Women’s football round-up: Eagles claim first WSL away point as Chelsea boss wants technology introduced

BY GINA BAGNULO AND RICHARD CAWLEY

Laura Kaminski’s Crystal Palace drew with Liverpool away at St Helen’s Stadium on Sunday, marking their first ever away point since being promoted to the WSL in April. 

Despite the end result, Palace started off the match strong with Katie Stengel scoring early on into the first half. 

At just 15 minutes into the game, Stengel smashed the ball into the net after a shot by Annabelle Blanchard, who until this point was the only person to have scored for Palace in the WSL, rebounded off the Liverpool defence, allowing the American to take full advantage. 

Stengel, who was signed by the Eagles last summer, played for Liverpool between 2022 and 2023. 

Palace’s hopes of securing a second win would be shattered when Liverpool’s Cornelia Kapocs booted the ball into the back of the net after it was given away by the Eagles’ defence. 

The Eagles are now above West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa in their debut WSL season.

Chelsea continued their winning streak with a 5-2 victory against Tottenham at Kingsmeadow. 

Maika Hermano put the blues ahead, capitalising on a pass from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd in the 10th minute.

Tottenham would equalise soon after when a long shot by Amanda Neilden was deemed over the line after Blues keeper Hannah Hampton appeared to have saved the ball. 

Chelsea then took revenge when Guro Reiten put the ball in the back of the Spurs net by taking a well-aimed corner. 

Rytting Kaneryd made it three for the Blues when she took a spectacular long shot off the back of a wide pass in by Millie Bright. 

Guro Reiten missed a penalty – awarded after her cross was handled by Clare Hunt – but Sandy Baltimore converted from the rebound after the ball came back out off the left post. 

This would not be the end of Spurs’ efforts and they managed a second goal before the game’s conclusion with a free kick by Eveliina Summanen. 

Rytting Kaneryd would go for another when she scored Chelsea’s fifth and final point of the match, crossing the ball into the goal. 

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor said: “Jojo is on fire. She had a great performance. She scored two great goals. We are really happy with that because she is hugely impacting the game. She is helping the team perform and get results.

“It’s about working hard, finding the good balance with having fun with the players and enjoying it. At the moment if you ask the team and Jojo if they are enjoying it, I think they would answer yes for sure.

“I told my players as much as you want to play beautiful football, you need to understand when you play a derby you need to be physical and intense from the start of the game, and being able to win duels.”

Bompastor is keen for goal-line technology to be used in the women’s game.

Asked about Tottenham’s first goal, the Blues boss said: “If we want to look more professional, we need to move forward with the technology.

“It’s a hard decision for the officials but you have to be 100 per cent sure the ball was in to make that call. I don’t know if it was the case or not. From Hannah’s reaction, it felt doubtful. From where I was, it was too difficult to know.

“It can cost you three points and the game, and it’s so disappointing, but I really liked the reaction of my players. We had to accept it and move on, and we managed to score lots more goals.”

Charlton Athletic were involved in a 3-3 thriller at Newcastle in the Championship with Karen Hills’ side scoring twice deep into second-half stoppage time.

Shania Hayles’ early double gave the Toon a 2-0 lead before Katie Bradley cut the deficit soon after the restart.

Hayles bagged her hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 68th minute but Kayleigh Barton made it 3-2 in the fourth minute of added time before Bradley levelled.

Charlton are second in the table.

“Coming away with a point is a positive but we need to look at ourselves and be better,” said Hills.

“We know we haven’t performed well but I can’t knock the grit, determination and character – as well as Katie scoring twice on her debut.”

London City Lionesses did not play last weekend.

AFC Wimbledon’s FA Women’s National League Plate tie at Southampton was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Millwall Lionesses picked up maximum points in the London & South East Regional Premier Division on Sunday.

Ella Bailey netted the only goal in the fixture at Newhaven.

The result moves Millwall up to eighth in the 12-club division.

Lionesses are back in action this Sunday at Haywards Heath Town.