EVERTON WOMEN (Walton Hall Park)

FA WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE, EVERTON 3-1 BIRMINGHAM CITY, ATTENDANCE: c700

Finally, after an 18 month wait, today brought about the opportunity to watch Everton play at their new ground at Walton Hall Park. I wasn't the only one drawn to this televised early kick off, with plenty of familiar faces in the crowd.

The ground has been redeveloped for use by the Everton Women's team in the grounds of Walton Hall Park, which is also the home Liverpool County FA. It currently has a capacity of 1,500 but this will be increased to around 2,200. There is 500 seat stand in place and there are plans for a covered terrace to be built on the opposite side, which should be completed by the end of 2021.

The ground was due to host the first game in September 2019 but delays meant the first game at the ground wasn't played until February 2020, Everton suffering a 3-2 loss to Manchester United.

Everton have had a tough start playing, and losing, to both Manchester City and Chelsea without scoring a goal. Today provided the opportunity to bounce back and claim their first victory of the season against a Birmingham City side also yet to win.

German international Leonie Maier scored on her Everton debut after 13 minutes when Grace Clinton's blocked effort found it's way to her on the edge of the box and she curled her shot into the bottom corner, via a slight deflection.

Everton were dominating the possession but not really creating any clear cut chances, Birmingham even less so, but on 32 minutes the visitors were level. Jade Pennock created space for herself and drove into the area to fire past Sandy MacIver in the Toffees goal. A fine strike.

I thought that was a great finish but Everton's record signing, Hanna Bennison, went even better on 73 minutes. After neat link up play with Toni Duggan, the 18 year old Swedish International hit a superb shot into top corner to restore The Toffees lead.

Victory was confirmed in stoppage time when Danish international Rikke Sevecke rose to head home an Izzy Christiansen corner. The three points lifted Everton off the bottom of the table and hopefully now the only way is up.

From Walton Hall Park it is approximately a 20 minute walk to Goodison Park where the Everton male counterparts beat Norwich City 2-0 to complete a good day all round. Up the Toffees!

Highlights of the game can be viewed by clicking here

MANCHESTER CITY WOMEN'S FOOTBALL CLUB (City Football Academy)

FA WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE 1, MANCHESTER CITY WFC 0-1 ARSENAL LADIES, ATTENDANCE: 1,167

Today marked the first ever Women's Super League game at the City Football Academy. The campus was officially opened in December 2014 and a 7,000 capacity stadium, which is used predominantly for youth and women's football, is part of this £200M training complex.

The ground is a short walk over a newly constructed bridge which links the both the Ethiad Stadium and Campus.

With Manchester City playing West Ham in the Premier League before this game, today's match was heavily promoted as a chance to watch two games in one day. The result was a crowd of over 1,000 at The Academy.


After originally being formed in 1988, City joined the elite women's set up in April 2013 when they became members of the Women's National League.


When women's football was re-organised into two 'super leagues' for the 2014 season they were, controversially in some eyes, promoted to the newly formed top tier at the expense of Doncaster Belles.

Just like their male counterparts, City boast an array of star names such as Jill Scott, Toni Duggan (both signed from Everton) Karen Bardsley and the heroine of the 2012 Olympics, Steph Houghton.

Having said that, Arsenal too have plenty of quality within their ranks and it was the Gunners who ran out victorious courtesy of a goal from Chioma Ubogagu after 36 minutes.

Both sides hit the woodwork but City's attempts to find an equaliser were not helped by Jill Scott being given a straight red card for a head butt on Arsenal's Lianne Sanderson.

EPPLETON COLLIERY WELFARE GROUND

WOMEN'S FA SUPER LEAGUE TWO, SUNDERLAND AFC LADIES 1-2 DONCASTER ROVERS BELLES, ATTENDANCE: 1,177

After the excitement of the Vase game at Alnwick Town, it was back down the A1 for the second part of today's double.

Sunderland Ladies play at the Hetton Centre, Hetton-le-Hole, which is the former home of Eppleton Colliery Welfare. Eppleton Colliery were formed in 1929 and were members of the Northern Alliance when they unfortunately folded in 2005. 

The ground was redeveloped when the club reached the Northern League in the early 1990's and received a further influx of cash when Sunderland Council relocated the villages community services to the Hetton Centre.

This building, which houses the community organisation ‘The Hetton Town Trust’ which rose from the former Eppleton Colliery Welfare,  overlooks the ground. The centre includes the Bob Paisley Bar, named after the former Liverpool manager who was born in Hetton-le-Hole and remains a legendary figure around these parts.

Tonight's game was being billed as the title shoot out between Sunderland Ladies and Doncaster Belles for the right to replace Everton Ladies (relegated after 20 years in the top division) in the Women's top flight. The kick off was put back to 7.30pm to allow Black Cat supporters who had been at the Sunderland v Stoke City game plenty of time if they also wanted to come along to this match. The club were rewarded with a 1,000+ crowd and it made for a fantastic atmosphere.

At the start of play Sunderland had 41 points with three to play and Doncaster had 33 points with four to play. A Sunderland win and the title is theirs. A Doncaster win and the fight continues, but the reality is that it is Sunderland's to lose whatever the result as Doncaster still need to win their all remaining games and hope Sunderland slip up somewhere.

Sunderland took the lead after 16 minutes when their top scorer Beth Mead headed home. The homesters had the best of the opening 45 minutes and had chances to extend their lead.

Whatever Belles manager Gordon Staniforth said at the interval certainly did the trick. Millie Bright hit the crossbar from a free kick before Jess Sigsworth (60) headed home a cross from Victoria Williams to level things up.

Sunderland did have a glorious chance to regain the lead but Abbey Joice fired wide with only Belles goalkeeper Nicola Hobbs to beat.

It was Williams who proved to be the match winner, with 7 minutes remaining, when she hit a superb curling effort into the top corner of Rachel Laws' net.

Some of the tackles were crunching as Doncaster battled to protect their lead and despite late pressure they held on to keep their title chances alive.

The Doncaster Belles had Sue Smith in their starting line up, someone who will be well known to lot of people through her punditry work on the BBC and Sky Sports, and I have to say she was superb. Everything seemed to go through her and she always kept the team going through her touch and movement. The only blot on her copybook was a booking for a dive.

Overall a very enjoyable evening and a really good game of football.

Highlights can be viewed by clicking here