Crystal Palace Victorious in South London Showdown
Crystal Palace Women took the crown in an exciting and closely fought South London Derby at Selhurst Park. Turning the streets of Croydon red and blue, 3,822 fans made the journey to the club’s main stadium for this landmark fixture against Charlton Athletic, the South-East London rivals both looking to cement their place in promotion territory of the Barclays WSL2 table.
With a family friendly fanzone, Eagles mascots dancing on the sidelines, and a cracking playlist (of course featuring the club's anthem ‘Glad all Over’), the crowd were in full voice, with fans of all demographics, new supporters to lifetime ones, wanting to see women's football on the main stage.
Preview: High Stakes, Main Stage
The Eagles will have to cast their minds back to November 2024 for their last run out in SE25, a 3-0 loss to Manchester City in their solo WSL season. Better memories will surely remain of captain Aimee Everett lifting the Championship (now WSL2) trophy here at the end of the 2023/2024 season, taking the squad into the topflight for the first time in their history.
Now Charlton are sitting in top spot ahead of the final three rounds of fixtures, a 27-game unbeaten run coming to an end at the beginning of the month with a shock 2-nil defeat to bottom of the table Portsmouth, followed by a defeat to Bristol City last week. 41 points and the trophy in sight, the Addicks needed a win at Selhurst to keep their cup dreams in their own hands, with second place Birmingham, their opponents on the final day, nipping at their heels.
Crystal Palace, third and sat in the promotion playoff spot (with a game in hand over Charlton), have had a decent run in their first season back in the second tier with 9 wins and 5 draws. With the new promotion pathway, third place playing last place in the WSL for the final league spot, the Eagles go into this derby with hopes of putting pressure on the top two and cementing their place in promotion possibility.
The reverse fixture was held on the first weekend of the season, a tight 1-0 win for Charlton at the Valley, scored by no. 9 Bissell in the 55’ minute. A geographical derby with a lot of history, the first match up between the sides in the modern era was a 2-2 draw in the National League in 2016. Since then, Charlton have three wins in the last five against Palace, with one loss and one draw.
Charlton boss Karen Hill, former player for the Addicks and leader of the side since 2021, was defiant ahead of this crucial derby:
“We’ll set the players up, we’ll be ready for those challenges, and these players are going to give absolutely everything as they do week in week out."
Joe Potter, in charge of the Eagles since the beginning of the season, is aware of how important these last few games are:
“The promotion race is reaching its crescendo. We are currently in the playoff spot but the points are so tight that every single passage of play matters.”
Starting XIs
Crystal Palace Women:
30. Shae-Yanez (GK), 3. Napier, 5. My Cato, 6. Everett ©, 8. Sharpe, 10. Howart, 11. Weerden, 16. Ladd, 17. Blanchard, 27. Larkin, 29. A. Swaby.
Subs Used: 9. Hughes (80’), 20. Paige Riley (80’)
Charlton Athletic Women:
1.Whitehouse (GK), 2. Mason, 3. Newsham, 5. N’Dow, 7. Bradley, 11. Fitzgerald, 12. Hutton, 17. Skeels ©, 20. McAteer, 22. Thestrup, 24. Flannery.
Subs used: 15. Lockwood (61’), 10. Kennedy (61’), 18. Siber (77’), 9, Bissell (77’), 16. Muya (77’).
Match report
Charlton got the game going in a very end to end first half at Selhurst Park. After an early free kick for a foul on Charlton's Katie Bradley, Palace were able to regain some composure, working their way nicely through Blanchard in the midfield. The first shot came from the Eagles, Weerden, currently the top assist maker in the league and February's WSL2 player of the month, sent it forward to Ladd with Molly Sharpe’s header just wide.
Charlton were not afraid of a shot from range, with Hutton dispossessing Sharpe in the Palace box, sending it down the line to Danish international Amalie Thestrup who looked to chip Yanez, way off her line. The keeper tracked back to push the shot out of the net with a Berger vs France esque save.
Forward Abbie Larkin put sensational pressure on the Charlton defense all afternoon, whipping in a shot in the 25th minute but it was easily collected by golden glove front-runner Sophie Whitehouse.
At the other end of the pitch Welsh Forward McAteer, nutmegged Everett to send a cross into the area. A free kick was cleanly moved forward though the Charlton midfield, a well brought down shot by no. 3 Charlotte Newsham spooned wide by Yanez, one of the saves of the game.
A Charlton moment of composure opened proceedings in the 38th minute, a corner by Hutton reaching the head of Scot Charlotte Newsham toed over the line by Thestrup at close range.
Palace looked for an instant response with Ladd’s cross into the box pushed away to the boots of Blanchard but she launched it over the crossbar.
The Eagles managed to level the score before half time, with a congested penalty area not able to stop former Manchester United and Evertonian Haley Ladd’s rocket from the edge of the area, nestling into the bottom corner to send the teams in 1-1 at the break.
The rivalry was on full display in the second half, with feisty end to end action continuing. An early Palace corner was saved by Ireland International Whitehouse. As the half progressed, Crystal Palace got increasingly frustrated with the referee, midfielder My Cato believed she was fouled on the edge of the box but no free kick was given.
The home side showed increasing dominance as Weerden on the wing swung a really enticing ball in, headed by Sharpe to the feet of forward Kirsty Howatt, slotting it home as the stadium erupted and the side celebrated their derby advantage.
Charlton nearly had an immediate response, with the Eagles unable to clear their corner, the ball getting lost in a congested penalty box, but McAteer put her shot wide. Blanchard was able to skip away through the midfield uncontested, sending a ball between the lines to Abbie Larkin, her thumping shot hitting the crossbar.
Crystal Palace’s third goal came from the consistently strong linkup play between Blanchard and Weerden on the left-hand side, Weerden’s cross met the head of Ireland youngster Abbie Larkin, finding the back of the net. Her persistence across the afternoon and brilliant goal won her Player of the Match.
Things got exciting in the final ten minutes, Charlton’s Newsham whipped in her second corner in quick succession and the referee pointed to the spot, seeing My Cato’s two-handed push on the back of Addick’s captain Kiera Skeels. Substitute Bissell converted the penalty, much to the dismay of the home crowd.
Both teams tried to add more to the score sheet in the dying moments, substitute Elsie Hughes (star of Crystal Palace’s last promotion campaign) and Ashleigh Weerden, dominant on the wing with 5 successful crosses, linking up in the box to send a headed shot agonisingly close. Skeels shot from distance goes just over the net.
The game ended 3-2 with Crystal Palace beating the league leaders for the first time at Selhurst Park in an unforgettable South London showdown.
What’s Next?
It’s getting tight at the top of the WSL2 table and Charlton will need to get back to winning ways to ensure a trophy celebration at the end of the season. The derby doesn't change any positions at the top of the table but creates a four point gap between the Eagles and Newcastle in fourth and closes the gap between Charlton and Birmingham to just 3 points.
Crystal Palace have three games remaining, two at home and one away, their next against Ipswich Town at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton on Easter Sunday.
Charlton Athletic’s focus now shifts to a massive quarter final FA Cup clash with Liverpool at the Valley, 1000 tickets already sold. With Birmingham and Crystal Palace having a game in hand over Charlton, the Addicks will hope that come the final two games, the trophy will still be theirs to win.
After a clash that showed the pride and power of South London Women’s Football on the main stage, Crystal Palace and Charlton will hope to bring the Selhurst Showdown to the WSL next season.