Reading secure top-flight status as Doncaster Belles rue relegation

Reading secured their Women’s Super League 1 status for another year as the only WSL1 game of the weekend went their way.

Doncaster Belles’ relegation was confirmed as they lost 2-1 at home to Notts County. Carla Humphrey scored early on, but Aileen Whelan and Jess Clarke replied for the visitors, condemning Belles to WSL2 football next season and leaving them stranded at the bottom of the table, still on zero points.

“We’ve learned lessons this year so that if we come back up we’ll do it the right way, the Belles way and learn from what we’ve done wrong,” Belles manager Emma Coates told the FA WSL website after the game.

Sheffield continue to impress in their debut WSL season, leaping up to fifth in WSL2 after beating Watford 3-1 at Berkhamsted.

Captain Carla Ward opened the scoring in the second minute, with Jodie Michalska and Sophie Jones wrapping up the win – although Phoebe Read gave the Golden Girls some hope with a second-half strike that brought them level for a time.

The WSL is now on a two-week hiatus for international games.

*Carrie Dunn is SHOOT’s Women’s Football correspondent. Her book ‘The Roar of the Lionesses: Women’s Football in England’ is out now – available in all good bookshops.*