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Tuesday, May 5, 2026

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Charlton set up final day showdown

Southampton 2 Charlton Athletic 2

Charlton Athletic regained top spot in the Barclays WSL 2 table after a dramatic penultimate round of matches and a 2-2 draw away at Southampton.

Having fought back from a first half deficit to grab a lead on 90 minutes, Charlton conceded an equaliser deep into added time to restrict their lead over Birmingham and Crystal Palace to a single point.

 

Southampton played with a freedom which troubled the visitors throughout the first half and took a deserved lead on 26 minutes when Michaela McAlonie got free on the right to send in an inviting cross expertly turned home by Jess Simpson from close range.

 

With other results already known from earlier games, Charlton were well aware of the necessity to obtain some reward from this encounter. They set about the task with determination, Southampton continued to threaten occasionally but the pressure was starting to build on Fran Stenson's goal.

 

It was Gillian Kenney who forced home the equaliser following a corner on 67 minutes and it seemed that the match was deadlocked until a crazy sequence of events as the clock reached 90 minutes.

 

Charlton earned a penalty for a rash challenge and brought on substitute Emma Bissell to convert the spot kick after some delay. Southampton almost immediately got the ball wide for Abbie Ferguson to  loop a high cross for Atlanta Primus to bundle home the loose ball after Sophie Whitehouse had made an initial save.

 

Charlton poured forward in the remaining seconds to hit the woodwork and force a fine save from Stenson in a frantic finale but were forced to settle for a point.

The final day will now probably be a straight shoot out for promotion between Charlton and Birmingham City at The Valley with the hosts needing to avoid defeat to reach WSL 1. The late charge of Crystal Palace, who host relegated Portsmouth, adds another intriguing layer to a tense last day.

 

Southampton: Fran Stenson, Megan Collett, Amy Goddard, Milly Mott, Tara Bourne, Jess Simpson, Aimee Palmer, Mary Bashford, Atlanta Primus, Ellie Brazil, Michaela McAlonie. Subs: Tegan McGowan, Abbie Ferguson, Rachel Brown, Ella Pettit, Kiera Sena, Esta Roberts, Maria Edwards, Saffia Rae.

Charlton Athletic: Sophie Whitehouse, Ellie Mason, Charlotte Newsham, Elisha N’Dow, Katie Bradley, Lucy Fitzgerald, Karin Muya, Gloria Siber, Amalie Thestrup, Lucia Lobato, Keira Flannery. Subs: Jodie Hutton, Gillian Kenney, Katie Lockwood, Mary McAteer, Emma Bissell, Anna Pedersen, Mia Ross, Gracie Pearse, Kiera Skeels.