Having returned last week, players are already busy gearing up for the second round of fixtures in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2. We’ll kick things off with Saturday-evening action at Ashton Gate, where Bristol City and Newcastle will do business.
Following Saturday’s showdown between the Robins and the Magpies, five BWSL2 games will take place on Sunday, four of which are due to kick off at 2:00pm, with another beginning at 3:00pm.
You can watch all six matches live via the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 Youtube channel.
Bristol City vs Newcastle
Saturday 11th September, Ashton Gate, 5:15pm
The Robins went close in the race for promotion last season, while the Magpies weren’t too far away either, so Saturday’s game at Ashton Gate is one between two teams looking to break free from their BWSL2 shackles.
Saturday’s hosts didn’t exactly begin their bid for promotion in pleasing fashion. In fact, their opening game against Sunderland turned into a disaster, with the Black Cats tearing the Robins to shreds, winning by four goals to one.
Despite taking an early lead through summer signing Lotta Lindstrom, whose neat volley at the back post was one of few positives for Charlotte Healy’s team, Bristol City found it tough to contain Sunderland, struggling massively to guard against attacks from wide areas.
Meanwhile, not far down the road in Newcastle, the Magpies made a winning start to the campaign, beating Wolves 2-0, delivering the sort of sturdy effort that suggests Tanya Oxtoby’s women are very much up there with the favourites for promotion. New signing Kathleen McGovern, who had a fine 2025/26 season in the SWPL for Hibernian, played a leading role last time out, registering her first assist as a BWSL 2 player. She’ll be licking her lips having seen how Saturday’s opponents crumbled at the back against Sunderland.
If recent history is anything to go by, those in attendance at Ashton Gate on Saturday should expect an entertaining game. Last season, the pair drew 2-2 in Newcastle, before the Robins snuck ahead at home, defeating the Magpies by two goals to one. After that poor start last weekend, they’d bite your hand off for a repeat.
Burnley vs Sunderland
Sunday 12th September, Turf Moor, 2:00pm
Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, Burnley take on Sunderland after grinding out a point on the road against Watford last weekend. It was dogged stuff from Jackie Bachteler’s players, who dug deep to record not just a first point of the campaign but a first clean sheet too. That effort gives the Clarets a platform from which to build, though they may need to build as this looks a tougher test.
During the first round of games, it was a case of go, go, go, for the Sunderland attack, which made light work of hurting the team that finished fourth last season.
The Black Cats looked very capable offensively, particularly down the flanks, with Katy Watson standing out as a chief threat. The Clarets will need to be very disciplined at the back to avoid the same fate as the Robins, though Sunderland’s attack will definitely be hoping that their hosts aren’t as resolute as they were last weekend.
With Sunday’s hosts entering BWSL 2 following promotion, this pair haven't faced off since 2021, when the Clarets emerged victorious on penalties, following a 0-0 FA Cup draw. Prior to that, in 2020, the pair met in the Women’s National League, when Burnley came out on top by two goals to one, meaning that the visitors go in search of a first ever victory in this fixture.
Nottingham Forest vs Watford
Sunday 12th September, City Ground, 2:00pm
The Tricky Trees will make a first appearance at City Ground on Sunday, when they’ll welcome a Watford team that is new to the division following promotion from the Women’s National League.
During the opening weekend, Tom Mallinson and his players probably thought they’d got over the line in a contest that they largely dominated. Thanks to a 58th-minute strike from young midfielder Alana Murphy, Forest held the lead deep into stoppage time, but they couldn’t close out the win, being denied by a moment of brilliance from Ipswich’s Megan Hornby, who rifled into the top corner from just outside the box after 93 minutes.
From a results point of view, Watford’s women also didn’t make the most desirable start to the new season last weekend, drawing 0-0 at home against newly promoted Burnley. That said, they did keep things fairly tight, creating a few moments of offensive promise too, especially when Karin Muya got involved out wide.
With the teams meeting for the first time since 2023, this game could be a battle of the wide players, with both teams looking to use the flanks last time out. Expect to see plenty of Muya for the Hornets again, while Abbie Lafayette, who was a key creator for Sheffield United last season, could have a big say for the Tricky Trees.
Southampton vs Ipswich
Sunday 13th September, Silverlake Stadium, 2:00pm
The Saints made a healthy start to the new season, picking up all three points away against Durham, thanks in no small part to Ellie Brazil, who scored and assisted during a game-winning second half spell of five minutes, before Megan Collett picked up where she left off at the end of the previous campaign, pouncing on a loose ball to volley home late in the game.
Having not been too far away from the promotion places last season, Simon Parker’s team will be looking to lay down a serious assault on the top three this term, and if their opening-weekend effort is anything to go by, they look well equipped to do so.
If Ipswich’s first game of the season is anything to go by, then we probably won’t be seeing a promotion push from David Wright’s team. They were outplayed by Nottingham Forest last time out, so much so that they were fortunate to walk away with a share of the spoils. It’s early days of course, but last week’s effort suggests that they’ll be heavily reliant on moments of magic from someone like Megan Hornby, as does the fact that they finished the previous campaign as one of the lowest scorers in the division.
Recent history points towards joy for Sunday’s hosts, who’ve won each of the last three renewals of this fixture, winning by four goals to nil when the pair met on the south coast last term.
Wolves vs Sheffield United
Sunday 12th September, New Bucks Head, 2:00pm
Sunday’s fixture at New Bucks Head brings together two teams looking to bounce back. Wolves struggled to get going against Newcastle last weekend. They found it tough to retain possession, they created very little, plus they looked shaky at the back, offering nowhere near enough resistance.
On paper, this game against Sheffield United looks like a slightly easier assignment for the Old Gold, but they’ll need to do more, especially in possession. The Blades also came unstuck during the first gameweek, losing to Leicester, though their defeat was less convincing than the one suffered by Sunday’s hosts, which tells us that the visitors will see this as a winnable game.
Against the Foxes, Stephen Helay’s women were certainly competitive, going down by just a single goal, and if they can deliver a similar effort here, they’ll likely pick up an enhanced result. At the very least, this rates as an excellent opportunity for the Sheffield United forward line to click into gear.
With Wolves coming up from the Women’s National League, the pair didn’t face each other last season. In fact, this will be the first ever meeting between the two teams
Leicester vs Durham
Sunday 12th September, King Power Stadium, 3:00pm
Finally, rounding off gameweek two is a game between Leicester and Durham, which is due to take place at King Power Stadium.
Having dropped out of the BWSL at the end of last season, the Foxes have one mission and one mission only time around, and that’s to secure a swift return to the top flight. They made a decent start last weekend, defeating Sheffield United by a goal to zero, though Rick Passmoor will be looking for a little more from his team back on home soil, where they will be without the services of Emilia Pelgander, whose second yellow towards the death against the Blades means she misses out here.
Durham’s women opened their 2026/27 account with a defeat, going down by three goals to one at home to Southampton, who were far from fortunate to come out on top. In truth, the team coached by Willie Kirk struggled in that opening game, so much so that another season fighting the drop could easily be on the cards. If that’s not to happen, Beth Hepple, who was Durham's best performer last season, will need to be even stronger this time around.
The Foxes have won each of their last two against Durham, winning by two goals to one away from home when they last met, but that’s not overly relevant here, with the pair not facing off since 2021.
