SHEFFIELD MAKE HISTORIC PROMOTION TO FA WSL
Sheffield FC’s meteoric rise up the women’s football pyramid continued unabated in 2014-15, Helen Mitchell’s team winning the FAWPL’s Northern Division and then becoming the first team to claim automatic promotion to the FA Women’s Super League.
It was an historic season for the FAWPL, which was now being administered by an independent management committee and with entry to the FA WSL no longer exclusively through meeting FA criteria.
Instead promotion could be gained through playing success - albeit with FA requirements still to be met - for the first time. Promotion was to be won via a play-off match between the winners of the League’s Northern and Southern divisions.
When it came to that big end-of-season clash, both Sheffield and opponents Portsmouth had reached it through hard-earned success in their respective divisions.
Sheffield had a season-long battle for the title with Coventry City, crucially doing the double over their rivals including a 2-0 win against them in the campaign’s opening fixture.
Prolific striker Jodie Michalska hit the victory clincher in that curtain raiser and went on to once again become their main source of goals, scoring 25 in the league and another five in the League Cup.
The League Cup, of which they were the holders, was to be their only source of pain during the season. They reached the final once again, but lost on penalties to Charlton Athletic.
That final was played on May 3rd, after which Sheffield had three league games remaining in which to claim the title. They did so with a flourish, winning each game and with Michalska hitting eight of the combined total of nine goals in the three outings.
They were also aided by a six-point deduction from Coventry’s total. The punishment was handed out by the FA on 6th May (confirmed 13th May) after the Sky Blues had fielded ineligible players in two fixtures.
With the title therefore won by six rather than two points ahead of Coventry, the season’s final task facing Sheffield was the promotion play-off against Portsmouth at Stratford Town’s Knight’s Lane ground.
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE PROMOTION PLAY-OFF 2014-15
Portsmouth 0
Sheffield 1 (Giampalma 90+2)
Sheffield had the better of the game and either side of half-time went close to scoring. Michalska had an excellent strike superbly saved by goalkeeper Courtney Trodd, then captain Carla Ward headed goalwards but saw her effort cleared off the line.
But twice in the closing stages, and with the scoresheet still blank, Pompey went close to scoring what might have been the decisive goal.
Lucy Quinn saw a goalbound effort brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Claire Wallhead, who then kept out a point-blank range shot from Charlie Wilson.
Wallhead’s heroics were followed by Sheffield’s killer blow, which came when Lisa Giampalma turned the ball into the Pompey net from a Michalska pass two minutes into stoppage time.
Delighted captain Ward said: “It is unbelievable. We have all stuck together and we've got there in the end. We always knew that, with one chance on goal, we had the ability to win it. I feel for Portsmouth, they were brilliant. It was just a case of trying to get in behind them, and we finally did.”
Portsmouth (4-4-2): Trodd, Frampton, Bazan (Taylor 60), Clark, Currie, Bloomfield (Callahan 89), Kempson, Sievwright, Quinn, Wilson, Hillier.
Substitutes not used: Goodall,
Sheffield FC (4-5-1): Wallhead Cox, Murphy, Gilliat, Giampalma, Ward, Parkin, Goodman, Beanland (McIver 67), Michalska; Johnson.
Substitutes not used: Nikki Hogg, Aimee Johnson, Suzanne Davies.
Knight’s Lane, Stratford
Referee: L Rashid
Attendance: 308
FAWPL UPS AND DOWNS 2014-15
While Sheffield were heading upwards out of the Northern Division, bottom team Wolverhampton Wanderers were set for relegation to Midlands Division One.
Sheffield’s Northern Division place was to be taken by Northern Division One winners Guiseley Vixens, while Wolves were to be replaced by Midlands Division One champions Loughborough Foxes.
Meanwhile Coventry City, who were about to swap ‘City’ for ‘United’ in their club title, were to get switched to the Southern Division. Their place would be taken by Nuneaton Town (who had played the 2014-15 Southern Division season under their previous name Copsewood Coventry).
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | 22 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 76 | 19 | 58 | 57 |
| 2 | Coventry City | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 64 | 16 | 50* | 48 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 46 | 34 | 42 | 12 |
| 4 | Bradford City | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 28 | 39 | 21 |
| 5 | Huddersfield Town | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 53 | 65 | 29 | -12 |
| 6 | Derby County | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 45 | 56 | 27 | -11 |
| 7 | Stoke City | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 38 | 38 | 26 | 0 |
| 8 | Fylde | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 41 | 46 | 26 | -5 |
| 9 | Nottingham Forest | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 34 | 52 | 23 | -18 |
| 10 | West Bromwich Albion | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 36 | 21 | -13 |
| 11 | Newcastle United | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 50 | 20 | -17 |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 22 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 79 | 8 | -62 |
*Coventry deducted six points for fielding ineligible players
FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE NORTHERN DIVISION RESULTS 2014-15
24/8/2014
Blackburn Rovers 2-3 Huddersfield Town
Fylde 1-1 Bradford City
Newcastle United 1-3 West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield 2-0 Coventry United
Stoke City 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-6 Derby County
4/9/2014
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Fylde
Bradford City 2-3 Huddersfield Town
Sheffield 4-0 Nottingham Forest
Stoke City 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Coventry United
7/9/2014
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Bradford City 3-0 Sheffield
Derby County 5-3 Nottingham Forest
Fylde 1-5 Coventry United
Huddersfield Town 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stoke City 4-0 Newcastle United
14/9/2014
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Derby County
Bradford City 0-0 Fylde
Nottingham Forest 4-5 Huddersfield Town
Stoke City 1-3 Coventry United
West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Newcastle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-8 Sheffield
21/9/2014
Derby County 0-4 Coventry United
Fylde 2-2 Sheffield
Newcastle United 0-3 Huddersfield Town
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-5 Bradford City
28/9/2014
Bradford City 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
Coventry United 2-2 Fylde
Huddersfield Town 1-4 Stoke City
Newcastle United 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Sheffield 4-1 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Blackburn Rovers
1/10/2014
Huddersfield Town 1-2 Bradford City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-7 Stoke City
2/10/2014
Coventry United 3-0 West Bromwich Albion
Fylde 0-2 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 0-6 Sheffield
5/10/2014
Fylde 2-1 Stoke City
Huddersfield Town 1-3 Sheffield
Newcastle United 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Bradford City
West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4 Coventry United
19/10/2014
Coventry United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town 3-3 Newcastle United
West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Stoke City
26/10/2014
Coventry United 5-0 Blackburn Rovers
Huddersfield Town 4-4 Derby County
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Fylde
Sheffield 4-1 Newcastle United
Stoke City 0-2 Bradford City
West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
2/11/2014
Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Stoke City
Fylde 6-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
Newcastle United 4-0 Derby County
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Coventry United
Sheffield 3-2 Bradford City
9/11/2014
Stoke City 2-1 Derby County
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
16/11/2014
Newcastle United 2-5 Sheffield
23/11/2014
Newcastle United 2-3 Bradford City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 Huddersfield Town
30/11/2014
Derby County 1-3 Bradford City
7/12/2014
Coventry United 2-0 Newcastle United
Derby County 2-3 West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield 11-2 Huddersfield Town
14/12/2014
Huddersfield Town 2-6 Fylde
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Newcastle United
21/12/2014
Coventry United 2-0 Bradford City
Newcastle United 1-2 Fylde
25/1/2015
Derby County 2-4 Fylde
Newcastle United 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
8/2/2015
Coventry United 4-0 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Fylde
15/2/2015
Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Bradford City
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Newcastle United
22/2/2015
Bradford City 2-0 Derby County
Stoke City 2-1 Fylde
1/3/2015
Blackburn Rovers 3-2 Nottingham Forest
Derby County 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Newcastle United 2-1 Stoke City
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Bradford City
8/3/2015
Huddersfield Town 4-1 Nottingham Forest
West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Fylde
12/3/2015
Derby County 0-2 Sheffield
15/3/2015
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Newcastle United
Sheffield 3-0 Fylde
Nottingham Forest 3-2 Stoke City
22/3/2015
Bradford City 2-2 Newcastle United
Fylde 2-3 Derby County
Stoke City 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-3 Nottingham Forest
25/3/2015
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
29/3/2015
Bradford City 10-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Coventry United 0-1 Sheffield
Nottingham Forest 0-2 West Bromwich Albion
5/4/2015
Bradford City 2-4 Blackburn Rovers
Coventry United 6-2 Derby County
West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Nottingham Forest
7/4/2015
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Sheffield
8/4/2015
Derby County 3-2 Stoke City
12/4/2015
Bradford City 4-1 Nottingham Forest
Coventry United 6-4 Huddersfield Town
Derby County 4-1 Newcastle United
Fylde 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
Sheffield 3-1 Stoke City
16/4/2015
Coventry United 2-0 Nottingham Forest
19/4/2015
Blackburn Rovers 0-4 Coventry United
Bradford City 0-0 Stoke City
Fylde 3-5 Nottingham Forest
Sheffield 4-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
26/4/2015
Blackburn Rovers 6-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Newcastle United 0-3 Coventry United
Stoke City 0-1 Sheffield
3/5/2015
Derby County 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City 2-2 Huddersfield Town
7/5/2015
Sheffield 3-1 Blackburn Rovers
10/5/2015
Huddersfield Town 1-4 Coventry United
Sheffield 3-0 West Bromwich Albion
12/5/2015
Huddersfield Town 4-4 Blackburn Rovers
17/5/2015
Bradford City 1-1 Coventry United
Derby County 2-1 Huddersfield Town
Fylde 1-3 Newcastle United
West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Sheffield
21/5/2015
Fylde 0-4 Huddersfield Town
