Chelsea Women nosed ahead in the battle for a top-three place – and, with it, European football – by beating Aston Villa 4-3 in a thriller at Kingsmeadow, writes Jane Grove.
But last Sunday’s game could prove to be the last league match at the ground as club directors work on playing every game next season at Stamford Bridge, alternating with the men.
While no decision has been formally announced, manager Sonia Bompastor said: “It’s a great stadium and I know the girls love to play there, so if it’s what will happen next season we’ll all be happy. I trust the people who are making the decision because I know they have been working a long time on that.”
Whether fans who currently walk to Kingston’s Kingsmeadow ground will also embrace the concept is less clear, but the club’s hierarchy believe it is the right choice for a team as ambitious as Chelsea.
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Sunday’s narrow win came after one of the most chaotic half hours of football this season, with six goals scored in 33 manic minutes to leave the halftime scoreline at 3-3.
Sam Kerr, Naomi Girma and Lauren James were on target for the Blues, but a Kirsty Hanson brace and a Chastity Grant volley achieved parity at the break.
Only a magnificent Sjoeke Nusken strike in the 82nd minute won the game for the Blues at the final whistle, with Villa manager Natalia Arroyo expressing her pride at her players’ persistence, and her regret that their efforts didn’t earn a point.
The game was notable for a return to first-team football for Niamh Charles after three months out with injury; a welcome addition to Bompastor’s selection options. “She brings experience and quality, and she’s a very important player for us,” said the manager.
Chelsea’s men are back in FA Cup action this weekend, following the international break, with 6,000 Port Vale fans travelling from Stoke to the Bridge to cheer on the League One side in the quarter-final.
