Women’s football round-up: Wolves triumph but defeat for Villa, Blues and Albion

It took Wolves just nine minutes to open the scoring through Amber Hughes, while Charlotte Greengrass and Anna Morphet’s strikes secured a three-goal lead inside 30 minutes.

Jade Cross, who was named in the starting line-up to replace the suspended Destiney Toussaint, grabbed the fourth goal to send Wanderers two points clear at the summit after 13 league games.

Manager Dan McNamara said: “It was a game of two halves, I was disappointed with the second-half performance.

“I think we definitely could’ve hurt them more, we could’ve moved the ball a bit better.

“We created enough chances to really affect them, get another clean sheet, so we go onto next week – I can’t argue with that.”

Black Country rivals West Brom suffered a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool Feds at the Trico Stadium.

Albion failed to follow-up last week’s victory away at Halifax, falling behind after six minutes when Holly Deering drilled in an effort following a succession of Fed’s corners.

The visitors doubled their lead over 10 minutes later through Katie Anderson’s powerful strike, before Courteny Willis rose highest in the penalty area to head home from a set piece before the break.

Albion boss Siobhan Hodgetts-Still introduced Ellie May at the beginning of the second half, and the 24-year-old made an immediate impact by winning a penalty and subsequently netting from 12 yards to rekindle hope.

But Albion were unable to reduce the deficit further despite creating numerous openings and remain eighth, collecting 13 points from as many games.

“I thought it was a game of two halves,” Hodgett-Still said. “I thought the first half wasn’t good enough by our own standards. It led to them punishing us and then getting the three goals before the break, which made it difficult for us.

“I thought in the second half we competed individually, won our own battles and it was a different game.

“If we’d have started like that, I think it would have been a different game. That’s a lesson that we’ve learnt and we can’t let that happen again.”

Stourbridge were also in step three action over the weekend, but suffered a 9-0 hammering away at Burnley.

The Clarets recorded a first victory in 70 days with a dominant display, netting four first-half goals before five more followed in the second period.

The Glassgirls have now shipped 16 goals from their last two league matches and are only above bottom side Halifax in the 12-team division, registering just one victory so far this season.

In the Women’s Super League, Aston Villa suffered their sixth defeat from 12 league outings as they fell 4-2 to Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday.

The Villans got off to a sensational start inside six minutes when Chasity Grant netted her first goal of the campaign, but a brace from Vivianne Miedema put the visitors in front.

The hosts made an equally impressive beginning to the second half, levelling the game through a Laia Aliexandri own goal, but the Citizens pulled clear once again, as goals from Mary Fowler and Jess Park sealed an important three points for Gareth Taylor’s side.

Meanwhile, Villa are in ninth place after their latest defeat, only five points clear from Crystal Palace, who are at the foot of the table.

In the Women’s Championship, Birmingham City have won just one of their last four domestic games after they were comprehensively beaten 3-1 by Bristol City at St Andrew’s on Sunday.

The league leaders found themselves three goals down early into the second half, as strikes from Lexi Lloyd-Smith, Efion Morgan and Jamie-Lee Napier stunned the home crowd.

Blues pulled a consolation goal back through Ellie Mason in stoppage time, but defeat means the Robins have now pulled level with the hosts at the top of the table on 23 points apiece, with the race for promotion to the WSL heating up.

Hednesford Town maintained their unbeaten start to the West Midlands League Division One North season with a 3-1 win over Rugby Town.

Elisha Davis, Amelia Lightfoot and Ria Elsmore kept the Whites at the top of the table by a point over chasing AFC Telford United, who played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Walsall.

A draw for the Saddlers means they sit third and are five points behind Hednesford after also playing eight matches.