On the weekend that Newcastle United made their five wins out of five, five losses out of five for their opponents Durham, the BWSL2 ensured that the calibre of its players was on full show before the international break. With four teams remaining unbeaten, the defensive qualities, alongside the attacking voracity, of each of the lineups in the league became increasingly important as the fight for promotion ramps up further.
The individual performances of Matchweek 5 were full of creativity, energy, and skill, and the players in the Team of the Week this week certainly showed these traits, making the difference for their sides and proving why they deserve a spot.
Emily Orman – Wolverhampton Wanderers
In Wolves’ 2-2 draw with Watford, Goalkeeper Emily Orman was crucially resolute in the net for Wolves, making eight saves in total throughout the game to ensure that they walked away from the SEAH Stadium with a point.
Watford had 10 shots on target in the game, and Orman’s solid presence meant that only two of those shots were converted, meaning that although Wolves only had seven shots on target in comparison, the teams were equal at the end of the match. Orman was vital in denying Watford their first league win of the season, as well as maintaining Wolves’ unbeaten start at home.
Georgia Hunter – Ipswich Town
Ipswich defender Georgia Hunter contributed with a significant and all-rounded performance on Sunday to help her side in their 2-1 win away from home against Sheffield United. As well as assisting goalscorer Megan Hornby’s unbelievable strike from range with a key pass to open Ipswich’s account, Hunter also made 10 defensive contributions, including an impressive seven clearances, to stop Sheffield from having the ability to equalise.
Hunter was dynamic and unyielding, having the highest number of accurate passes of any player on the pitch, 49 in total, controlling the flow of her team, and stopping Sheffield’s, from the backline.
Asmita Ale – Leicester City
Leicester might have lost 3-1 to Sunderland on the weekend, but Asmita Ale continued to prove her value despite her team’s run of bad form. The defender took her goal total in the league so far up to two as she provided Leicester’s only goal of the match in the 24th minute. After a scramble in the box following Leicester’s corner, the ball landed at Ale’s feet at the back, where she managed to strike it up and into the goal from a difficult angle, equalising for her team at that moment in the match after a mistake from keeper Katie Keane put Ipswich behind in the 10th minute.
She had two shots in total, including a close header over the bar from another corner, being superseded in attempts only by forward Poppy Pritchard. Ale also made 13 defensive contributions in total, including three interceptions and four clearances.
Esther Morgan – Bristol City
Esther Morgan was instrumental in Bristol’s winning goal, being 1-1 with Southampton in the 79th minute, Morgan provided a superb ball into the box to Sophie Ingle, who put it away tidily to put Bristol 2-1 up and earn them the three points at Ashton Gate. Besides her extraordinary assist, her position in the defensive line was not forgotten, making 10 defensive contributions, including seven clearances to ensure that Southampton’s first minute goal was their only.
Georgia Marshall – Wolverhampton Wanderers
After a slow start to the game for Wolves, Marshall gave them the lead in the 13th minute, scoring the first goal of the game. Melissa Lawley’s cross from a corner assisted Marshall, who headed the ball from the left of the box, past Safia Middleton-Patel, and into the back of the net.
Having also made 10 defensive contributions, Marshall also had the second highest number of shots on target of any player in the match, and the most of any Wolves player, after another header from a corner was saved in the 41st minute to take her total attempts on goal to two.
Hildur Antonsdóttir - Newcastle United
Newcastle continued their unbelievable start to the BWSL2 season with a 3-0 win over bottom of the table Durham on Sunday, and Antonsdóttir was the one to open the floodgates for the Magpies in the 34th minute. The midfielder recorded her first goal from the club, reacting swiftly when the ball fell to her after a scramble in the box following a corner, getting her leg high enough to meet the ball and give her side the lead.
Katie Kitching – Sunderland
Kitching put on an excellent showing for Sunderland in their 3-1 win over Leicester City, providing not only their first goal, but also assisting Sanni Franssi’s goal in the 64th minute. Just 10 minutes in, Kitching got her name on the scoresheet, after her pressing enabled her to capitalise on Katie Keane’s mistaken pass to her feet, where an excellent finish into goal ensured that the opportunity was not wasted.
Kitching then later made an excellent run down the left wing to provide a ball in for Franssi to secured Leicester’s third, giving them a comfortable lead that was maintained until the full-time whistle.
Megan Hornby – Ipswich Town
Winger Megan Hornby was directly involved in both of Ipswich’s goals against Sunderland, scoring the first and assisting the latter. Her goal came in the 58th minute, a spectacular strike from range that seemed destined for the back of the net even after the deflection from Ademiluyi to break through the deadlock. Hornby’s then assisted Ademiluyi in the 71st minute by cleverly taking the ball away from Sunderland’s Gracie Pearse, to get the ball to Ademiluyi for yet another excellent long-range effort. Hornby had the highest number of shots on goal for any Ipswich player, with three in total, consistently providing problems for Leicester’s defence as well as opportunities for her team.
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah – Nottingham Forest
Boye-Hlorkah assisted Forest’s opening goal, crossing the ball right Infront of goal after a throw in to provide an unmissable chance for Tuva Espås , putting Forest up shortly before half-time in their 2-0 victory over Burnley. In Forest’s second win of their unbeaten season so far, Boye Hlorkah created two big chances for her team, had eight shots in total, with four on target, and marked herself as one of the most exciting and threatening attackers of the weekend.
Beth Lumsden – Newcastle United
Lumsden created three big chances for the Magpies in their win over Durham, and therefore ending up assisting Martha Thomas’ 87th minute goal as a reward for her intense attacking efforts throughout the game. Lumsden crossed the ball seamlessly into the box for Thomas to tap in and give Newcastle their third and final goal.
Lumsden came close to scoring herself through the game, recording four shots in total, with one in the 26th minute being agonisingly close, but hitting the bar instead of the back of the net. Regardless, Lumsden was an invaluable orchestrator of Newcastle’s effortless takedown of Durham, providing three big chances for her team.
Jordan Nobbs – Newcastle United
Jordan Nobbs finally got her first goal of the season in the Northeast Derby in the 65th minute. After Thomas’ prior attempt was blocked by the keeper, Nobbs’ positioning in the ball meant the ball fell to her feet, and she made an excellent finish to give Newcastle a comfortable two goal lead at that point in the match.
She also made five keys passes in the game, and created one big chance, being an integral part of the onslaught of attack Newcastle pushed against a defeated Durham.
