12/11/2017 The Women's Football Show

Good evening. The head of this

weekend 's matches, a third of the

WS one goals have been scored by

Chelsea so could they continue their

free scoring form? Emma Hayes and

side aim to maintain the perfect

start away at Reading. London rivals

Arsenal have named Joe Montanaro as

the successor to the manager. And

we're beside the seaside with a

familiar face hoping bright can

secure a place in WSL 1. --

Brighton. Both guests no Hope Powell

very well. Welcome to Alex Scott and

Rachel Grant -- were at Reading

Park, the latest side to stop

Chelsea's are forward line. And the

Hayes enter side have been free

scoring in 2017, amassing 51 goals

from 12 league matches, including

four during the visit to

Buckinghamshire in the Spring

Series. And The Blues enjoyed

another fruitful night in front of

goal against Rosen guard in the

Champions League on Wednesday.

Reading 's goal-scoring exploits

have caught the eye with Fara

Williams supplying two goal of the

season contenders including the

sensational strike in the

InterContinental Cup win against

Arsenal at the weekend. Today they

welcomed a Chelsea side yet to drop

points and concede in the league

this season. Prior to kick-off on

Remembrance Sunday, as are all

matches this weekend, there was one

minute's silence to remember those

who lost their lives fighting for

their country...

APPLAUSE.

Commentary from Robyn Cowen. These

are the teams for this Women's Super

League game here at Adams Park. Two

changes from Reading from the

Continental Cup side, Mary Earps

returns on goal and Rachel Rowe at

right back. The key player for The

Royals, Lara Williams, has five

goals in six games this season,

including one from the halfway line.

Chelsea have a 100% record in league

and domestic cup competitions this

season and Gemma Davison, Karen

Carney Andrew come in with Frank

Kirby basing her former side from

the start for the first time. --

facing.

Spence. Kirby gets a second bite of

the Cherry and that was a good save

by Earps. Not very good defensively

from Reading. That was a decent save

in the end. One cap to her name, the

first of many, I am sure, if she

continues her development. Kirby

could be in. That was an excellent

save. And that was a very poor pass.

She makes the save. Interesting to

save Kirby scores, what will the

reaction be? This is a club she

spent most of her career before

moving to Chelsea in summer 2015.

Davison. Cutting inside, still

going... That was not far away at

all. That was a decent effort.

Some time to be quite that cross.

Lindell. Just about get that away.

Farah Willaims. Alan! Reading lead.

That was sloppy defence of work by

Chelsea. And Reading capitalise. The

first goal that Chelsea have

conceded in WSL 1 this season. Four

and nearly a half games and it is

Reading. Carney. She wanted it back.

This is Davison. Drew Spence was

coming in at the back, defensive

header. Leaving that for a Karen

Carney, she slips and wins the free

kick. This is a very good position

for Chelsea.

This is a really good chance for the

equaliser for Chelsea. Quite a few

candidates. Eriksson has a terrific

left foot. Carney taking that with

her right foot and that is

brilliant. Pinpoint from Karen

Carney. Mary Earps, grasping at thin

air. And Karen Carney gets Chelsea

the equaliser. Reading pegged back.

And this is where they will be

tested. Free kick to Reading. Can't

Reading capitalise from the similar

position? Williams. Of the post!

That was so close! That was a

thundering effort from Fara

Williams.

Chelsea break, be waiting for Drew

Spence to offer another option and

sheer -- here she is. Spence of the

effort. Straight at Earps. Fara

Williams... Absolutely cannoned off

the post. Davison. Getting that

around Scott and she doesn't. Kirby.

A local! What a finish! Eniola

Aluko. With her fifth of the season.

Meeting -- beating Mary Earps. That

was a thunderous finish. 2-1,

Chelsea. Harriet Scott. The deep

cross, Furness is there! Off the

line by Eriksson. Great play. By the

Swedish international.

Furness. That was a foul. And a

booking for Eriksson. This could be

the last transfer Reading. Into

stoppage time, Potter. -- the last

chance for Reading. And that is an

own goal! Reading draw level,

Eriksson passing, past Lindell, into

her own net, completely

unchallenged. And that is a huge

mistake and Reading will deservedly

take something from this.

Picking up

the point was magnificent, from

where we were even last season and

competing with Chelsea is fantastic.

We have again every three days and

one step away from qualifying for

the quarterfinals for the Champions

League, we are going to feel it, we

looked tired and that is to be

expected but my team showed great

character in the second half to come

back. Apart from the own goal, we

would have come away with three

points but I am very proud of them.

When you go to- one behind it shows

strength of character to come back

and get the point.

It is all about

keeping discipline. Working hard as

a team and working for each other in

possession and that

Reading understandably happy, the

first dropped points for Chelsea and

the first goals conceded but Rachel,

bedding absolutely deserved

something?

They did, they took the

game to Chelsea. They were intense

from the start, pressing Chelsea

high. They did not let them play

from the back and they did offer are

lot upfront. We can hear the

goalkick. Chelsea like

through

through the back. You can see the

intent from Reading. Up against each

other. Kicking the ball long and it

goes out. We can see their intent in

pressing but in numbers, this time

three players. Rachel Furniss was

outstanding throughout, from the

first minute to the last. Hunting in

packs. Three players, Eriksson,

giving her no time on the ball. The

same when the ball was higher up the

pitch, the Reading players forcing

that error and regain possession.

Towards the end, Furness, Crystal

Dunn, Furness has the tenacity and

the foresight to win the free kick

for her team. Outstanding.

We saw Liverpool defending well

against Chelsea weeks ago but

Reading were not afraid to go

forward against the side? I have

been so impressed with Reading. Bold

and brave, not just the defensive

organisation but their inability to

get a lot of numbers forward and not

just one player, Fara Williams

making runs, Brooke Chaplen, or Remi

Allen, and it is so hard for any

defensive unit to pick anybody up

because there are so many numbers

forward.

We saw Liverpool defending

well and they limited the number of

chances Chelsea had, flooding for

words, lovely backheel by Fara

Williams and that finish by Remi

Allen but they are challenging the

goalkeeper, getting numbers higher

up, four players in the box and this

one is cleared from the line by

Reading, created more chances than

any other team against Chelsea this

season. Brooke Chaplen added a very

good chance towards the end to

finish this but this one... This

just needed more on it. The odd side

of right foot. The set piece from

Potter, that is an own goal. But

nothing more than Reading deserved.

At least one point from that game is

what Reading deserve.

They have

shown that tenacity in every game,

they have been doing this every

game.

Interesting but frustrating

for Chelsea. As you expect with

these bigger clubs, they know how to

make something of this game and

perhaps fatigue from the Champions

League?

They have had a lot of

games, coming thick and fast. The

manager said that. With this Chelsea

team, any sign of a good team is you

find a way to win even when not

playing well and here, Karen Carney,

she is a wizard, she has the

technical ability on a free kick

like this to put it into the net.

If

I was Earps I would be livid at that

wall. It splits, it does not become

technically a wall. Between their

heads! It leaves are exposed. The

wizard creates a good free, of

course.

They have world-class players coming

off the bench as well. We see an

example of this beautiful finish

from Eni Aluko. Great vision as well

to square it to her.

Absolutely

fantastic result from Reading. Those

dropped points for Chelsea mean

Manchester City could move to the

summit of WSL one if they defeated

Bristol City at the academy Stadium.

Christiansen has made the run.

Christiansen goes down, panel the!

-- penalty. Successful from the spot

midweek and does it again, beats

Baggaley into the bottom corner,

composed again from Izzy

Christiansen. Christiansen, fifth

penalty of the campaign, get the

mess. Horton takes aim, and somehow

it stays out, agonisingly close from

the England captain. Beauty goes

long to her faith Peaty. Precision

finish from Clare Ensley against her

former club. Took on Dijks, opened

up the space, venomous effort.

A big chance for Bristol City, great

save.

Lawley gets the crossing, back out

it comes, McManus! Oh, that special!

Unstoppable strike from Abbey

McManus! The first ever WSL league

goal, and that was absolutely

unstoppable! Top corner, nothing

Baggaley could do whatsoever.

Ensley wins the ball back. Gets the

cross in towards Beattie, shifted

away, and finds the bottom corner!

The centre-back finishing like a

centre forward. Beattie took it

well, shifted away from Kirk Dyke,

ruthlessly finished, inch perfect

into the bottom corner.

ruthlessly finished, inch perfect

into the bottom corner.

We are now

being chased and we have to keep the

leveller but it means nothing, I

have said before I don't believe the

league will be won on head to heads,

I believe it will be won on the

games in between, our Champions

League game and when you have to

rotate the team and have a few

injuries. Today we have come up with

a really good, consistent

performance. Manchester City flying

as ever, and that is despite some

big changes in the personnel. But

Abbey McManus not doing too badly

for Lucy Bronze.

What Abbey McManus has done is OK,

these are my strength, I will not

try to be a Lucy Bronze, she just

has to play to her strengths and

that is what was or in the game

today. Her ability on the ball,

technical ability, which we saw in

this gold, the ability on her left

foot, and I know Lucy Bronze is she

is watching that, it is something

she has been working on. But it has

been really impressive this season.

Chelsea and Manchester City face

each other next time out, what would

you expect from a game like that?

We

can't really say will be a tight

affair, Chelsea last season backed

off and shot themselves in the fit,

this time I think those galore.

Definitely.

Three more games to

catch up on, when Arsenal named

their new manager.

The Australian coach Joe Montanaro

is the one who will replace Pedro

Lopez at the park. Having previously

lived the club to successive titles.

He will take the reins with Ishmael

Garcia once again in charge against

Sunderland. Arsenal

Garcia once again in charge against

Sunderland. Arsenal saw early

chances to put in front. This effort

bounced off the bar. Beth Mead

failed to finish with the rebound.

Sunderland were having a tough time

breaking through Arsenal's defence

and when they eventually did, the

skipper Lucy Stephan a fourth was

unable to hit the target, her effort

flew over the bar. Arsenal ended the

first half strong and began the

second in just the same way. A free

kick from Jordan Nobbs found by

Lewis Quinn who nodded the Gunners

in front. And it seems there has

been a focus on set pieces. A corner

kick pundits weigh the near Dema,

who finished beautifully. The

captain stepped up to take another

free kick on the edge of the box was

that that turned into Arsenal's

third goal of the game, certainly

giving the incoming manager

something to look forward to. It

finished 3-0. Saturday night saw

Birmingham take a trip to meet

Liverpool, the hosts come into this

having won their last three games in

all competitions, and their

intentions to continue shown by this

long pass into the Birmingham half

chased and perfectly timed to lob

over the keeper. Birmingham are yet

to secure back-to-back wins in any

competition this season and have

been struggling with consistency.

They responded well by slicing

through Liverpool's defence with a

long ball through falling to Charlie

Wellings, whose effort went wide of

the post. They needed to be sure of

a win to keep them within touching

distance of the leaders. This nearly

was not the case were stop and

search of equaliser, denied by the

crossbar, Liverpool take all three

point and Birmingham are now without

a win in their last three WSL games.

Both teams came into this one

without a point so far this season.

With Yeovil yet to even score a

goal. They win the either side in

this game would be a huge boost for

their respective campaigns. 17

minutes in, Courtney Sweetman Kirk

saw Everton get the early lead. A

game of few chances, Chloe Lloyd's

Ross was inch perfect. Ella pussy

could only head wide. Everton went

forward in search of a goal that

would seal three points for them is

the first time this season. On the

hour mark they were given the

perfect opportunity. Nicola cousins

bringing down Sweetman Kirk for an

Everton penalty. Chloe Kelly made no

mistake from the spot. For Yeovil,

the wait for their first point and

first goal continues.

Meanwhile, Millwall dropped to third

on the table despite their win over

Oxford, after they were docked three

points for fielding an ineligible

player earlier this season. So a big

weekend, back-to-back wins for you

at Arsenal, Alex. And the new

manager has come in, a bit of an

unknown quantity on these shores,

what can we expect?

I met him,

enthusiasm, passion, energy, and he

will once to cumin. He knows this

Arsenal job is a big one, he wants

to win and is already all marked

people from previous games for stop

they are small things, we have

everything there, he thinks, we have

the backing, the support, world

class players, we just need Joe to

come in and take the reins and move

us forward.

A really good when

Ferguson, your old club.

A timely

win. Bristol Academy and Sunderland

as well. Hoping they get those three

points, which they did, and plod on,

get the next three points on the

board against the next two teams as

well. Get them higher up the board.

They have gone for time this season,

a real statement for the club, and

Andy Spence and his young team are

making progress.

We saw the

conclusion of girls football week

this week, around 40,000 young girls

involved in that. Some of the clubs

as well. It is good to see so many

young people taking part in the

sport.

It is great, it is the third

year it has been going now, such a

great week for clubs as well. The

clubs and the players need to be

condemned, because every time they

put their full effort in to go into

local schools, to try to the those

role models and get more people

involved in the sport. That is what

you need. If I was to go into the

school and influence one or two and

they pick up playing football,

that's great. Wood you are getting

role models in your front garden, as

we just saw. That is the highest way

of inspiring the next oppression of

players to start playing.

It should

be commended. Absolutely! Hopefully

a number of those young girls will

be playing in the one, which from

next season becomes a professional

league. One club to have secured a

bid to become a top tier persons are

brightened, under hope Powell, the

former England manager, in WSL two.

Clinical

take a touch before you

pass.

When you look back at your

time with England, 15 years, you on

that time now?

Fabulous, apart from

the last five minute when I lost my

job. I worked with some fantastic

people.

COMMENTATOR:

Ellen White,

lobster keeper, finds the net!

That's a brilliant goal!

The players

were not full-time as they are now

and we achieved a hell of a lot, got

to a European Championship final in

2009, which seems to have been

forgotten. I think that is a bit

unfair to the players of that time

and the staff of that time.

If you

could have your time again as

England boss, do you have any

regrets?

Not one.

In your opinion,

do you think it's important the next

in the manager should be female or

what they go for the next candidate?

I think it should be. It is a time

to give the best female is the best

opportunity to work in the game.

Unfortunately there are not that

many opportunities. Men seem to get

the opportunity in both men and the

women's game, so for me, if the

candidate has the right credentials

and they are female, they should the

job.

Inside, outside!

What pulled you

back in, and why Brighton?

I think

just working with the team, working

with players, I am passionate about

player development. This club felt

right, the environment felt right,

and you know, their ambition is real

and realistic, so I like that.

Was

at the ambition that was the main

polling point for you?

I think so,

their ambition to get the WSL1, the

ambition to build something. I like

to think of myself as a bit of a

builder, I did that with England, we

started with nothing and we got

something that I think is quite good

and left quite a good legacy and I

am hoping that we can do the same

here.

OK, everyone look at me. Take it on

the back foot, fit of a turn, come

again and go but nice and sharp.

Away you go for stop

what is that

news like, knowing a former England

manager would be your new boss?

Very

impressed, very proud and excited.

Since she has come in and it has

just been phenomenal, even cutting

it right down from the basics to how

experience she is has been

absolutely amazing for us and we are

all very lucky to have her here.

A

little bit more, get on those toes,

Phyllis.

You Mitchell Johnson start

the spring series, some people might

say moving from Chelsea ladies to

any club will be almost a

disappointment I guess, but not

here? Tell me why Brighton ladies

was the clubs are you?

As soon as I

came down to the club, I fell in

love. It has everything you want,

ranging from the players, the

facilities, the background staff,

the manager, everything about the

club you just kind of fall in love

with. When you are happy off and on

the pitch, it was just the club for

me.

Brighton will put in an

application to be in WSL1, how

confident is the club that

application will be successful?

I

think we are fairly confident. We

have the basic foundations to do

that. It is a club in the short time

I have been here that want to do

things the right way. We have got

the infrastructure to do it, the

commitment from the board and the

owner to do it, so I am hoping that

the application meets the

requirement.

Not every big men's club has a

women's team. Why is it so important

to Brighton to invest in its women's

team?

We have got a city which is

vibrant, it is multicultural,

diverse and everywhere. It is a city

which prides itself on being

welcoming to all sexes, all types of

people, and football should not be

any different. We have a 50-50 split

between male and female in this

country, why wouldn't and shouldn't

women and girls love football as

much as men and boys? Therefore we

feel it is important to have equal

status as far as we possibly can for

the women and girls game.

Taylor has

Brighton's fourth! The Seagulls are

going up! Promotion to WSL2 secured.

CHANTING

To get into WSL1, I think there will

have to be more financial commitment

from the club, I am sure viewers at

home will be interested to know how

much it is going to cost.

We are

talking about a substantial extra

investment, something we have talked

about at board level and we are

prepared to make that commitment. I

think it is good and that is the

right thing to do.

Are we talking

hundreds of thousands?

Many hundreds

of thousands, well into seven

figures to women's folk will at this

level.

Is a fully professional league the

right move?

The clubs that can

afford that would say yes and those

who cannot may have a different view

but it is the right thing to do and

it would appear clubs are in a

position to become full-time

athletes, which is fantastic, and

football in this country has gone

from strength to strength and a good

league will help the national team,

which has always been the case. I've

said on the other side as a club

coach and my ambition is to grow

this club and these players and help

them achieve their ambitions,

playing in the top flag or playing

in the top flag of being an

international. It feels right for

this club.

Where do you hope to see

the team?

Seven years. We want to be

in the top, pushing. WSL 1. Near the

top of the league. And then

Champions League. Seven years...

Through anybody watching at home you

might have noticed Laura Rafferty

sporting a black eye, that was from

the last game and nothing to do with

Hope Powell! You know her very well!

She describes herself as a builder.

Is that the perfect fit for where

she is at Brighton?

Absolutely, she

did that with the national team, she

likes the project, starting

something and seeing it through and

if it was not for her, most of my

football education came through her,

she is so meticulous in planning and

getting players to know their roles

and executing them and it is a very

good fit for Brighton at this

moment, but seven-year plan? I'm not

sure what that number came from.

That is a pretty big scoop. Is it

realistic, looking at those

ambitions?

She has not just thrown

that number out, she will have

discussed this with the club and it

seems they are fully on board, with

Hope Powell's plans for expanding

Brighton and their future, and it

seems they are committed so I think

we cannot look at what happens in

seven years but it seems a very

positive future for Brighton and the

girls involved.

On the immediate

horizon the plan is to reach WSL 1

and the criteria is coming up...

What stands out is the minimum

financial investment required, we

have seen what happened with Notts

County, Watford have been in the

press and on social media this week,

women's teams are still vulnerable

to funding cuts but in this sense,

looking at the investment Brighton

are putting in, that should be

commended?

Absolutely and as Hope

Powell said, it does not suit every

team, those who can afford to do it

will do and it certainly is the

right thing to do for women's

football to progress and become

fully professional.

Brighton should

be commended. Hope said she wants

the next England manager to be a

woman for several reasons, your

former manager, Laura Harvey, has

less Seattle -- left Seattle this

week... No rumours!

Would she be a

very good fit? When Laura Harvey

took over at Arsenal, she took over

from the kickers, who was

phenomenal, and she came in with

such ease, dealing with

personalities and still having the

tradition of winning silverware. A

great fit for women's England team?

Yes. She came to Arsenal when it was

still semiprofessional and she has

worked with a fully professional

setup in America so she will have

learned a lot from the States.

I can

see her in the running. OK! Just

putting it out there! That is about

it from us, plenty of sport

elsewhere on the BBC this week, as

ever. Tomorrow, live coverage of the

ATP finals on BBC Two. And on

Tuesday night, England host Brazil

at Wembley. Commentary on Five Live

and the BBC sport website, where you

can get plenty of reaction from the

Women's Super League. Thanks to Alex

and Rachel. Chelsea have dropped

their first points of the season

after a frantic finale at Reading.

Bye-bye for now!