Womens Premiership

WOMEN'S PREMIERSHIP: WEEK TWO PREVIEW

04 May 2021
football
© JPJ Photography
The Danske Bank Women’s Premiership continues on Wednesday night with the second round of action.
 
After last season’s shortened campaign due to the pandemic, this season sees a full restoration with each of the sides in the top-flight playing each other four times.
 
All six sides are in action tonight with a Belfast derby at Solitude between Cliftonville Ladies and Linfield Ladies - who both got their campaigns off to winning starts last weekend.
 
Elsewhere, champions Glentoran Women travel to Sion Swifts Ladies - where they fell to their sole league defeat last season - and Crusaders Strikers are hopeful of getting their first points of the campaign as they host Derry City Women, with a slightly later kick-off time of 8pm.
 
Cliftonville Ladies v Linfield Ladies
This game promises to be a closely-fought encounter, with the home side’s three stellar signings of the summer all previously on the books of Linfield.
 
Louise McDaniel, Kirsty McGuinness and Caitlin McGuinness - all Northern Ireland internationals - were previously with the Blues and now will face their former side.
 
Other internationals such as Toni-Leigh Finnegan and Marissa Callaghan will line up for the Reds, against their Northern Ireland teammates Ashley Hutton, Kelsie Burrows and Rebecca McKenna lining up for the visitors.
 
Linfield have won the last 14 ties between the sides - a run stretching back to 2015 - but that record will be under major threat for this trip to Solitude in a game between two sides who made winning starts to the season.
 
Sion Swifts Ladies v Glentoran Women
The Melvin Sports Complex was the venue of Glentoran’s only defeat last season - blowing a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 in a pulsating encounter.
 
Indeed, Sion have won the last three meetings between the two sides although there has been a great deal of change on the respective playing staffs during that timeframe.
 
Danielle Maxwell hits the Glens only goal as they edged out Crusaders Strikers last week while Sion fell to a 3-0 loss at Linfield.
 
Crusaders Strikers v Derry City Women
Crusaders Strikers have won all 11 meetings between the sides and defeated the Candystripes 5-0 at the Brandywell.
 
Both sides fell to defeats on the opening day - the Strikers lost narrowly at Glentoran as Derry went down to a four-goal home loss against Cliftonville.
 
The hosts will be strong favourites for this game with Derry looking to cause an upset.