Report: Palace Women draw against Sunderland

Women

13 Oct 2025

After falling behind early on, Crystal Palace Women fought back to claim a point against Sunderland in the Barclays Women's Super League 2.

Summary:

Captain Everett returns to the side as Watson is also handed a start in South London.
8: Napier strikes the bar with a long-range effort
10: GOAL - Katy Watson's strike takes a heavy deflection beyond Yañez
13: GOAL - Howat is put through and dinks the ball over the 'keeper to restore parity
24: Scarr shoots from the edge of the box but it's just wide of the post
34: Howat is set free again but can't quite get her shot on target
45: The ball is headed on to Larkin in a dangerous position but she can't control the pass
HT: Palace 1-1 Sunderland
59: Dale misses her header from close range
80: Katy Watson's effort flies over the bar
90+6: Sheva sees her shot blocked late on in the game
FT: Palace 1-1 Sunderland

Palace had to settle for a draw at the VBS Community Stadium, after Kirsty Howat's finish cancelled out Katy Watson's effort just three minutes earlier.

It was a hard-fought draw in South London, with both defences on top for the majority of the game.

There was a welcome return for captain Aimee Everett, who returned to the pitch after recovering from her injury.

The first-half saw two goals in three minutes, with Sunderland's Katy Watson putting the visitors ahead on nine minutes.

The England Under-19's forward shot from inside the box and the ball took a heavy deflection off a Palace defender and past Shae Yañez in the Palace goal.

The Eagles were not behind for long however, as Kirsty Howat restored parity just three minutes later.

Emma Watson received the ball in the Sunderland third, and threaded an inch-perfect pass through to her Scotland teammate.

Howat raced onto the pass and dinked the ball over Black Cats' goalkeeper Grace Moloney, and into the net for 1-1.

A similar chance was fashioned again on 34 minutes, but Howat instead skewed her effort just wide of the post.

Neither side could edge ahead in the second-half, with quality chances coming at a premium.

The visitors came closest to scoring in the latter stages, with Watson, Dale and Sheva all denied.

It ended 1-1, with the result leaving Palace in eighth place, and games still left to play in the BWSL2 today.

The Eagles have one more home game before the international break, at home against Ipswich Town in the Subway Women's League Cup.

You can get tickets for that game by clicking the button below!

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Palace: Yañez (GK), Napier, Everett, Howat (Hughes, 61), Weerden, Nolan, Watson (Hopcroft, 84), Blanchard, Vanhaevermaet (Cato, 58), Larkin, Swaby

Subs not used: Annets, Arthur, Sibley, Riley, Littlejohn

Sunderland: Moloney (GK), Corbyn, Greenwood, Griffiths, Watson (Jones, 82), Scarr (Atkinson, 82), Dale (Barry, 62), Kitching (Finn, 82), Fenton, Sheva, Rabjohn (Westrup, 45)

Subs not used: Lambourne (GK), Brown, O'Hanlon

Match reports
Women

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