Fulham Women have responded to their Exeter defeat in emphatic fashion, with two great wins: last week away to second-placed AFC Bournemouth and this weekend at home to Hashtag United, a team with an interesting backstory.
3-0 at home to Hashtag United sounds comfortable, but the game began with a scrappy and goalless first half. A real midfield tussle with no quarter given; it was the type of game where we were glad to have Jade Bradley back to captain the team after being out so long with injury. The tackles flew in and neither team could get any rhythm.
Fulham were playing into a headwind and spent much of the half pinned back until just before the break when Charlie Estcourt, returning from international duty, found the side netting with the best chance of the half. Fulham had Jess Gray to thank in goal for a great save and for punching every cross and corner clear as Hashtag had the better of the early exchanges, including coming close with an unlikely overhead kick.
Things picked up in the second half. Kicking with the wind, Fulham went ahead quickly. Jade Bradley found Ellie Olds on the edge of the box and her first time snap shot from 25 yards found the bottom corner.
Fulham were playing much better and though Hashtag United didn’t really threaten, at 1-0 a game never feels over. As Hashtag started to get a grip on midfield and tried to seize the initiative, a crunching tackle from Olivia Dale kept them at bay. Dale was growing into the game and it was her long-range cross that found Rhianna Dean to make the game safe with a powerful header.
It stayed at 2-0 until injury time. Fulham brought on their substitutes – Steve Jaye’s gamechangers – and so it was Katie Dungate who delivered the third from close range after great work down the right from Leila Lister.
Hashtag United felt like a mid-table team but their story is more interesting. Having established themselves 10 years ago on YouTube, the founders initially racked up likes and views on FIFA-style videos and match footage - they now have more than two million social media followers. They set up a non-league men’s club, found a home in the real world at Barkingside and started the women’s team in 2020 after the 2019 Women’s World Cup. The women had established themselves in Tier 3 by the time Fulham joined the league this season and are currently ninth.
The Hashtag game felt like one that Fulham deserved to win and needed to, to keep the pressure on at the top of the league. The real test had come last week away at Bournemouth.
AFC Bournemouth Women are the other team in the league connected to a Premier League men’s club. When they met, Bournemouth were going strong in second place in the league and Fulham had just lost their unbeaten record at home to Exeter. They were also missing Charlie Estcourt who was on international duty with Wales.
The away-trip looked daunting. But if there is one thing I have learnt following Fulham Women, it’s that you don’t write them off; they constantly exceed expectations. The win at Bournemouth showed real grit and the fight that they have needed to climb the leagues over the last two seasons.
Fulham prevailed with a 2-1 win. Two goals from Sophie Gillies proved decisive. The first from close range was scrappy, as she was almost pushed onto the ball by the covering defender in trying to meet Anna Grey’s powerful cross; the second from the edge of the box proved to be the winner and crept under the goalkeeper. At times in the second half Fulham rode their luck, not least when a close-range shot crashed against the cross bar with Jess Gray beaten. Harley Bennett made a number of crucial challenges and blocks as Fulham held out for the win.
Fulham now sit in second place in the league with a game in hand over the team below. They are in the play-off spot. The second-placed team can claim promotion to the Women’s Super League if they win a play-off match against the team finishing second in the Northern Premier division. Oxford United are still top and in the automatic promotion place following a 2-1 win away at AFC Wimbledon this weekend. But they haven’t played Fulham yet. COYW.