Newcastle United are still top of the BWSL2 but have dropped points for the first time this season, after coming from behind to rescue a point against Nottingham Forest in the game week’s headline act.
The two sides both remain unbeaten, as does Ipswich, as they inflicted a first defeat on Sunderland to keep the heat on the leaders at the top of the table. Elsewhere, in a weekend full of goals, there was a first win at this level for Watford as they added to Durham’s woes, victories for Bristol City and Sheffield United, while Leicester and Southampton fought out an entertaining draw.
Watford 4-2 Durham
Matchweek six began with a bottom-of-the-table battle, and it was a historic moment for Watford as they got their first win of the season, and a first-ever win in the BWSL2, piling more misery on Durham’s wretched start to the campaign.
Both sides went into the round looking to get a first three points on the board, but it was Watford who blew their visitors away, hitting four goals past them to seal a comfortable win, before a late consolation double from Beth Hepple put a slight gloss on the scoreline for bottom of the table Durham.
The Golden Girls were quick out of the traps and had already seen Phoebie Poole have a decent effort saved and hit the crossbar through Maddison Perry, before Poole opened the scoring on 17 minutes, netting her third goal in four games and setting Watford on their way.
Further goals in the second half from Vera Jones, Aoibheann Clancy and Perry saw the club notch up their maiden win at this level, and one that boss Renee Hector described by stating, “One day it is going to click, and when it clicks, we are going to batter a team - I feel that today was that day.”
Durham will take some heart from Tupple’s two late goals, but they remain rooted to the bottom of the league and have lost all six games so far this campaign.
Bristol City 4-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bristol City continued their upward trajectory, making it four games unbeaten with a 4-2 victory over Wolves – even though they had to come from behind to make sure of the three points.
It was the visitors who made the brighter start and took the lead just six minutes into the game, as Amber Hughes continued her excellent start to the campaign by netting from close range, following Jasmine Matthew’s header back across goal.
However, from the moment City equalised just after the 20-minute mark through Katie Robinson’s strike into the top corner, it was the home side who took control of proceedings.
Two quick goals followed before the break as Brooke Aspin and Rio Hardy turned the game on its head, and there only looked like one victor from that point onwards.
Marine Dafeur finished off the scoring just before the hour mark and although Hughes still had some say in the match – scoring her second and the goal of the game with a curler into the top corner – it was very much City’s day.
That result moves them to fourth spot in the league, just six points behind the leaders at this early stage of the season.
Burnley 3-4 Sheffield United
A roller-coaster of a game in Lancashire saw Burnley look to be heading for their first win of the season, only to surrender a 2-1 lead and see Sheffield United triumph in a seven-goal thriller.
It was the Blades who struck the first blow, as captain Mollie Rouse converted from a corner to give United the perfect start in this first-ever meeting between the two teams.
However, the home side, who, going into this encounter, had only scored once all campaign, turned the game around before the break as first Emma Siddall and then Leah Galton put the promoted side in the driving seat.
Yet, just two minutes after half-time, the visitors were already level as Halle Houssien levelled, and it became the catalyst for United to take control of the game.
Further goals from Ava Baker and Abbie Jones sealed the points and their second win of the 2026-27 season, despite Burnley getting a late consolation when Hennessey put it into her own net.
It means the Clarets remain in the bottom two, leaving them still searching for a first victory of the campaign.
Ipswich 3-1 Sunderland
Both sides went into this clash having yet to taste defeat thus far, but on a day when something had to give, it was Ipswich’s unbeaten record that prevailed as they ended Sunderland’s run.
The Tractor Girls didn’t get off to the best of starts, however, as Elise Hughes netted her fifth goal of the season just three minutes into the game to give the visitors the lead.
It didn’t take Ipswich long to get back on level terms when Georgia Timms scored her first goal for the club just after the ten-minute mark as she raced onto a Jenna Dear ball to finish smartly.
Timms was then involved in the game’s turning point, just before the break. Tess Lapalacette was shown her marching orders after taking down the Ipswich attacker and leaving Sunderland a player short for the majority of the second period – and it took just ten minutes for the home side to take advantage.
Princess Ademiluyi was the hero, who netted twice in the second half to see Ipswich take all three points and make it six games without defeat.
The win sees them move up to second in the table, just two points behind the league leaders.
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Newcastle
Matchweek six’s biggest game of the weekend came at The City Ground, and it so nearly saw one of the biggest surprises of the season, until the league leaders made a late fightback to steal a point from Nottingham.
Going into the game, Newcastle had won five out of five so far, but their trip to Forest looked to be their biggest test yet, and so it proved. The home side had also yet to taste defeat and showed why by racing into a 2-0 lead.
Leticia McKenna put Tom Mallinson’s side in front inside 10 minutes, when her cross sneaked in the near post, and then added a second from the penalty spot after Tuva Espas was fouled by Gemma Evans.
Shell-shocked Newcastle tweaked things at the break and it proved to be the tonic the Magpies needed for a second half fightback to keep their unbeaten record intact.
Kathleen McGovern fired home just five minutes into the second period and just when the game looked to be petering out, Martha Thomas - who else – notched her sixth goal of the season, six minutes from time, to earn the league leaders a vital point.
Leicester 2-2 Southampton
The round finished off with a meeting of two sides who desperately needed to get back to winning ways already this season, but in the end had to settle for a share of the spoils in another topsy-turvy game at the King Power Stadium.
In the first-ever meeting between these two teams, it was the hosts who started brighter and took the lead through former Saints’ loanee Araya Dennise headed home with just three minutes on the clock.
However, Southampton then took a foothold in the game thanks to a brace from Freya Jupp and went into the break 2-1 up and in control.
The game stayed that way, with the visitors looking like taking the points back to the South Coast until two minutes from time. Substitute Alisha Lehmann got on the end of a through ball and slotted the ball into the bottom corner to draw the Foxes level.
The 2-2 draw means that both teams continue their wait for a first win since the opening two rounds of the season.
