On Sunday we were back at the Leigh Sports Village to see Manchester United take on Leicester City in what we hoped would be an entertaining game of football due to Leicester trying to hold onto their unbeaten run and United trying to bounce back from their last league game where Arsenal secured a late draw. In all honesty though we came away from the game a little disappointed, the game felt scrappy and the freezing weather didn't help the cause as the game finished in a 1-1 draw. 

A good result for Leicester as they remain unbeaten but the draw meant United have dropped 2 more valuable points as we know just how tight it can be at the top of the table from the start of the season to the final day.

United went into the game having made a few changes which saw the likes of Galton & Toone dropped to the bench and before the kick off you couldn't help but wondering if that was done with Wednesday nights Champions League second leg in mind. United started the game quite well with a good chance in the opening minutes when Parris played the ball to Garcia but there was a little too much on the ball and Leicester were able to reset from the 'keeper and push for an attack of their own. Possibly the worst part of the game came in the 6th minute when United's George went into to defend the ball but ended up going down with a scream of pain, we were sat at the opposite end of the stadium and heard the scream which when you know a player has a history of knee injuries gets you worrying. After a lengthy stoppage George was helped off the pitch by the physios but it didn't look good, it has since been confirmed that she has in fact suffered an ACL injury, not what United wanted this season and especially not so early on in the game.

With George going off injured Skinner was forced into an early change and we saw Riviere enter the game. The change didn't seem to effect United too much as they continued to pile the pressure on Leicester who were looking really unsettled at the back with the strong press from United, Leicester ended up kicking the ball out of play or giving the ball straight back to United. Leicester did end up having a chance of their own in the 19th minute when they caught United against the run of play they just couldn't make the final connection and they were back to defending.

United were soon back on the front foot with possession and a great bit of link up play between Blundell, Miyazawa & Malard saw the ball find its way through to Parris who got the shot off which was easily saved by the Leicester 'keeper. Parris found herself through on goal not long after however, this time it was sent behind for a corner. Zelem was next up to take a shot but again the Leicester 'keeper had this covered as she parried the ball away. The pressure really was on Leicester with shot after shot coming from United but for some reason United just couldn't find the back of the net no matter how hard they tried. Miyawaza definitely had the best chance of the half when he shot ended up rattling the underside of the crossbar, we don't think anyone understood how it didn't actually go in the goal, Garcia tried to get on the rebound but the ball ended up over the bar.

The game really was scrappy from both sides throughout the first half and there were moments where you couldn't help but feel that Leicester were playing the referee a bit with come tactic time wasting, players just seemed to be dropping for the sake of it and the referee let it go on for far too long which got the crowd riled up. Throughout the whole of the first half it seemed as though the referee was all for Leicester as all decisions seemed to be going in their favour and nothing in United's.

Leicester started the second half with a triple change in the hopes of changing the direction of the game and it worked in the early stages of the second period as the first chance went Leicester's way but Riviere managed to get the ball cleared away. They were certainly putting the pressure on United as it took them a while to settle back down and get back into the game. United eventually started to grow back into the game and it seemed that this time the referee had found his cards as there were two quick yellow cards given to Leicester players one for kicking the ball away and one for a challenge on Parris in a position that lead to a chance for United but Zelem's free kick found its way over the crossbar.

Skinner obviously saw that something needed to change as he brought Williams, Galton & Toone into the game. The changes didn't have an instant impact as he may have hoped though as not long after the substitutions United gave away a free kick in a dangerous position which Leicester capitalized on and the ball in found an unmarked Whelan who found the back of the net to give Leicester a 60th minute lead. Earps was absolutely furious with the goal as Whelan should definitely have been marked, but should the free kick have been given in the first place? We aren't too sure as there wasn't much in the challenge in the first place but either way United's defence should have been much better. No doubt Earps was also furious due to this goal meaning that her 100th appearance wasn't ending with a clean sheet like she would have hoped.

United knew they needed to get themselves back into the game quickly but things just weren't going their way until Galton's chance was turned behind for a corner. In the 67th minute United drew the scoreline level as a brilliant corner found Le Tissier who found the back of the net, finally United managed to convert one of their chances and the scoreline was at 1-1.

The goal certainly fired up the crowd but it was Leicester who followed up the United goal with an attack of their own which saw a big save from Earps. The game was more or less end to end at this point with both teams trying to find a winner. We even saw Evans come on for United to make her debut and replace earlier substitute Riviere who seemed to be suffering with cramp. Galton's introduction to the game seemed to help United out a bit as she was putting some great balls into the box, one in the second half saw Parris through on goal but what looked like a nasty challenge from our end saw Parris and two Leicester players on the floor for a period of time. Once that stoppage was over it was a case of trying to get momentum back into the game and United got another chance but Blundell's shot was straight at the 'keeper. You would have thought United would really pile the pressure on Leicester as they had the majority of possession however, there was no really urgency to attack and they spent more time passing the ball backwards and playing each other into trouble. There were 7 minutes added onto the second half and United left it until the end of those 7 minutes to really start to attack once more, there were a run of late corners and a late free kick in a good position but before anyone could get on the end of it the flag was up for offside and United's last chance of the game had gone with them having to settle for a 1-1 draw.

The whole game was a physical one from both sides and that is what won United the ball back plenty of times however, they just had no end product for the majority of the game, the scoreline could have been totally different if they had actually taken their chances like they usually would. You really can't take away from Leicester's performance either, they really held their own against United and put them to the test, something which hasn't happened so much in previous seasons. It is going to be interesting to see how long Leicester can keep up with these performances for as they are a whole new team to watch.

The game was certainly not the best to watch but a point is a point at the end of the day. Next up United are back in Champions League action against PSG before a return to the WSL at the weekend against Everton.

Exactly one month on from that fantastic Euros win we were sat in yet another stadium watching another very interesting game of football. This time we were watching local team Bradford City Women take on Barnsley Women, with City searching for their first points of the season it was always bound to be a good game as the team gave it their all to get those points but unfortunately at the full time whistle it was Barnsley who walked away will all 3 points and a 0-1 victory. 

The game was mostly well contested in the middle of the park with both teams midfields and defences working really well to put their opponents under pressure and try create a chance for their team. The middle of the field definitely saw a lot of action but unfortunately did the goal City were defending with 'keeper Kirkham having to pull some fantastic saves off in each half with some of the more spectacular ones taking place in the first half to keep the score line 0-0 going into half time.

City had a fair few chances of their own during the game and although they were moving the ball really well around the field, linking up to create some dangerous looking attacks they just couldn't seem to find a shot that really challenged the Barnsley 'keeper. Throughout the full 90 minutes though they were doing well at putting Barnsley under pressure and had them scrambling at the back at times. Barnsley were definitely in front when it came to shots on goal though and it didn't take long after half time for them to a brilliant goal, a lob over the City 'keeper, which would be the goal that sealed the victory for them. 

The officials for this game didn't really help the game as at times things started to get a bit heated both on the touchline and on the pitch with a few clear card opportunities not taken with silly little challenges then going on to be punished. Lengthy injury delays, one for a head injury to City's Stuart & a Barnsley defender and then a challenge where 'keeper Kirkham got injured making a challenge for which she saw a yellow card plus the delays for talking to players to explain decisions seemed to have players stood around for a very long time yet there didn't seem to be much time added on to either half which left us fans in the stand a little confused and I am sure with the momentum City had in the final 5 minutes of the game any extra time would have been greatly appreciated. 

Even after going 0-1 though City kept up the pressure and again were really chasing for that equaliser that unfortunately never came, they never looked like dropping their heads though and after 3 tough results in the league now their attitude and determination doesn't seem to have dropped one bit and you can see they are hungry to get some points on the table and hit the ground running in the league. All the team had a great game really with Woodcock & Stuart seeming to have picked off where they left off last season and Stube & Norde putting in a great performance in midfield if they can just get that final product sorted out the team could really be a threat in the league. Watkins came on in the second half and she has impressed me this season with her speed, chasing the ball down and really putting the pressure on the defenders which came in handy against Barnsley and I am sure it is going to be an advantage to City during the season. O'Hanlon also had a good game making some great runs, reading the game well and holding up the ball ready to pass it off to another City player, as the season progresses and that link up with O'Hanlon and the City midfield settles down and gels a bit more I think we could see a lot of dangerous plays go through those players.

Our player of the match though has to go to Jakeman, City's right back for the evening. Throughout the game Jakeman was standing out to us with some great tracking back and winning the ball back in dangerous positions, keeping the ball in play to keep momentum going and also creating some great passages of play to get City moving forward. Her link up play on the right hand side was great, to say when we first started watching City Jakeman was in a midfield role she seems to be taking to the right back role really well and I am looking forward to seeing how she progresses throughout this season.

The wait for points this season continues for City but will they pick some up in their next game when they are on the road for a game against Stockport County, a team who have picked up 1 point this season so far. Let's hope results start going in City's favour soon.

With numerous new faces featuring alongside old faces for City it was going to be interesting to see how they were all gelling together as a team under the new management but as the game got under way it was safe to say they looked like they had worked hard in preseason and looked like a team straight away, there are obviously some areas that still need working on but as this was the first game for the season that was always going to be the case. City really started well moving the ball around especially in the midfield where Stuart & Stube seemed to be creating some great movement and getting City into some testing positions. There were a few scrappy moments from both teams but with it being the first game of the season it was to be expected with players getting used to each others style of play, City looked the more dominating side in the opening moments however, it was Middlesborough who took the lead after being awarded a free kick on the edge of the area, this was taken brilliantly and put them 0-1 up against the run of play, the goal seemed to help Middlesbrough find a bit of momentum before the half time whistle blew but there wasn't enough time for them to add to their tally in the first half.

Going into the second half 0-1 down didn't seem to let City's heads down though as they came out fighting for an equalizer and again they looked the more dominating team in the second half, chasing the ball down and moving the ball around to get into some dangerous positions but they just couldn't find the back of the goal, that was until a corner was sent into the box and some scrappy defending left the ball at the feet of City's American defender Chynna Harris who eventually turned the ball into the back of the goal to bring the scoreline to 1-1. After the equalizer it looked like the game could go either way with both teams getting the ball into some good positions which left the game feeling pretty tense at times with the chance of the result going either way but in the later stages of the game Middlesbrough gained another corner and just like with the City goal some scrappy defensive work ended with the ball in the back of the goal and Middlesbrough found themselves with a 1-2 lead to hold onto which they did meaning City's first game of the season in a defeat which really didn't do City's performance justice. 

City might have lost their opening game but they never looked like giving up throughout the 90 minutes, when they went behind they kept up the intensity and tried their hardest to get a goal back, this seems to be following on from last season where we saw a massive improvement in the teams reaction to going a goal behind and fingers crossed we are going to see this attitude throughout the whole season, although it would be great not to go behind too often. City definitely looked good to say it is only the first game of the season and I am really looking forward to seeing how they progress this year under the Charlotte Stuart and Gareth Davis because after watching them on Sunday we could be in for an interesting season.

It was good to see a few more fans in the ground on Sunday too with the Euros win seeming to have an effect on people wanting to come down to watch some women's football for a change and fingers crossed the momentum of the attendance growth keeps up into the whole season and beyond as those extra fans getting behind the team could really help shape performances, let's hope they don't drop off when the weather starts to turn.

Next up for City is a trip to York as they take on York City with both sides looking for their first 3 points of the season.  

Bradford City Women returned to Eccleshill to face FC United of Manchester Women under the lights for another all important FAWNL league game that was always bound to be a good game with both teams looking to improve their current form and get a win under their belt. The game was a big one for Bradford though with the chance to pick up 3 points to lift them away from the relegation zone and with games in hand on those around them in the table every point from games in hand is vital. The game definitely didn't disappoint those in the crowd with Bradford putting on a brilliant performance and walking away with all 3 points after an impressive 3-0 victory. 

It was United who had the first chance of the game with an early free kick which found itself going out of play for a City goal kick. From there though it took them a while to get their next chance as City picked up pace and really started to show just what they are capable of when they put some great passes together. It took just 4 minutes for City to get on the scoreboard with Jakeman playing a great ball through to Stuart who slots the ball into the far corner to give City a deserved early lead. It was nice to see the team go ahead for a change and keep up momentum and pressing the opposition rather than taking their foot off the pedal and sitting back. United did try to draw level with City struggling to clear their lines after some good pressure from United however, the eventual shot went wide without troubling City 'keeper Kirkham. 

After that small bit of pressure City picked up momentum once more and in the 12th minute Stuart got her second of the evening, a loose ball back to the United 'keeper was closed down very quickly by Stuart who deflected the ball around the 'keeper and hit the ball in the back of the net. From there on out City just looked more motivated than ever and even had a possible goal ruled out for offside. United did keep trying to apply pressure to get a goal back but after rattling the crossbar and some fantastic saves from Kirkham they just couldn't find the back of the net. 

City went into half time 2-0 up and had certainly put on an impressive display in the first half which looked a lot better than some of the performances so far this season, they just looked stronger and like they wanted those 3 points more than ever. 

The second half was just like the second with City looking the more dominant side throughout with United having a few spells of pressure which didn't amount to much due to a brilliant defence and absolutely fantastic goalkeeping. In the 52nd minute City wrapped up the game with their 3rd and final goal of the evening, Beck went on a great attacking run and ended up riffling the ball into the top corner giving the United 'keeper no chance of saving the ball.  From this point both teams were trying their best to grab a goal however, the game ended 3-0 to City and the performance gives us all hope for the rest of the season. 

City's performance against FC United was a much better team performance with a lot of positives to take from the game, they started the game strong and kept on pushing to get the most out of the game. They chased the ball down and put pressure on United, creating some fantastic chances for themselves and getting themselves into some dangerous positions. The team moved the ball around well throughout the game creating some great paces and getting into space to go on the attack and it was nice to see the passes linking up well and plenty of attacks taking place. 

In terms of our player of the match me and Liam both agreed it could have gone to a fair few players as each one had strong parts of the game however, we both settled on a joint player of the match as it was too difficult to pick between 'keeper Kirkham and Stuart. Both these players had fantastic games with Kirkham making some brilliant saves to keep a clean sheet then you have Stuart who got 2 early goals and showed no signs of slowing down throughout the time she was on the pitch even with all the knocks she was taking from the opposition. 

This game gave Bradford those all important 3 points and lets hope City can make it 6 from 6 as they face Barnsley Women at Eccleshill on Sunday. If they play like they did against FC United I think they are in with a good chance. 

On Sunday we saw the return of FA Women's National League action at the Mitton Group Stadium in Eccleshill as Bradford City took on Newcastle United, with it being the first home league game for Bradford since September 2021 and Newcastle sitting second in the league at the start of the day on a good run of form it was always bound to be an interesting game and it certainly didn't disappoint, except for the final score for us Bradford City fans.  

The game started off with quite a few throw ins to each side as the ball spent a lot of time out on the wings however, nothing would really happen until the 6th minute when Newcastle took the lead, City 'keeper Richards came out to collect from a corner but was unable to clear the ball and the ball fell to the head of Newcastle's Robson who headed home from close range. Not long after the goal Bradford found themselves playing with 10 on the field as Katy Woodcock found herself in the sin bin, City held on though and kept up a strong performance even with a player down for 10 minutes. 

Throughout the whole first half Newcastle looked the stronger of the sides and kept on pushing for that second goal but they just couldn't find the back of the net. They had a lot of chances on goal however, City's Stuart was there to clear the Bradford lines a fair few times and when she wasn't 'keeper Richards was making some great saves to deny Newcastle a further lead. The teams went into half time with Newcastle winning 0-1 which in all honesty could have been a whole lot more but City were doing well to keep the score line looking reasonable at the break. 

Whilst the first half was a very one sided affair the second half started off well for Bradford City. Straight from kick off they went on the attack and gained a free kick in a dangerous area, the resulting goal for Knight saw Bradford draw level in the 46th minute. It really looked hopeful that Bradford could put up a fight and stay in the game but then the run of play changed once again. Around the 50th minute Newcastle really started to find their feet again and picked up their attacking pace once more and in the 53rd minute Newcastle took the lead once again, City 'keeper Richards originally got her hand to the ball to make the initial save however, the ball fell to the feet on Newcastle's Barker who slotted it home to gain the lead. 

The 56th minute saw Newcastle take the lead even further with an absolutely brilliant goal, which there was no stopping. The strike was riffled home from around 30 yards by Newcastle's Guy and there was absolutely no chance of it being saved especially with the bit of a swerve it had on whilst heading towards goal. City picked up pace a little bit after the 3rd goal and started linking some great passes together but in the 71st minute Barker picked up her second goal of the game and extended Newcastle's lead to 1-4 with a brilliant volley that made its way into the back of the net. It didn't take long for Barker to pick up her hat-trick as her shot in the 75th minute bounced over the line after hitting the bar. 

Even though Newcastle were 1-5 up they still kept pushing to increase their lead but some strong defending from City and some brilliant goalkeeping from Richards kept them at bay until the 90th minute where Newcastle ended the game with one last goal, this time from Ferguson who broke through defence and took the ball around Richards to end the game 1-6 to Newcastle. 

Looking back on the game it is safe to say Newcastle are a fantastic team who have the potential to remain top of the league for the remainder of the season as they are a very strong side and move the ball around the pitch well. At the same time though City had spells where they played well especially in the first half when they kept Newcastle's lead to just 0-1 when it could have easily been more, plus at times they moved the ball well around the pitch. Sometimes though they just looked defeated and like they had lost all hope even with the scoreline still in an achievable comeback range. There were some positive takeaways from the game though with Woodcock having a pretty good game in defence despite the scoreline along side Shepherd who also made plenty of crucial tackles throughout the 90 minutes. Richards also had a good game in goal making some brilliant saves to deny Newcastle plenty more goals and it is great seeing her confidence grow as the season progresses, she is definitely willing to go for the ball a lot more than at the start of the season. 

Our player of the match though definitely has to be Charlotte Stuart once again. She covered plenty of the pitch winning some important challenges in the middle of the field and she made some very important challenges in the defence to stop Newcastle in the first half and she continued stepping up and making important challenges even whilst catching a few knocks in the process. 

Newcastle definitely showed us how good of a side they are and fingers crossed Bradford can bounce back from the defeat in their next league game as they take on Durham Cestria away, fingers crossed we can walk away with some points from that game.