19 Aug 2008
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Doncaster Rovers Belles v Bristol Academy
FA Tesco Women's Premier League
2pm, Sunday 24 August 2008
Watch highlights on TheFA.com Monday 25 August

Doncaster Rovers Belles’ Canadian striker Liz Hansen will be gunning for her first goal of the FA Tesco Women’s Premier League campaign when the Belles entertain Bristol Academy at the Keepmoat Stadium on Sunday.

Hansen has returned to Doncaster for a second season with the Yorkshire club after spending thesummer back home helping Victoria Stars finish top of the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s Premier Division.

And following her 11-goal haul for Donny last term she is itching to get her name on the scoresheet for a much-changed Belles team that started the new season with a 1-0 defeat at Everton last week.

Hansen says: “We’ve lost Carla Cantrell to Leeds and she’ll be missed, but after signing six or seven new players we now have a stronger squad and I felt that showed at Everton. They scored right at the start of the game, but after that it was very even.”

Everton did indeed score early – England midfielder Emily Westwood hit the net after just 20 seconds! But the home side then had their work cut out to claim victory, as manager Mo Marley admits.

“Donny impressed me,” says Marley. “They’ve put a good little team together and I think they’ll surprise one or two this season.” If the Belles had won at Everton it would have been a surprise, but not so if they beat Bristol says Hansen.

“We lost at home to them but then won away last season,” the striker recalls, “so we know we can beat them and that will obviously be the aim on Sunday. And if we play as well as we did at Everton then I believe we can do it.”

Academy, who kicked off their campaign with a 2-2 home draw against Watford last Sunday, finished last season two places higher than the Belles at fourth in the table. This season, however, Hansen reckons that Donny can land a top four place.

“We can certainly improve on last season,” says the Canadian. “I think the league will be more even although Arsenal, even after losing big players, should still win it. We can make an impact though, and we can definitely finish a couple of slots higher in the table.

“I enjoyed my first year at Doncaster and it’s good to be back for the new season. I scored a few goals for Victoria Stars during the summer and it would be great to get a few more for Donny – hopefully starting on Sunday.”