Women's Preview: Blackburn vs Saints
Southampton FC Women mark Women's Football Weekend with a trip to Blackburn Rovers in the Barclays Women's Championship.
THE MATCH
Blackburn vs Saints
Barclays Women's Championship
Ewood Park
Sunday 24th March, 2pm
For ticket news, see below
Saints play their penultimate away game of the season knowing that every point is vital with the race for promotion still incredibly tight with just four games to play.
Marieanne Spacey-Cale's side kept their hopes alive in style with a dominant win over Reading last week, where they romped to a 5-0 victory - their biggest ever in the Barclays Women's Championship.
Katie Wilkinson scored a brace, taking her tally to 10 for the campaign, as Ella Morris joined in the scoring before Sophia Pharoah added a pair of her own in the second half.
The result, and scores elsewhere, means Saints sit in third in the table, with the top four sides all separated by just a point.
Blackburn Rovers are sat comfortably in mid-table in their fifth season in the division, with 23 points from 17 games played.
They are in a solid run of form against teams around them having suffered just one defeat in their last five games, which came against title-challengers Crystal Palace.
Lucy Shepherd will be one to watch in front of goal as she has scored in three of those last five matches, proving to be a threat inside the penalty area in recent weeks.
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Aaron Ford
Assistant Referee: Alex Beeley
Assistant Referee: Emmi Arakpogun
Fourth Official: Jane Simms
WHAT KIT WILL SAINTS BE WEARING?
Despite being on the road, Saints will play in their red and white home kit at Ewood Park.
Wearing home threads on the road for the fourth occasion this season. (Photo: Isabelle Field)
PLAYER'S PREVIEW
Speaking to Sky Sports about the fight for promotion this week, Ella Morris said: "We're pretty satisfied with how it's gone. We definitely feel like we could have pushed on a bit more but, overall, we're still in this promotion race.
"We've put it out there that we wanted to be in the promotion race, we still are mathematically. Now it's about us chasing to get as many points as we can to put [the top two] under as much pressure as we can."
LAST MEETING
Earlier this season, in just the second game of the campaign, Saints took the points with a 2-0 win at St Mary's Stadium.
Both goals came in the second half as Sophia Pharoah opened the scoring, with the result sealed in stoppage time through an own goal after Lucia Kendall's strike was deflected in off goalkeeper Alex Brooks.
TICKET NEWS
Tickets are available to purchase in advance of Sunday's game via Blackburn's website, priced as follows: Adult - £8, Concessions - £6, Students - £3, Under-17s - £2.
CAN’T MAKE IT ON SUNDAY?
There will be no Saints Play video coverage of the game, but you can also keep up to date and get behind-the-scenes access on our women’s dedicated social accounts:
