MANCHESTER CITY PROVE UPWARDLY MOBILE

Manchester City shook off a pointless opening spell in their campaign to put together a 13-match unbeaten run, earning them a deserved promotion to the top flight after 11 seasons in the Northern Division.

City manager Leigh Wood described it simply: "We lost three league games at the start of the season, but the run of form we had from mid-September made our season close to perfect.”

Their first three points came at Derby County, where they went behind to Lauren Steadman’s second minute opener but recovered to win 3-1. Krystle Johnston levelled shortly after the opener before goals by Felicity Middleton and Becky Lee secured maximum points.

Wood said: “The players’ attitude has been brilliant. We learned not to panic and have the belief to keep playing our football.” That mindset, he added, helped in a particular last gasp victory. “See our 3-2 win against Preston,” he noted, “90 minutes is a long time in football!”

Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City started promisingly and led the table before Manchester City found their flow and moved into top spot after a 4-0 victory over Rotherham in early December. However, it was newcomers Sheffield FC who really raised eyebrows in the race for promotion.

Part of the oldest football club in the world, Sheffield had worked their way up from the bottom of the women's pyramid to the Premier League in just eight years. With a mix of loyal players who were part of that journey and those with proven track records at FAWPL level - like the league’s top scorer Jodie Michalska, as well as Melissa Cook, Ellie Gilliatt and captain Carla Ward - Helen Mitchell’s team more than held their own. There would be greater things to come from the south Yorkshire side during the following season.

At the bottom of the table, two other Yorkshire clubs were struggling and ended up facing relegation. Rotherham United battled on until the end but could only draw rather than win games and so failed to climb above Rochdale; whilst Leeds City Vixens endured a torrid season and finished without registering a point.

Heading up from the Northern and Midlands Combinations to replace them for the following season would be Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

FINAL TABLE

RESULTS

21/8/2011
Derby County 2-3 Sheffield
Leeds City Vixens 1-3 Rochdale
Leicester City 2-0 Rotherham United
Manchester City 1-3 Blackburn Rovers
Sporting Club Albion 5-3 Preston North End

28/8/2011
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Sporting Club Albion
Leicester City 6-0 Leeds City Vixens
Rochdale 1-0 Manchester City
Rotherham United 1-3 Derby County
Sheffield 1-2 Preston North End

4/9/2011
Blackburn Rovers 4-1 Rochdale
Derby County 7-0 Leeds City Vixens 
Preston North End 1-0 Rotherham United
Manchester City 1-2 Leicester City
Sporting Club Albion 0-4 Sheffield

11/9/2011
Derby County 1-3 Manchester City
Leeds City Vixens 0-6 Preston North End
Leicester City 2-4 Blackburn Rovers
Rochdale 0-0 Sporting Club Albion
Rotherham United 1-4 Sheffield

18/09/2011
Blackburn Rovers 2-2 Derby County
Sheffield 5-0 Leeds City Vixens
Sporting Club Albion 2-0 Rotherham United

25/9/2011
Derby County 2-1 Rochdale
Preston North End 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Leeds City Vixens 1-2 Rotherham United
Leicester City 0-3 Sporting Club Albion
Manchester City 5-3 Sheffield

2/10/2011
Leicester City 4-1 Derby County
Rochdale 0-1 Preston North End
Rotherham United 0-4 Manchester City
Sheffield 2-0 Blackburn Rovers
Sporting Club Albion 8-0 Leeds City Vixens

9/10/2011
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Rotherham United
Derby County 1-1 Sporting Club Albion
Preston North End 1-1 Leicester City
Manchester City 11-0 Leeds City Vixens
Sheffield 3-1 Rochdale

16/10/2011
Leicester City 6-0 Sheffield
Sporting Club Albion 1-1 Manchester City

23/10/2011
Preston North End 1-2 Sporting Club Albion
Rochdale 8-1 Leeds City Vixens
Rotherham United 2-7 Leicester City
Sheffield 0-2 Derby County

30/10/2011
Derby County 2-2 Rotherham United
Preston North End 2-4 Sheffield
Leeds City Vixens 0-3 Leicester City
Manchester City 2-0 Rochdale
Sporting Club Albion 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

6/11/2011
Leicester City 0-3 Manchester City
Rochdale 1-1 Blackburn Rovers
Rotherham United 1-1 Preston North End
Sheffield 3-0 Sporting Club Albion

13/11/2011
Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Leicester City
Preston North End 2-0 Leeds City Vixens
Manchester City 7-1 Derby County
Sheffield 0-0 Rotherham United
Sporting Club Albion 4-0 Rochdale 

27/11/2011
Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Preston North End
Rochdale 1-3 Derby County
Rotherham United 5-1 Leeds City Vixens
Sheffield 1-2 Manchester City
Sporting Club Albion 0-2 Leicester City

4/12/2011
Derby County 2-0 Leicester City
Leeds City Vixens 4-7 Sporting Club Albion
Manchester City 4-0 Rotherham United

11/12/2011
Leicester City 2-1 Fylde
Rotherham United 2-3 Blackburn Rovers
Sporting Club Albion 0-2 Derby County

19/2/2012
Preston North End 2-1 Rochdale

26/2/2012
Rochdale 2-1 Rotherham United 

4/3/2012
Manchester City 3-2 Preston North End

18/3/2012
Leeds City Vixens 1-5 Manchester City
Rotherham United 6-4 Rochdale

25/3/2012
Leeds City Vixens 1-8 Derby County
Leicester City 3-0 Rochdale

1/4/2012
Leeds City Vixens 2-3 Sheffield

8/4/2012
Preston North End 1-2 Derby County
Rochdale 1-5 Sheffield

15/4/2012
Preston North End 0-4 Manchester City
Leeds City Vixens 1-11 Blackburn Rovers
Rochdale 1-1 Leicester City
Rotherham United 2-2 Sporting Club Albion

22/4/2012
Manchester City 1-0 Sporting Club Albion
Sheffield 1-1 Leicester City

2/5/2012
Blackburn Rovers 6-0 Leeds City Vixens

6/5/2012
Derby County 2-2 Blackburn Rovers

08/5/2012
Blackburn Rovers 3-1 Manchester City

09/5/2012
Derby County 1-1 Preston North End

13/5/2012
Blackburn Rovers 1-4 Sheffield