The Barclays WSL2 Player & Goal of the Season nominees 

BWSL 2 has provided so many thrills and spills this season. Here are the players, and goals, that made it happen… your nominations for both the Player and Goal of the Season Awards…

BWSL2 Player of the Season

Lily Crosthwaite (Birmingham City)

Lily Crosthwaite was the driving force behind Birmingham City’s successful promotion charge this season. Her 14 goal involvements were the second most of any player in the BWSL 2 this term. Crosthwaite created an average of 2.3 chances per match for her side and was a constant threat to opposing defences. The Birmingham City maestro had a clean sweep at the club awards this week, collecting Birmingham City’s Player’s Player of the Year, Supporter’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Year. Will she add another award to her ever growing collection?

Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Bristol City)

A hat-trick on the final day away at Brammall Lane didn’t just ensure fourth place for Lexi Lloyd-Smith’s Bristol City side, it also meant the 23 year old finished the season as BSWL 2 golden boot winner. An opportune time to score your first career hat-trick, Lloyd-Smith was subsequently named Bristol City’s Young Player of the Season. The Robins scored 47 goals in the league this term, that’s more than any other side in the division with Lloyd-Smith accounting for 11 of those. Bristol City will be eying promotion next term having just missed out this season, if they are to be successful Lloyd-Smith is likely to have a crucial part to play.

Jordan Nobbs (Newcastle United)

Jordan Nobbs raised a few eyebrows when she signed for BWSL 2 club Newcastle United last summer. When Newcastle took two points from their first four matches, those questioning the move might have felt vindicated. But as Nobbs has had a tendency to do over her career, she proved doubters wrong. The midfielder nabbed five goal involvements in her next five matches in the BWSL 2, with Newcastle winning four of their next five. Perhaps her best performance of the season came on the road at St Mary’s where her first half brace secured maximum points for the Magpies against Southampton. Nobbs finished the season on 12 goal involvements, more than any other Newcastle player.

Ashleigh Weerden (Crystal Palace)

Ashleigh Weerden has been the creative force behind Crystal Palace’s promotion success. Her ten assists were more than any other player in the league managed, the Suriname international also had the most goal involvements with 17. Weerden has been asked to play a slightly different role this year by head coach Jo Potter at left wing back but that did not harm her output. If anything she has thrived, offering her side a new and fruitful dimension. She created the second most chances and big chances in the league this term. Her 12 goal involvements in the last ten games of the season ensured the run-in had a promotion celebration at the end of it.

Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)

Most teams lead a promotion charge with a prolific striker but Charlton relied most on the player at the other end of the pitch this term. Sophie Whitehouse was that figure for the Addicks, she kept eight clean sheets, more than any other goalkeeper in the division. The Irish keeper also had a 70.8% save percentage, the most of any player to play the full season in the BWSL 2 this term. The goalkeeper was a massive part of the side that went over a year unbeaten in the BWSL 2. A particular highlight of her season came with her performance away against title rivals Birmingham at St Andrews. She made seven saves with four coming from inside the box, including an astonishing reflex save from Martha Harris’ near post header late on. Whitehouse was rewarded for her great form this season by earning her first cap for her country at the end of the year.

Emily Syme (Bristol City)

It is no coincidence that Bristol City had three players that could have won the Golden Boot on the final day. When you have a playmaker like Emily Syme in your midst it would be rude not to. No player in the division created more than the 62 chances and nine big chances that Syme. Syme, who was Player’s Player of the season last term, notched 13 goal involvements this time around, and was named Bristol City Player of the season. A highlight reel moment for the Bristol City baller came as she scored an excellent volleyed goal against Crystal Palace at Ashton Gate in the run in.

Crown your Player of the Season by voting here.

BWSL2 Goal of the Season

September: Angelina Nixon (Portsmouth)

Angelina Nixon stepped up from the league below last summer, signing for Portsmouth from Rugby Borough. If there were any concerns as to whether she could handle the pace of the BWSL 2 they were soon dispelled. Away at Ipswich, with the ball bobbling, Nixon lets fly from outside the box and sends it sailing into the back of the net.

October: Vicky Losada (Bristol City)

The double pivot of Sophie Ingle and Vicky Losada is one that excited all women’s football fans at the start of the season when both signed for the Robins. The pair duly lived up to the billing, each scoring against Durham in October. Losada’s was the pick of the pair, it was a magnificent team goal that started at the back with goalkeeper Fran Bentley before the ball progressed through the team. The move ended with Emily Syme’s chipped cross from the bye line finding the stooping head of captain Vicky Losada to complete a sweeping press-resistant move.

November: Mary Corbyn (Sunderland)

Mary Corbyn’s curled effort was one of the highlights of a challenging season for the Black Cats. The goal contributed to one of the most enthralling matches of the season from which Bristol City eventually ran out of 4-2 victors.

December: Veatriki Sarri (Birmingham City)

One of the purest strikes of the BWSL 2 season, Veatriki Sarri’s pinpoint free kick was dispatched with expert precision. The Greek international’s goal set Birmingham City on the road to victory against Durham that day pre-Christmas with strikes either side of half time securing a 3-0 win.

January: Jessie Gale (Bristol City)

Despite joining Bristol City in January, Jessie Gale had a big impact for the Robbins. Gale came off the bench with 12 minutes to play in her first match since signing for Bristol City on loan from Arsenal in January. Five minutes later, she was on the scoresheet. The Young Lioness latched onto Sophie Ingle’s chipped through ball and finished the move off with a delightful lob over the head of Emily Batty in the Nottingham Forest goal.

February: Lucy Watson (Durham)

With Durham a goal behind against title chasing Birmingham City at Maiden Castle and seven minutes of the eight to be added already played, pressure was on Lucy Watson. Watson stood over a free kick out wide and swung in a wicked ball that went directly in off the far post. There was simply nothing former USWNT goalkeeper Adrianna Franch in goal for Birmingham could do.

March: Amy Andrews (Sheffield United)

In the run-in, Sheffield United’s Amy Andrews came alive scoring six goals in nine BWSL 2 matches. The pick of the bunch came away at Sunderland. With a ball into the box not dealt with by the Sunderland defence, Andrews controlled it drifting ever so slightly wide before delicately lofting the ball towards the far post, where it found a home in the bottom corner of the net.

April: Jordan Nobbs (Newcastle United)

Jordan Nobbs’ late winner against Nottingham Forest is the final goal nominated for BWSL 2 Goal of the Season. In the dying moments of a tense match, the scores were level at 1-1. Emily Murphy laid the ball off to Nobbs on the edge of the box. The former Lioness let fly finding the corner of the net in sumptuous style.

Watch below, and cast your vote here.

Word credit: Tom Maher