Lasses Match Preview: Blackburn host Sunderland Women at 2pm

Sunday 6 November 2022

Blackburn Rovers Ladies vs Sunderland AFC Women

Barclay’s Women’s Championship

The Sir Tom Finney Stadium, Brownedge Road, Bamber Bridge, PR5 6UX

Kick-Off: 14:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Adults £8, Seniors & Junions £4, Under 5s free. Family Tickets (two adults and two juniors) are also available for £20. Pay on the gate. (Dogs welcome).

Travel: Regular trains run from Preston to Bamber Bridge Station, connect in Carlisle for Preston. The RMT strike planned for this weekend has been called off, but check before travelling.

Coverage: Follow @SAFCWomen and @RRLasses on Twitter for updates on the action.

Highlights: Highlights and a full match replay are available from Monday on the FA Player.

Podcast: Roker Report’s Lasses Podcast Live will be broadcast, as usual, live on Twitter Spaces from 8.30-9.30pm BST on Monday. Just go to @RRLasses to listen in.

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The build-up...

These two sides have some relatively recent history in the National League Premier North, Blackburn being the leading side in our first season following our demotion out of the WSL, as well as being drawn in the same Conti Cup group for the second season running.

The last two league meetings at Bamber Bridge have finished 2-1 to the home side, and it’s fair to say that the Rovers are a side against which Sunderland’s season will be benchmarked.

There will be two things on the minds of Lasses fans as they make their way along the M6 this morning - the pies and the pitch. The “butter pies” at the Sir Tom Finney Ground are famed as one of the greatest examples of footy scran on offer anywhere in England, whereas the pitch is renowned as something of a quagmire when it’s had a bit of rain on it.

Photo by Eddie Garvey/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Lasses

The news this week that Keira Ramshaw will be out for an extended period due to surgery on a foot injury is a big blow, and will mean that Emma Kelly continues as captain for the foreseeable future. But beyond that and the other long term absentees, there are no injury concerns to report.

Mel Reay may make some changes to the side that lost 1-0 away at Southampton last Sunday as she looks to improve our record from the one win and one draw we’ve picked up in the seven games so far this season.

We have several options available, especially across the middle of the park, and Libbi McInnes, Jess Brown, Grace Ede and Katy Watson will be pushing to be the player who is brought into give us added impetus in the attacking third.

Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

The Opponents

Blackburn are not to be underestimated. They are no longer a full part-time side, they have a number of players who moved over to professional contracts in the summer, and head coach Gemma Donnelly is one of the most experienced in the women’s game.

Captain Saffron Jordan - now in her eighth season with the club - is the leading goalscorer in the league with five in eight games. She’s an NHS worker and an inspiration to the younger players in the squad, which includes Manchester United loanees Chloe Williams and Niamh Murphy.

A nil-nil draw away to London City Lionesses last weekend was no mean feat and marked a milestone for defender Jade Richards:

This is my third season here now and it’s nice to finally reach it at a club that feels like home. To get my fiftieth appearance on a day we get a good draw against a strong team is a positive. We played well and deserved that point, so it was a great weekend overall for myself and the team.

Photo by Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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League Form (last 5 Women’s Championship Fixtures)

Sunderland AFC Women - LLWLL

Blackburn Rovers Ladies - DWDLL

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Last time we played at Blackburn Rovers...

Women’s Championship, 13 March 2022

Blackburn 2-1 Sunderland

Jordan 26’, Blanchard 65’ - Manders 68’

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Head to head...

(All venues, all competitions, including friendlies)

Sunderland wins: 4

Draws: 0

Blackburn Rovers wins: 5

Sunderland goals: 10

Blackburn Rovers goals: 17

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One to watch... Farah Crompton

The 20-year-old forward has two goals this season, both picked up in their 3-2 win against Coventry United in October, the same side against which she scored her first professional goal last season. She has blistering pace, silky skills, and an eye for goal - it will be interesting to see her on the same field as Emily Scarr who plays a similar role for the Lasses.

Crompton is one of the players that the Rovers have signed on full-time professional terms and came through the Rovers’ RTC before joining Liverpool, and she’s learning her trade alongside the experienced head of captain Saffron Jordan.

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