Four West Ham United women’s team loanees were in action for their respective clubs over the weekend.
Midfielder Keira Flannery earned her first start for Charlton Athletic on Sunday, as the Addicks made it two wins from their first two Barclays Women’s Super League 2 matches of the season with a 2-1 success at Durham.
The 19-year-old played the full 90 minutes at The Graham Sports Centre at Durham University, as the south Londoners scored twice in eight second-half minutes to claim the three points. Elizabeth Hepple gave Durham a half-time lead, but substitutes Gillian Kenney and Lucy Fitzgerald turned the contest on its head late on to send Charlton top of the early standings.
The Addicks will look to make it three wins from as many games when they host Ipswich Town on Sunday. The Tractor Girls fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to fellow newly-promoted side Nottingham Forest at the weekend, with Hammers loanee Jessie Stapleton being introduced on as a 75th-minute substitute to ensure the Tricky Trees secured a 1-0 away win.
It was Nahikari García’s goal three minutes after the restart that separated the two sides at Colchester Community Stadium, and Forest will go in search of back-to-back victories at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Elsewhere in the BWSL 2, Camila Sáez made her full Bristol City debut on Sunday, as the Robins clinched a 2-0 victory at home to Portsmouth.
The Chile international started and played 55 minutes. Bristol City took the lead just before the break via Rio Hardy’s close-range finish. After the Chile international defender was withdrawn, the home side doubled their advantage when Lexi Lloyd-Smith fired home with two minutes of normal time to play. Fellow Hammers loanee Jess Ziu was not in the Robins’ matchday squad.
Having chalked up their first league victory of the campaign, Bristol City travel to Southampton on Sunday, looking to record successive wins.
Meanwhile, Ruby Warwick once again started for Barking, but her side fell to a narrow 3-2 loss at Sutton United in the South East Regional Women's Premier Division, and will look to bounce back at home to Cambridge City in the second qualifying round of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on Sunday.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Rebekah Dowsett was an unused substitute for Watford, who clinched a dramatic 4-3 success at Cheltenham Town in the Women’s National League Southern Premier Division at the weekend. Midfielder Soraya Walsh was not involved in the Hornets’ matchday squad.
Early second-place side Watford, with three wins from their opening four league matches, take on bottom-of-the-table Billericay Town on Sunday.
