BLACKBURN’S TITLE AGAIN - BUT ALSO PLAY-OFF DISAPPOINTMENT AGAIN

The 2017-18 FAWPL season was the last played under the Premier League banner ahead of its name-change to The Women’s National League, thus reverting to the title under which the competition had originally been named when launched by the Women’s FA in 1991.

When it arrived the 2018-19 re-branding would be taken in its stride by Blackburn Rovers, who after winning the Northern Division in 2016-17 were about to repeat the feat in 2017-18 and were destined for yet another triumphant campaign in the new-look division. 

Rovers also won the League Cup, beating Leicester City in the final to double their season’s trophy haul. But, sadly for Gemma Donnelly’s team, they lost the promotion play-off for the second season in succession, going down this time to Southern Division champions Charlton Athletic.

They lifted the divisional winner’s trophy thanks not only to winning their last seven games but also to the season-long front runners Middlesbrough crashing to five successive defeats at the death.

Boro had won 11 of their first 13 games to stand way clear at the top of the table by the end of January. They had a major blip in their first game of February, suffering a 9-2 thrashing at the hands of Bradford City. But they bounced back immediately, winning their next three matches to give themselves a points tally of 42 from 17 matches and with the title theirs to lose.

As they headed into their five-match run-in to the end of the campaign, however, they had to face their nearest challengers Leicester - who they had beaten away from home in September - and Blackburn, who they had to play both home and away.

The run-in started badly for Boro, losing 4-0 at home to Blackburn. They also lost their next match, to Stoke City - but on the same day Leicester beat Rovers to leave Boro in the driving seat despite the fact that each of their challengers had games in hand.

City were two games and eight points behind, Blackburn six games and 11 points behind. It was a tall order for either team, despite those spare matches, to snatch the title out of Middlesbrough’s hands.

But Rovers did exactly that and in devastating fashion, winning their last seven outings in a four-week rampage whose results included a revenge win against Leicester to knock them out of contention, and a final day victory over Boro to leave the Teessiders 14 points off the top in the final table.  

Summing up the league season after hitting the winner in that last day 3-2 victory over Middlesbrough, Rovers’ prolific striker Saffron Jordan said: “We never doubted ourselves at all. We’re all in it together as a team and it’s the most impressive team that I’ve seen and played with.” 

FAWNL PREMIER DIVISION PROMOTION PLAY-OFF 2017-18

Blackburn Rovers 1 (Shepherd (p) 5)
Charlton Athletic 2 (Graham 42, Griffin 45+2)

Bramall Lane, Sheffield
27 May 2018
Attendance 917

Two goals in the closing stages of the first half cost Blackburn dearly after captain Lynda Shepherd had given her team a fifth minute lead from the penalty spot.

A Sam Pittock foul on Rovers’ Saffron Jordan had led to the spot-kick, expertly finished by Shepherd.

Jordan’s strike partner Natasha Flint had a long-range free-kick well saved by Charlton goalkeeper Katie Startup as Rovers looked to increase their lead, but the Addicks gradually took control.

Kit Graham headed in their 42nd minute equaliser and then, in the second minute of stoppage time, Georgia Griffin put them in front - also with a header.

Jordan twice had goalbound shots blocked in the second half but, despite their efforts, Rovers were unable to find a second goal and ended the game in play-off heartbreak again. 

An utterly dejected Donnelly said: “I’m extremely disappointed. I thought we were going to do it this year off the back of last season’s disappointment. We’ve turned up, done everything we possibly could to prepare for it, but the result is as it stands.” 

Down though she was post-match, the Rovers manager graciously added: “I’d like to congratulate Charlton because they were excellent across the park.”

Blackburn Rovers: Hill, Jukes (Montgomery 82), Taylor, Shepherd, Holbrook, Makin, Fenton, Jordan, Flint, McDonald, Cook.

Substitutes not used: Size, Walsh, Clarkson, Cunliffe.

Charlton Athletic: Startup, Lukasewich, Coombs, Clifford, Gurr, Churchill, Pittuck, Pepper, Graham, Bennett, Griffin (Nash 81).

Substitutes not used: Brunton-Wilde, Dixson, Lee, Jackson

Referee: Lucy Oliver

FAWNL NORTHERN PREMIER DIVISION UPS AND DOWNS 2017-18

Missing out in the promotion play-off for a second successive season meant that Blackburn - after their application for a licence to enter the FA Women’s Championship (re-titled from FA WSL2) was turned down - would be aiming to make it a hat-trick of league titles in 2018-19.

Meanwhile West Midlands neighbours West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers - the latter after just one season in the Northern Premier Division following promotion - were relegated and would be playing in Division One Midlands  after finishing bottom and second bottom respectively.  

Coming up to the division would be Hull City, who in only their third season as a FAWSL club had deservedly won the 2017-18 Division One North title.

Aside from these traditional promotion and relegation issues there was quite a re-shuffle in the Northern Premier set to take place for the 2018/19 season, including an expansion from 12 to 13 teams.

The division would be losing 2017-18’s runners-up Leicester City, who were moving up to the FA Women’s Championship after being awarded a licence to compete in the higher league.

But coming down from the second tier of the women’s pyramid were three teams including Doncaster Belles, the 2017-18 FA WSL2 champions. They had obtained but then given up the licence to stay in the league, hence their ‘relegation’ to the Northern Premier.

Sheffield FC would also be dropping down after obtaining but then giving up the Tier 2 licence, while Sunderland - seventh in the FA Women’s Super League top flight - had not applied for a FA WSL licence.

FINAL TABLE

FA WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTHERN PREMIER DIVISION RESULTS 2017-18

20/8/2017
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Guiseley Vixens
Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Huddersfield Town 4-0 West Bromwich Albion
Leicester City 2-0 Bradford City
Middlesbrough 0-3 Fylde
Stoke City 1-4 Derby County

27/8/2017
Bradford City 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Huddersfield Town 6-0 Guiseley Vixens
Stoke City 1-3 Leicester City
West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Blackburn Rovers
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-4 Middlesbrough

10/9/2017
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Derby County
West Bromwich Albion 0-5 Stoke City
Bradford City 4-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fylde 2-0 Guiseley Vixens
Huddersfield Town 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Leicester City 1-2 Middlesbrough

17/9/2017
Derby County 0-1 Huddersfield Town
Guiseley Vixens 3-3 Stoke City
Leicester City 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Middlesbrough 4-0 West Bromwich Albion

20/9/2017
Derby County 1-1 Leicester City
Huddersfield Town 2-2 Bradford City
Middlesbrough 3-1 Guiseley Vixens
Stoke City 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-4 West Bromwich Albion

24/9/2017
West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Huddersfield Town
Fylde 1-1 Derby County
Guiseley Vixens 2-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

1/10/2017
Nottingham Forest 5-1 West Bromwich Albion
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Guiseley Vixens
Bradford City 1-2 Derby County
Huddersfield Town 0-1 Middlesbrough
Leicester City 0-0 Fylde
Stoke City 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

8/10/2017
Derby County 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
Guiseley Vixens 2-2 Bradford City
Leicester City 3-2 Huddersfield Town
Middlesbrough 3-0 Stoke City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Nottingham Forest

11/10/2017
Leicester City 4-0 Derby County

15/10/2017
Middlesbrough 0-3 Huddersfield Town
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Fylde

17/10/2017
Bradford City 1-1 Huddersfield Town
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

22/10/2017
Blackburn Rovers 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
Leicester City 3-4 Stoke City

24/10/2017
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Stoke City

29/10/2017
Nottingham Forest 1-5 Middlesbrough
Stoke City 1-1 Blackburn Rovers

5/11/2017
West Bromwich Albion 3-1 Guiseley Vixens
Bradford City 1-2 Fylde
Derby County 0-3 Middlesbrough
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Stoke City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-4 Leicester City

12/11/2017
Derby County 3-2 Nottingham Forest
Fylde 2-7 Leicester City
Middlesbrough 3-2 Bradford City
Stoke City 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-5 Huddersfield Town

15/11/2017
Guiseley Vixens 1-5 Middlesbrough

19/11/2017
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Huddersfield Town

26/11/2017
West Bromwich Albion 1-4 Leicester City
Huddersfield Town 0-3 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-3 Bradford City

7/1/2018
West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Nottingham Forest

14/1/2018
Bradford City 2-6 Stoke City
Huddersfield Town 1-1 Leicester City

28/1/2018
Blackburn Rovers 7-0 Nottingham Forest
Middlesbrough 7-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stoke City 3-2 Guiseley Vixens

4/2/2018
Derby County 0-1 Bradford City
Huddersfield Town 1-0 Fylde

11/2/2018
Derby County 2-2 Guiseley Vixens
Huddersfield Town 4-0 Nottingham Forest

18/2/2018
Bradford City 9-2 Middlesbrough
Derby County 1-0 Fylde
Stoke City 3-2 Huddersfield Town

25/2/2018
West Bromwich Albion 0-5 Fylde
Bradford City 0-3 Blackburn Rovers
Middlesbrough 3-1 Derby County
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4 Stoke City

11/3/2018
Middlesbrough 4-1 Nottingham Forest

15/3/2018
Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Fylde

25/3/2018
Nottingham Forest 0-4 Leicester City
West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Bradford City
Fylde 0-0 Stoke City
Guiseley Vixens 0-2 Derby County

1/4/2018
Fylde 2-1 Bradford City
Leicester City 6-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

8/4/2018
West Bromwich Albion 2-3 Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers 6-2 Derby County
Huddersfield Town 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Leicester City 2-3 Guiseley Vixens

10/4/2018
Blackburn Rovers 4-0 Middlesbrough

15/4/2018
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Huddersfield Town
Stoke City 6-3 Middlesbrough
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Leicester City
Fylde 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Guiseley Vixens 3-2 West Bromwich Albion

17/4/2018
Blackburn Rovers 7-0 Bradford City

19/4/2018
Fylde 2-2 Huddersfield Town
Stoke City 1-2 Bradford City

22/4/2018
Nottingham Forest 3-4 Fylde
Bradford City 4-2 West Bromwich Albion
Guiseley Vixens 0-4 Leicester City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Blackburn Rovers

25/4/2018
Leicester City 3-2 West Bromwich Albion

26/4/2018
Derby County 1-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Fylde 1-6 Blackburn Rovers

29/4/2018
West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Derby County
Fylde 4-3 Middlesbrough
Nottingham Forest 1-0 Bradford City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Guiseley Vixens

1/5/2018
Derby County 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

6/5/2018
Guiseley Vixens 6-0 Nottingham Forest
Leicester City 2-3 Blackburn Rovers
Stoke City 3-1 Fylde
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Derby County

10/5/2018
Bradford City 3-0 Guiseley Vixens

13/5/2018
Guiseley Vixens 2-2 Fylde
Middlesbrough 3-6 Leicester City
Nottingham Forest 1-4 Blackburn Rovers

15/5/2018
Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Stoke City
Fylde 1-0 Nottingham Forest

17/5/2018
Guiseley Vixens 1-3 Blackburn Rovers

20/5/2018
Bradford City 1-4 Leicester City
Derby County 0-4 Stoke City
Fylde 2-1 West Bromwich Albion
Guiseley Vixens 2-1 Huddersfield Town
Middlesbrough 2-3 Blackburn Rovers
Nottingham Forest 0-5 Wolverhampton Wanderers