Yeovil and City take tilt at the top
FOCUS ON TEAMS WHO WON PROMOTION
FROM soldiers to social workers, Yeovil Town Ladies have a unique blend and striker Kelly Aldridge says it has earned them promotion to WSL 1 for the first time.
The Lady Glovers, one of the outside favourites for WSL 2 glory when the season started in February, guaranteed a spot in the top flight with a composed 2-0 victory away at London Bees last weekend, thanks to goals from Kayleigh Green and Nadia Lawrence.
It caps a memorable season for the side, also composed of students, housing officers and teachers, who travel from as far as Kent to get to training three times a week.
The club have been on an equally long journey from the middle of nowhere, having played in the South West Combination League just four years ago.
And Aldridge, 26, says their remarkable rise has been built on hard work, a can-do attitude and intense team spirit.
“We have come from nothing and some of the other clubs in the league do have more money, but I think we have proved that money can’t buy you everything,” she said. “It is a great story for the club. They have had harder times and come through them. Now, all that hard work in the last few years is paying off.
“Years and years ago, when I was playing for my local team, Gloucester City, I played Yeovil and they were just completely different.
“So, I have seen where the club was – and to be a part of where it now is is very sweet.”
Sweet
Aldridge joined Yeovil midway through the season from Cardiff City and has made a major impact, scoring the winner in a crucial 1-0 victory against promotion rivals Everton two weeks ago.
The striker, a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in the British Army, is frustrated that they have to wait until next September to start their WSL 1 journey, due to the league changing to a winter format.
But she will be kept busy, with a British Army vs German Army memorial match in a couple of weeks, followed by a three-month tour of Canada on a winter repair programme.
“People in the Army are very understanding. It is all about talking to them and making sure I can be at Yeovil and working round it,” she said. “It is very hectic. I fix weapons during the day and train with Yeovil at night and I wouldn’t change it.
“I think most of us travel almost two hours to get there. If anyone gets there in under an hour, then we are all very jealous.
“It is all for love, though. I love the club and I love football and I think it is part of the reason why we have done so well.”
The club have a chance to sign off in style when they host Sheffield today, with victory set to confirm them as champions ahead of Bristol City, who are level on points but have an inferior goal difference.
“The chance to lift the trophy is amazing and we are all buzzing for it. We just have to go and do what we do and get the win. It should be ours,” Aldridge said. “It would cap off a fairytale season. It has been a mad one and we have all enjoyed the ride.”
BRISTOL City could hardly have sealed promotion to WSL 1 in more dramatic fashion, but two-goal hero Claire Emslie believes it proved they earned their place at the top table of women’s football.
In the penultimate game of the season last weekend, City knew that victory over Everton would guarantee promotion from WSL 2, ahead of the Toffees, while any other result would take the battle down to the last game today.
The Vixens were cruising at the Select Security Stadium – 3-1 ahead with five minutes remaining, thanks to Emslie’s double and Millie Farrow’s calm finish, while Claudia Walker’s penalty was all Everton had to show.
Then, Danielle Turner’s scrambled 85th-minute effort gave Everton hope, before another 96thminute penalty looked to have broken City hearts, only for Caitlin Leach to save Walker’s effort. It preserved the 3-2 win and guaranteed an instant return to WSL 1.
And, while the sheer outpouring of emotion at the final whistle showed how much it meant to the Vixens, Emslie is adamant she always had faith in Leach.
“When they were awarded the late penalty, I did think Caitlin would save it,” insisted the 22-yearold Scottish midfielder.
“We were a bit scared, thinking promotion might not happen, but then when Caitlin saved it the feeling was unbelievable.
Unbelievable
“The way we secured promotion made it a lot sweeter. We managed to beat one of the best teams when it came to crunch time.
“It makes it feel like you deserve it more when you’re playing at that standard. They beat us last time so we wanted revenge, and to do it at their home ground made it a bit sweeter.”
Guaranteeing themselves a toptwo spot in WSL 2 means Bristol City bounce back from last year’s relegation in perfect style.
That instant return looked in jeopardy when they went through a sequence of just one win in five games in all competitions, but it was a different situation once Emslie joined the club from Florida Atlantic University in June.
“I joined halfway through the season and the only league defeat I experienced was against Everton, so my head was always pretty positive,” she explained.
“We knew getting promotion was going to be tight but we all had that belief that we were capable of doing it.
“I think WSL 1 will be a big step up. The quality is a lot higher than WSL 2 but it’s exciting and we are ready for the challenge.”
Before they head to WSL 1, the Vixens have one final bit of business to attend to – determining the destination of the title.
Heading into this afternoon's clash with Oxford United, they are level on points with table-toppers Yeovil – who host Sheffield – but are six behind on goal difference. Unless they can produce an improbably huge win against the U’s, City will be relying on Sheffield doing them a favour.
“Our main job is just getting the three points,” said Emslie. Promotion was the number one target but winning the league would be amazing on top of that.”