WSL2 25/26 GW5: Late Drama, Wondergoals & Statement Wins

Sheffield United held on to claim a 3–2 victory over Ipswich Town and secure their first win of the season.

Charlie Devlin opened the scoring on 14 minutes. A defensive mix-up gifted the Blades a golden opportunity. A poor attempt to play out from the back was intercepted, an the initial shot parried, before Devlin reacted quickest to slot into an empty net.

Amy Andrews doubled the lead just before half time (39′). She latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Ella Kinzett and finished smartly. Andrews then grabbed her second early in the second half (50′), steering the ball into the bottom corner after a neat pass from Mollie Rouse.

Sheffield then gave Ipswich a lifeline. Under minimal pressure, Charlotte Lafayette scuffed a back‑pass that fell to Peskett, who squared to Rianna Dean for an easy tap-in (53′). Seven minutes later, Dean struck again – a clinical header from a Lucy Peake cross following a failed clearance from a corner.

Ipswich’s hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 80th minute. Beth Roe was shown a straight red card for what appeared to be a very soft foul – a controversial moment that effectively ended their challenge.

Sheffield climb to second-bottom, level on points and goal difference with Ipswich. After a difficult start, this first win should feel especially sweet.

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Southampton dealt Birmingham their first defeat of the season with a gritty 2–1 win.

The visitors struck first on 20 minutes. Atlanta Primus, unmarked at the far post, tapped home after Birmingham keeper Lucy Thomas misjudged a punch from a corner. The rest of the first half saw few clear chances.

Just 30 seconds into the second half, Chloe Peplow produced a moment of magic. From 30 yards out, she spotted the keeper off her line and chipped the ball brilliantly to double Southampton’s lead. A goal worthy of replaying over and over.

Birmingham created several chances to get back into the game but lacked a cutting edge. Their persistence was rewarded in stoppage time when Ji So-yun fired home a well-taken goal in the 91st minute. They should have equalised minutes later, but Oceane Hurtre somehow missed a free header from two yards out with the goal at her mercy.

It’s a significant scalp for Southampton – only their second win of the campaign. For Birmingham, their unbeaten start is over. They slip three points off Charlton at the top.

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Bristol City got back to winning ways with their third victory of the campaign, edging past Durham 2–1 at Ashton Gate

Durham goalkeeper Catriona Sheppard was in inspired form early on, producing a string of smart saves to keep City at bay during a barrage of early chances. But the pressure eventually told, as a goalmouth scramble broke kindly for Sophie Ingle, who rifled the ball home to break the deadlock. The Robins could, and perhaps should, have been out of sight by the break.

The hosts doubled their lead just after half-time when Vicky Losada headed in from close range (48′), capping off a flowing City move that began with Fran Bentley in goal.

Durham pulled one back through Mollie Lambert, whose deflected effort found the top corner on 59 minutes. However, despite the lifeline, the visitors never truly threatened an equaliser.

The win lifts Bristol City to fourth in the table, reigniting their promotion charge. Meanwhile, Durham’s early season promise has faded – now winless in four and sliding rapidly down the standings.

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Newcastle United staged the most dramatic of comebacks to earn a 2–2 draw away at Crystal Palace, recovering from two goals down with just three minutes of regular time remaining.

The first half saw few clear chances, with both sides restricted to speculative efforts from distance and neither goalkeeper seriously tested.

Palace broke the deadlock early in the second half through Kirsty Howat (55′), who rose to head home a pinpoint Annabel Blanchard cross after a sustained spell of pressure. The hosts doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Molly Mae Sharpe capitalised on a poor clearance, calmly tucking the ball into the far corner to seemingly wrap up the points.

But the game turned on its head in the closing stages. Oona Sevenius pulled one back for Newcastle in the 87th minute, finishing well after good work down the left by Morgan Gautrat, setting up a tense finale.

In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Newcastle were rewarded for their pressure. A corner into a crowded box was bundled over the line by Gautrat, completing the comeback. Second later, the visitors almost stole all three points moments later, but Palace goalkeeper Shae Yanez produced an outstanding save to deny the winner.

Palace will be devastated to have dropped two points so late – and, in truth, it could have been worse. Meanwhile Newcastle’s resilience earns them a valuable away draw after two successive defeats.

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Nottingham Forest recovered from an early setback to emphatically beat Portsmouth 4–1, scoring three times after the 75th minute in a remarkable second-half turnaround.

Pompey started brightly and took the lead on 12 minutes when Megan Hornby finished calmly after being slipped through by Ella Rutherford. Forest struggled to settle in the first half and were fortunate not to fall further behind, with goalkeeper Emily Batty making two key saves to keep the deficit at one.

The second half, however, told a different story. Forest emerged with renewed energy and were rewarded when a corner evaded everyone in the box and struck Jessie Stapleton at the far post, deflecting in off her thigh (57′) to level the score.

Momentum firmly swung Forest’s way. Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah completed the turnaround with a stunning strike on 77 minutes. Picking the ball up from 40 yards out, spotting the goalkeeper off her line, and launching an audacious effort that sailed in. A goal worthy of winning any match.

In stoppage time, Forest added gloss to the scoreline. Aimee Claypole made it 3–1 after capitalising on a wayward backpass (90+3′), and three minutes later, Hollie Olding unleashed a long-range strike that flew into the roof of the net to seal a dominant win (90+6′).

Back-to-back victories lift newly promoted Forest to third in the table, just one point behind second-placed Birmingham. For Portsmouth, it’s now three games without a win and pressure beginning to mount.

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Charlton Athletic maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable 2–0 away win at Sunderland, handing the hosts their first defeat of the campaign.

The visitors started brightly and took the lead on 19 minutes when Jodie Hutton curled a superb strike from just outside the box into the top corner, leaving the goalkeeper rooted. Charlton came close to doubling their lead after the break, Hutton striking the bar from an almost perfect direct free-kick.

The second goal eventually arrived in the 68th minute, and it was Hutton again – this time heading in from close range after a well-weighted cross from Mary McAteer.

Sunderland struggled to create clear chances and rarely troubled the Charlton backline. Once the second goal went in, the result never looked in doubt.

Charlton remain the only unbeaten side in the league and sit three points clear at the top – now firmly in the title conversation. Sunderland, meanwhile, have lost two of their last three and will look to regroup quickly.

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