Charlton Athletic beat one of their Barclays Women’s Championship title rivals | OneFootball

Rebecca Holloway (Birmingham City) and Tegan McGowan (Charlton Athletic) compete for the ball at The Valley. (Jay Patel/SPP)

Charlton Athletic won the latest Barclays Women’s Championship title ‘six-pointer’ against Birmingham City at The Valley.

Durham 1-5 Crystal Palace Reading 1-4 Blackburn Rovers Charlton Athletic 3-1 Birmingham City (Att: 950) London City Lionesses 1-2 Sheffield United Southampton 2-1 Lewes Watford 0-3 Sunderland

Sunderland stayed in pole position with victory over basement side Watford at Vicarage Road. Liz Ejupi made the breakthrough for the Black Cats after 57 minutes, heading in following a Jessica Brown cross into the box. Jenna Dear’s long-range volley hit the bar and Emily Scarr put away the rebound, before securing all three points by scoring from the spot following a foul on Katie Kitching.

Charlton Athletic beat Birmingham City to leapfrog them into fourth place and remain four points behind Sunderland with a game in hand, while the Blues slip seven points off the pace. Karin Muya dispossessed City goalkeeper Lucy Thomas to give the Addicks the lead, which was doubled when a 45th-minute corner forced an own-goal. Claudia Walker’s goal-bound shot for City was blocked out for a corner by Elisha N’Dow, but with 12 minutes to go Lucy Quinn converted a penalty won by Jade Moore. Charlton’s Mel Fillis rattled the bar from outside the box but the hosts sealed the win when Kate Longhurst caught Thomas off her line and netted via the post from 40 yards out.

Karin Muya opened the scoring for Charlton Athletic. (Jay Patel/SPP)

Crystal Palace ran out 5-1 winners at Durham, to stay within a point of the leaders and with a game in hand. Palace struck first from a long ball which Helen Blanchard lifted over the keeper, Durham drawing level before the break when Amy Andrews netted the rebound from Demi Lambourne’s save off Saoirse Noonan’s effort. Blanchard got her second of the day before the hour mark, later crossing for Elise Hughes to power home, before Araya Dennis slipped in Shanade Hopcroft to score the fifth for Palace.

Southampton’s 2-1 victory over Lewes kept them from points from the top, while Lewes stay in the relegation zone. Emma Thompson struck twice in the first 15 minutes for Saints, Ella Morris assisting with the opener. Grace Riglar got the Rooks back in it from a Hollie Olding cross but the points stayed in Southampton.

Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Southampton) under pressure from Caragh Hamilton of Lewes. (Tom Phillips / SPP)

Blackburn Rovers came from behind to claim a 4-1 victory away to Reading. Keira Flannery fired the Royals in front with a half-volley but Rovers turned the game round late in the half, Meg Hornby equalising and Hannah Cain heading in from a corner. The visitors extended their lead when Hornby played in Lucy Shepherd to beat Jackie Burns, Hornby then getting her second after good work from Niamh Murphy.

Sheffield United held off a fightback from London City Lionesses for a 2-1 win. A deflected Katie Barker shot gave Sheffield an early lead, Izzy Goodwin doubling the advantage after an Ash Hodson hit was parried. Five minutes after the interval, Lois Joel played in Lotta Lindström to shoot the hosts back into the match.

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