Weekend highlights: Portishead with an upset, Bees buzz on, Lightning strike again and a stalemate at the top

Photography by Clive Stapleton

Division One South West: Upset of the Weekend!

Portishead Town 1-0 Swindon Town

Portishead Town, teetering just one point above the relegation zone, pulled off a stunning upset against high-flying Swindon Town, clinching only their second victory of the season. This dramatic win not only keeps Portishead’s survival hopes alive but also shakes up the top end of the table, as Swindon slip to fourth with Worthing climbing above them.

In a match played under gusty conditions, both sides came out swinging. Swindon’s Izzy Cook forced an early save from Portishead goalkeeper Alessandra Hughes, but the breakthrough came in the 35th minute when Emily Lindsay unleashed a long-range strike that found the back of the net. Portishead rattled the woodwork twice, nearly adding to their lead, but their resolute defence ensured they held on for a hard-fought clean sheet against one of the division’s top teams.

With two more games played than 11th placed Bournemouth Sports, Portishead must build on this momentum as they prepare for a crucial relegation clash against their survival rivals on March 2nd. Meanwhile, Swindon have little time to dwell on the defeat, with a Wiltshire FA County Cup clash against Purton on March 9th.

Division One South East: Bees sting their rivals late!

Actonians LFC 1-2 London Bees WFC

London Bees came from behind in dramatic fashion to snatch all three points from Actonians, widening the gap between the two sides and moving just three points behind league leaders Norwich.

The game remained a tight, physical contest for much of the match, with the weather adding an extra layer of difficulty. When substitute Merle Redhead Ling chipped the ball over the keeper to give Actonians the lead in the 82nd minute, it looked like the home side had done enough, but the Bees had other ideas.

In the dying moments of normal time, Aria Heil fired home an equalizer to break Actonians’ hearts. Then, deep into stoppage time, Hayle Marie Hoare delivered a killer blow, scoring directly from a corner to complete a stunning turnaround and secure a vital win for the visitors.

Actonians will need to shake off their third consecutive league defeat as they prepare for a tough encounter with Real Bedford on March 9th, while the buzzing Bees continue their push for promotion.

Division One Midlands: Lightning strike four times!

Loughborough Lightning 4-0 Northampton Town

Loughborough Lightning showed why they’re the team to beat with a dominant 4-0 victory over Northampton Town, tightening their grip on the top spot!

Having edged past Northampton 1-0 just two weeks ago, Lightning might have expected another tight affair. But this time, they wasted no time as Ella-Mai Coutts opened the scoring in the 10th minute and doubled her tally just before the break. Any hopes of a Northampton comeback were shattered early in the second half when Zynia Delglyn made it 3-0, before Jess Collyer added the finishing touch on a near-perfect afternoon for the league leaders.

Northampton manager Liam Williams didn’t mince his words, calling his team’s performance "nowhere near good enough." With Lightning now level on points with Peterborough United but boasting three games in hand, the title is theirs to lose. They next face a struggling Solihull Moors side—will Solihull put up a fight, or will Loughborough continue their unstoppable march to Tier 3?

Division One North: Stalemate at the top!

Cheadle Town Stingers 0-0 Chorley

With the top of the table so tightly contested, this matchup had huge implications... and it’s safe to say title rivals Middlesbrough will be thrilled with the result.

A hard-fought draw leaves Cheadle Town level on points with Middlesbrough, with Chorley three points adrift. In a game dictated by difficult weather conditions, neither side could establish a firm grip in midfield. Cheadle’s Rachel Dunlop came closest in the first half, firing just wide, while Chorley’s defence stood firm against persistent attacks. Despite allegations the ball had crossed over the Chorley goal-line, Cheadle were denied the opener, allowing the away side to grow into the game and presenting hope with deadlock at half time.

The second half saw Chorley grow into the game, with Molly Wood racing through on goal only to be denied by the Cheadle keeper. Lizzy Hamer nearly stole the win for Chorley, with her corners curling dangerously towards goal, but ultimately, the deadlock remained unbroken.

With the title race still wide open, every game counts. The run-in promises to be a nail-biter, who will come out on top?