Summary:
- Hopcroft comes back into the XI
- Everett’s early chance is saved
- Blanchard’s curling strike from distance is collected
- Sharpe forces Stenson into another great save
- HT: Sheffield United 0-0 Palace
- Sharpe tries her look again but her low effort is bundled up
- R. Brown heads home the opener
- Hutton seals the win with a looping corner kick
- HT: Sheffield United 2-0 Palace
This was the second meeting between the two sides in the last week as they both faced off at Selhurst Park last Sunday with Palace coming out as 1-0 winners.
Laura Kaminski’s side were looking for a repeat of last weekend and they came close to going ahead on the 14th minute. Fliss Gibbons blasted a low free-kick through the box and towards the near post for Aimee Everett to flick on but Fran Stenson got down to make the save.
Annabel Blanchard teed up a shot minutes later as she collected a pass from Shanade Hopcroft before firing a strike from 22 yards out, but the Sheffield United keeper got up to collect.
Molly Sharpe came agonisingly close to making it back-to-back goals against the Blades with a chance on the 21st minute. Elise Hughes created the opportunity as she used her strength well to brush Rachel Brown off the ball before swinging a cross deep into the area, Blanchard rose high to flick it into the path of Sharpe but her effort was well saved as Palace were unable to make their first-half dominance pay.
The Eagles continued to push for the opener after the restart and Sharpe had a chance eight minutes in as she cut back inside before drilling a shot goal wards but Stenson got down to make another terrific save.
It was the hosts who got the game’s first goal as R. Brown was first to meet a corner kick inside the area and she nodded it through a sea of bodies and into the back of the net on the 66th minute.
Palace were truly left to rue their missed chances as substitute Jodie Hutton came on to seal the win minutes from time as her corner kick evaded everyone inside the area and nestled itself in the far top-hand corner of goal.
Palace: Lambourne (GK), Percival (Reilly, 81), Everett, Nolan, Gibbons, Arthur (Filbey, 74), Hopcroft (Guyatt, 67), Blanchard, Sharpe (Watson, 74), Atkinson (Dennis, 67), Hughes
Subs not used: Negri, Johnson, Potter, Larkin
Sheffield United: Stenson, R. Brown (Docherty, 84), Bourne, Graham, Newsham, Barker, Kinzett, Haywood (A. Brown, 90+3), Rayner (Wilcock, 90+3), Hodson (Hutton, 84), Goodwin (Sigsworth, 89)
Subs not used: Davies, Connolly-Jackson, Butler, Muir