THE WEEKLY MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO WOMEN’S AND GIRLS FOOTBALL RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY…… * BELLES AND SUNDERLAND WIN ALL-WSL CUP TIES * Late goal books Copsewood trip to Keepmoat Stadium * England name squad for Cyprus Cup * New era for women’s football at Stevenage * Les takes up the management reins at Oxford Featuring ALL the Women’s Leagues across the country… ACTION Shots . (above) Aston Villa striker Olivia Fergusson tries to escape the attentions of Doncaster Rovers Belles duo Kasia Lipka and Lyndsey Cunningham. (below) Rachel Furness (right) heads Sunderland in front against Oxford Utd (Susan Gutteridge). [email protected] Stevenage Football Club will combine forces with Stevenage Borough Ladies Football Club from next season to form Stevenage Ladies Football Club. This new team will compete in the Eastern Region Premiership, the third tier of the women's game. The move was driven by the increased work in Women's and Girls football in the local community undertaken by Stevenage Football Club Foundation. This work was supported by joint funding from Sport England and the FA with the aim of increasing participation at the grassroots level of the game. The ladies club, which will initially have a first and reserve team, will play its home matches at Codicote Sports Ground, just four miles from The Lamex Stadium and train twice per week at new state-of-the art facilities at Marriotts School in Stevenage. The initial vision is to create a sustainable women's club which can inspire future generations to play the game. "As a Foundation we are beginning to heavily focus on Women's and Girls football," said Alex Tunbridge, Stevenage Football Club's Head of Foundation, who will head up the new club. "In the first six months of this year we will have delivered over 180 hours of provision to over 270 females aged 16-25 years old. "We need to provide opportunities for these players and so spoke with Stevenage Borough Ladies, who have enjoyed fantastic success through their parent club Stevenage Borough Juniors over the years. They expressed their ambitions to grow and play at a higher level of the pyramid and following consultations all parties agreed to forming the new club which will benefit not only today's players but future generations." Trials for the new teams, which will incorporate existing players from Stevenage Borough Ladies, will run across a ten-week period starting from Monday 24th February at Marriotts School in Stevenage from 7pm-8pm. Anyone aged 16 or above interested in attending the ten week trial and free training programme should e-mail [email protected] for more details. Stevenage Borough Ladies are currently competing in the Premier Division of the Eastern Region League and are having a good season, lying in fifth place in the table. The formation of the club will be marked with a commemorative match against Queens Park Rangers on Thursday 1st May 2014 at The Lamex Stadium. Kick off will be at 7.45pm with entry just £2 for adults and free for under 16's. Photo: Dave Potter of Stevenage Borough Ladies with Alex Tunbridge of Stevenage FC Foundation and players from Stevenage Borough Ladies. [email protected] Erika Mole scored a late, late extra time winner as Copsewood (Coventry) reached the Fourth Round of the F.A.Women's Cup for the first time in their history with a 3-2 victory over Larkhall Athletic. In a thrilling battle between two Combination League teams, Copsewood - still unbeaten in all competitions this season - took the lead on the half hour when Melissa Young latched on to Jodie McGuckin's through ball and fired home past Nicki O'Connell. Larkhall had started the game did well and did so in the second half as well but could not break through the Copsewood defence until ten minutes from time, when Kate German scored from close range to send the match into extra time. Copsewood struck the first blow early on, McGuckin was again the creator as she played in Nicola Foskett to score. Larkhall then missed a penalty in their attempts to level the scores but once again they were to hit back when Carly Bryant drove home an equaliser. Penalties were looming large but with just 20 seconds of play left on the clock, McGuckin yet again set up a chance as she got to the line and cut the ball back for Mole to fire into the top corner. There was no time for Larkhall to reply and Copsewood could celebrate one of their biggest wins in an excellent season to date. Sunderland ran out 5-1 winners over Oxford Utd in a clash between two WSL2 sides playing their first competitive matches for nine months. In difficult conditions with a swirling wind, Sunderland took the lead on twelve minutes when Rachel Furness forced the ball home from a corner. Rebekah Bass finished off a good move to mark her Sunderland debut with a goal and double their lead but after Helen King and Lauren Allison had gone close, Oxford pulled one back when Louise Fellows slotted in at the far post from a Sahara Osbourne-Ricketts free kick. However Sunderland restored the two-goal advantage ahead of the break from another corner, this time Furness heading powerfully home. Two minutes into the second half, Abbey Joice curled in a 25-yard shot to increase Sunderland's lead and things were made worse for Oxford when captain Osbourne-Ricketts was sent off for a second bookable offence. Beth Mead rounded off the scoring to complete the win for the Wearsiders who will have their sights set on another good Cup run. Another WSL2 team marched into the Fourth Round as Durham Women marked their first competitive match with a 4-0 win against Chichester City. The Wildcats took the lead in freakish circumstances when a back pass by Chichester defender Lucie Challen was picked up by the wind and beat goalkeeper Hannah McNamara to find the net. The second came just before half time, a Zoe Ness shot deflecting in off Taylor McGlashan. Chichester came out strongly after the break with Lauren Cheshire hitting the bar with a free kick but they couldn't find a way through and Durham put the result beyond doubt with ten minutes remaining when Beth Hepple drove home a free kick. Ness added the final goal in the closing minutes to wrap up a good start for her side. Portsmouth kept up their good Cup run with a 3-0 victory over Lewes in their South Coast derby match. Pompey took the lead in the thirteenth minute when Lucy Quinn's far post cross was volleyed in by captain Gemma Hillier. Shortly afterwards, some confusion in the Lewes back line was capitalised on by Charley Wilson who sidefooted home from close range. Portsmouth completed the scoring ten minutes before half time as Wilson set up Sarah Kempson to score with a powerful left foot strike. Coventry City completed a good day for their area as they joined Copsewood (Coventry) in the Fourth Round after defeating Stoke City 3-1 in a well contested tie at the Ricoh Arena. The Sky Blues went in front after twelve minutes when Helen Dermody scored following a good run and cross by Ashleigh Neville who then got on the scoresheet herself to double her side's lead. Natalie Brace netted the third from close range after the Stoke defence were unable to clear a Maz Gauntlett free kick and despite Chantelle Gallagher replying from the penalty spot, it proved to be a consolation for Stoke as Coventry closed the game out for victory. Doncaster Rovers Belles were 2-0 winners at Aston Villa whilst West Ham Utd won their delayed Second Round tie with C & K Basildon on a penalty shootout (see match reports). [email protected] It was the same old story in the the F.A.Women’s Premier League for yet another week as the weather intervened once again and all of the scheduled matches last Sunday were forced to be called off. Due to a number of clubs being involved in the F.A.Women’s Cup, FAW Women’s Cup and County Cups this Sunday, the fixtures schedule will once again be a depleted one. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ home match against Newcastle Utd was one of the victims of waterlogged pitches and the two clubs will make another attempt to play what is a very important match near the bottom of the Northern Division table. In the Southern Division, the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Cardiff City Ladies was also postponed but the South Wales side will hope for better luck this week as they host Lewes in another attempt to open up a lead of three points at the top of the table. Third are due to meet fourth with Coventry City taking on Portsmouth, who are also aiming to make up further ground in midweek in a South Coast derby match against Brighton & Hove Albion. NORTHERN DIVISION P W D L F A Pts GD LEADING SCORERS SHEFFIELD F.C. 10 9 0 1 44 9 27 35 Krystle JOHNSTON Sheffield F.C. 12 STOKE CITY 12 7 2 3 31 25 23 Jodie6 MICHALSKA Sheffield F.C. 11 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 9 6 2 1 24 9 20 Amber15 HUGHES Nottingham Forest 10 PRESTON NORTH END 11 6 0 5 28 22 18 Melissa6 BALL Preston North End 9 SPORTING CLUB ALBION 12 4 3 5 24 20 15 Beth4 GARDNER Newcastle Utd 9 DERBY COUNTY 10 4 2 4 26 28 14 Carey-2 HUEGETT Leeds Utd 9 LEEDS UTD 13 4 1 8 26 39 13 -13Melissa JOHNSON Derby County 9 BRADFORD CITY 9 3 2 4 15 20 11 Suzanne-5 DAVIES Sheffield F.C.