Blackburn Rovers go top of Barclays Women’s Championship | OneFootball

Jemma Purfield (21 Southampton) and Charlie Devlin (23 Birmingham) in action at Snows Stadium. (Tom Phillips / SPP)

Blackburn Rovers went to the top of the Barclays Women’s Championship, while Birmingham City won at Southampton.

Durham 0-2 Reading Lewes 0-2 Blackburn Rovers London City Lionesses 0-2 Charlton Athletic Southampton 0-3 Birmingham City Sunderland 2-1 Watford

Blackburn Rovers made it four wins from five with both goals of the game at Lewes. Georgia Walters made the breakthrough for Blackburn midway into the second half at Lewes, scoring again seven minutes later from the spot after keeper Sophie Whitehouse brought down Meg Hornby.

Birmingham City’s first win of the campaign was an impressive one, 3-0 away to morning leaders Southampton. Christie Murray played a through ball for Libby Smith to round the Southampton keeper and score. Smith got her second with 17 minutes left, turning in Ivana Fuso’s cross. Claudia Walker’s cross was turned into her own net by Rosanna Parnell for the third.

Sunderland’s Mary McAteer celebrates after scoring (2-0) with teammate Grace Ede (#16). (Richard Callis / SPP)

Sunderland were the only home team to find the net, rising to second with victory over Watford. Katie Kitching’s free-kick was headed in by Natasha Fenton in only the second minute, for her first goal for the Black Cats. Mary McAteer doubled the lead midway into the half, Watford replying through Carly Johns but with just six minutes of added time left.

Reading recorded a first win of the season, sealing victory at Durham with a second goal in added time. Freya Gregory scored on her first start, coming inside from Halle Hussein’s pass to rifle the Royals in front on the hour mark. Millie Elwood then netted on a counter attack in the 91st minute.

Charlton Athletic rose to fifth with both goals away to London City Lionesses. A deflected Angela Addison effort put the Addicks ahead and Carla Humphrey made it 2-0 close to the interval.

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