but we kept a good clean sheet against a really good Sheffield side and we are looking to build on that. We are all up for it.”
Charlton have scored 11 goals in their opening eight matches but only Liverpool have conceded fewer times.

“We haven’t created as much as we’ve wanted to but it is something which we’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks,” said Skeels, 19. “It is just the final pass that has been causing us a bit of a problem. As long as we’re on the same wavelength I definitely think we can create a lot of chances.”

Skeels came through the ranks at Reading, starting there at U10 level. Formerly the captain of their academy side, her senior bow came in a 3-2 win over Lewes in the League Cup in October 2019.

“It was definitely a dream of mine to do that,” said Skeels. “And what made it more special was that the match was at the Madejski Stadium, which is where I’d watched Reading when I was younger.”

Skeels chose to spend last season on loan at Bristol City and marked her first start with a goal which knocked Leicester out of the League Cup and set up a final against Chelsea at Vicarage Road. She played 85 minutes as the Blues, one of Europe’s elite sides, cruised to a 6-0 victory.

“Obviously it was a disappointing  game in the end for us but a brilliant experience to play in a cup final,” said Skeels. “Scoring in the semi-final was definitely one of my career highlights so far.”

Skeels has played for England at U17 and U19 level. She was part of a training camp for the U23s in October at St George’s Park but did not featute in a friendly against Belgium.

Skeels sees her versatility as a bonus.

“I’ve always been a defensive player – whether that is central midfield or centre-back. I’ve switched around through my career and feel I can play the two positions really well. I’m happy to play wherever the manager needs me.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD