Portsmouth Women finally secure major landmark to make it all worthwhile
Portsmouth Women have enjoyed a meteoric rise in no uncertain circumstances in recent years, now fully fledged in the professional game.
However, the Championship – the women’s second tier, now brimming with full-time clubs – has thrown up a real baptism of fire with several heavy defeats and certainly a steep learning curve.
But Jay Sadler’s side have been at the drawing board working tirelessly towards achieving one milestone, which on Sunday (2 March) finally arrived.
Portsmouth Women enjoy historic day
Portsmouth Women have managed cup wins this season but have really struggled in the league, flailing around towards the bottom end of the Championship for points.
It has not been for the want of trying by any stretch – they have come close on several occasions and suffered some harsh narrow losses to far more established outfits – but Sunday saw that first league win finally in the bag.
Bottom-placed Portsmouth – who currently lie in the sole relegation place back to the National League from where they were promoted last season – went to Bramall Lane and overcame Sheffield United 2-0 through a pair of second-half goals.
Sophie Barker and Riva Casley netted the crucial strikes in South Yorkshire to overcome the Blades and vitally move to within a point of their hosts, and consequently just a point off safety.
It was a deserved win in which they shellshocked a Sheffield United side who were perhaps complacent at times despite themselves accumulating just one win this season so far.
Pompey have five games to stay up in Women’s Championship
If Portsmouth Women stay up this year, then that game at Bramall Lane to kick off March will be viewed as the springboard for it – without a shadow of a doubt.
It was the definition of a survival six-pointer as the cliche so goes – to lose in Sheffield would have seen the Blues seven points adrift of the Blades, and four behind Blackburn Rovers, who have played three fewer games.
Pompey now have a quintet of games separating them from their fate. Sunderland visit Portsmouth next on 16 March, against whom they secured a 2-2 draw at Eppleton shortly before Christmas.
| POS | Women’s Championship 2024-25 | PLD | PTS | GD |
| 8 | Southampton | 14 | 17 | +3 |
| 9 | Blackburn | 12 | 7 | -9 |
| 10 | Sheffield United | 15 | 6 | -16 |
| 11 | PORTSMOUTH | 15 | 5 | -31 |
Afterwards comes another eagerly anticipated South Coast derby challenge against Southampton (22 March), before a trip to Durham and a clash with Bristol City at Westleigh Park.
Finally, Blackburn visit in a potential survival decider, with several clubs still not out of the woods yet and Portsmouth seemingly encouraged by the prospect of grabbing anywhere from 10th in the table upwards.