Matchweek 3 of the BWSL2 had it all, red cards, a stunning hattrick, and goals aplenty, all as Newcastle climbed their way to the top of the table. Ipswich, Bristol City, and Nottingham Forest earned their first wins of the season, whilst Sheffield and Durham left themselves without a point on the board.
The BWSL2 Team of the Week this week is full not only of impressive goalscorers, but also of those who made vital defensive contributions for their team, as the league starts to get into full swing and those individual performances become more and more important.
Safia Middleton Patel – Watford:
Middleton-Patel might at first seem to be an odd inclusion on this list, after conceding five goals in Watford’s loss to Bristol City. However, with her team down to just nine players at the end of the match shortly before the full-time whistle, which gave Bristol the chance to score a further three goals, including a penalty, the impressive eight saves that Patel made meant she did more than her fair share the stop the goal count from becoming any higher. Without Patel’s vital guard of the goal, Watford surely would have conceded many more.
Megan Collett – Southampton:
In Southampton’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland, it was right-back Megan Collett who stood out for the Saints. She made 11 defensive contributions, the joint most, including five tackles, four interceptions, and three recoveries. She helped stop Sunderland from recording a third consecutive win, as well as stopping them from scoring in a game for the first time in the BWSL2 so far this season.
Beyond her defensive strength in Southampton’s backline, Collett also helped her team’s attack, creating a chance and having a shot on goal.
Kaitlin Torpey – Newcastle United:
Newcastle defender Kaitlin Torpey scored and assisted in the 4-1 win over Sheffield United on Sunday. Her goal came in the 18th minute, a shot from the centre of the box that breezed past Sheffield keeper Sian Rogers into the bottom left corner, doubling her team’s lead shortly into the game. Her first goal for the club, she contributed further by assisting teammate Martha Thomas shortly after half-time with a cross, reinstating their two-goal lead at the beginning of the second half after Sheffield’s previous goal.
Her stellar performance was topped off by 14 defensive contributions, blocking two shots, making two clearances, three interceptions, and seven tackles. Her relentless and versatile work around the pitch was indispensable for Newcastle’s win
Georgia Hunter – Ipswich Town:
Ipswich recorded a 1-0 win over an injury-depleted Leicester City, who were previously undefeated, and centre-back Georgia Hunter made 11 defensive contributions to keep the clean sheet. Hunter made seven clearances in total, as well as blocking two shots, and making an interception. A wall in Ipswich’s backline, her defensive contributions marked her as one of Ipswich’s strongest players.
Georgia Brougham – Nottingham Forest:
Brougham scored the winning goal in Nottingham Forest’s first win of the season, after two consecutive draws. Against Durham, Brougham made two shots on target in the 50th minute, with her second finding the bottom right corner of the net to make the score 2-1 to Forest. Creating a chance and making nine clearances, Brougham made contributions from all aspects of the game to give Forest their first three points of the season.
Aimee Palmer – Ipswich Town:
Aimme Palmer was important for the co-ordination of Ipswich Town’s midfield in their win on Sunday, co-ordinating their attack by creating a chance and making two key passes, as well as seven recoveries. The defensive midfielder helped both to stop Leicester from making any more than their one shot on target, and also to progress the ball down the pitch into the opposing half for her own team, creating consistent problems for the Foxes.
Chloe Peplow – Southampton:
Despite Southampton being unable to break through their stalemate against Sunderland, Peplow’s set piece play became one of the Saints’ best chances to score. Megan Collett’s blocked header was assisted by a Peplow corner, as she created consistent concern for Sunderland. Peplow also made four recoveries, and so despite Southampton’s inability to score, their strong overall team performance, and many of their most promising chances, was due in part to Peplow.
Beth Lumsden – Newcastle United:
Beth Lumsden’s link-up with Martha Thomas was so effective, it landed them both in the
BWSL2 team of the week as well as delivering a decisive third victory of the season for Newcastle. With a goal and an assist, the forward put her name on the scoresheet just 15 minutes into the game, giving her team the lead with a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Also assisting Thomas in the 53rd minute, Lumsden made her mark on the game with two G/A, meaning she remains one of the top scorers in the league so far, joint second with Thomas, having a shot accuracy of 80%.
Martha Thomas – Newcastle United:
Newcastle United forward Martha Thomas scored a brace in the second half of their clinical win against Durham, as well as having assisted teammate Beth Lumsden’s goal in the 15th minute of the game, who returned the favour by assisting Thomas’ second goal.
Her first break-through into the net came just one minute into the second half, assisted by previous goal-scorer Kaitlin Torpey. Her second was in the 53rd minute, a shot from close range into the bottom left of the goal. This left her directly responsible for half of Newcastle’s goals in the match, as they put themselves two points clear of Sunderland at the very top of the BWSL2 table.
Rio Hardy – Bristol City:
Rio Hardy had perhaps the most successful week of any player in the BWSL2, scoring a hattrick in Bristol City’s 5-1 win over Watford, giving Bristol their first points and win of the season so far. The striker had four shots on target, and her first goal came in the 37th minute, an excellent shot that thundered into the top left corner. She doubled Bristol’s lead after half-time, where in the 62nd minute she was assisted by Maria Farrugia.
After her second, Hardy successfully scored her won penalty after Lucy Lyon was sent off for fouling her in the penalty box. With her hattrick, Rio Hardy has become the top goal scorer of the BWSL2 season so far with her goals in just this one match, with no one else yet reaching her total of three goals.
Amber Hughes – Wolverhampton Wanderers:
The Wolves forward was integral to their clinical 3-0 win over Burnley, scoring one goal and also providing an assist. Her goal involvements happened in quick succession, scoring a header from Melissa Lawley’s corner in the 36th minute, and then in the 38th minute assisting Mel Filis to allow her to score from outside the box, putting Wolves two goals up before allowing Burnley any chance to breathe.
Hughes was a consistent problem for the Clarets, with four shots in total, three on target, as well as creating three chances, relentlessly pushing their backline. Hughes is Wolves’ top goal scorer so far this season, having previously scored in their 3-1 win against Sheffield last weekend, taking her total to two goals thus far.
