Promotion, A New Home & Consolidation - LCFC Women’s 2021 In Focus

Recapping a historic year for LCFC Women, which saw the team end their first-ever professional season with promotion from the FA Women’s Championship and make a debut in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

2021-12-29T11:37:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

29 Dec, 2021

Promotion, A New Home & Consolidation - LCFC Women’s 2021 In Focus

Recapping a historic year for LCFC Women, which saw the team end their first-ever professional season with promotion from the FA Women’s Championship and make a debut in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Sam Jones

2021-12-29T11:37:00.000Z

Promotion, A New Home & Consolidation - LCFC Women’s 2021 In Focus

Recapping a historic year for LCFC Women, which saw the team end their first-ever professional season with promotion from the FA Women’s Championship and make a debut in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Sam Jones

2021-12-29T11:37:00.000Z

Promotion, A New Home & Consolidation - LCFC Women’s 2021 In Focus

Recapping a historic year for LCFC Women, which saw the team end their first-ever professional season with promotion from the FA Women’s Championship and make a debut in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Sam Jones

2021-12-29T11:37:00.000Z

Promotion, A New Home & Consolidation - LCFC Women’s 2021 In Focus

Recapping a historic year for LCFC Women, which saw the team end their first-ever professional season with promotion from the FA Women’s Championship and make a debut in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League.

Sam Jones

2021-12-29T11:37:00.000Z

LCFC Women began the calendar year sitting atop of the second-tier standings and it was a position they never relinquished as the Foxes marched to the title and secured a spot in the top-flight in the process.

The month of January also marked the team’s permanent move into the state-of-the-art facilities at Belvoir Drive, enhancing the squad’s training, gym work, recovery and rehabilitation processes at their new home.

New faces also come into the squad, including versatile midfielder Shannon O’Brien from Coventry United, and goalkeeper Sophie Harris from Watford.

Successfully transitioning into full-time football, City’s women continued to set the division alight in the second half of the season, starting 2022 with a win over promotion rivals Sheffield United at Farley Way Stadium.

A first Leicester City goal for Ashleigh Plumptre set the Foxes on their way before top scorer Natasha Flint, who would end the season on 21 goals across all competitions, added the second in a 2-1 win, backed up by another victory of the same scoreline against fellow rivals Liverpool a week later.

Flint was again among the goals, this time from the penalty spot, while Charlie Devlin netted the late winner which all-but ended their opponents’ own title ambitions.

From there on, it was almost a procession to the title, but there would one big test awaiting in mid-March when Leicester came up against their closest challengers, Durham, travelling up to Maiden Castle Sports Park for a battle against the North East side.

A cagey opening half was soon followed by a thunderous Sam Tierney strike – her first for the Club – and swiftly shadowed by another Tierney goal, heading in Devlin’s free-kick and sealing a priceless three points and clean sheet.

In fact, it was part of a run of five shut-outs in a row and 12 successive league victories, including a 7-0 hammering of London Bees to set a new Championship record for consecutive wins.

Tierney, along with Flint, were to be on the scoresheet again as the Foxes wrapped up the title with a 2-0 home triumph over London City Lionesses, sparking jubilant scenes at the full-time whistle in Quorn, as the players celebrated an unprecedented success.

A historic maiden fixture at King Power Stadium on the last day of the season was a fitting end to the campaign, as City dispatched Charlton Athletic 4-0 before lifting the Championship trophy on Filbert Way.

In the summer, meanwhile, came the news that King Power Stadium would become LCFC Women’s new home, playing the majority of games at the Club’s home in 2021/22, with a small number of fixtures at Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium.

Before then, though, there was still time for another record to be broken as Leicester reached the 2020/21 Vitality Women’s FA Cup Quarter-Final by defeating Manchester United 3-2 in an epic fifth round contest at Leigh Sports Village. O’Brien, Hannah Cain and Flint were the scorers on a memorable day.

The Foxes made their first semi-final appearance in the Continental Tyres League Cup, too, ousting Crystal Palace to reach the last four before defeat to then-WSL outfit Bristol City.

The off-season introduced several new faces to the team for an exciting new era in the top-flight. Former Manchester United duo Abbie McManus and Jess Sigsworth arrived, joined by Jemma Purfield, Georgia Brougham and Molly Pike, a trio with plenty of experience at this level. Ex-Birmingham City pair Connie Scofield and Abbi Grant also made the move to Leicester, as did Luana Zajmi.

On course for a debut victory at Aston Villa, leading at half-time after Flint scored the team’s first-ever Women’s Super League goal, defeat in that fixture was followed by a further eight losses as City endured a difficult start to life in the top division.

There were still some moments to remember, not least McManus scoring the team’s maiden home goal in the WSL, against Manchester United, which came in front of a record LCFC Women home attendance of 4,473.

More positive results came in the League Cup, with Durham defeated 2-1 courtesy of goals from O’Brien and Pike, while a 2-2 draw with Manchester United led to victory on penalties to earn a bonus group stage point. Goalkeeper Demi Lambourne saved twice in the shootout after Flint and Sophie Howard had netted in normal time.

League success arrived at the 10th attempt, meanwhile, in a crucial clash with Birmingham City on Filbert Way. Fresh from scoring her first in Leicester City colours, Howard popped up with another, this time an impressive curling strike, and Tierney was again a player for the big occasion, sweeping home the second, also helping to keep a maiden clean sheet at the other end.

New manager Lydia Bedford had the perfect start in her first home game in charge of the Foxes, who lifted themselves off the bottom of the table for Christmas, and can now look forward to an exciting 2022.

LATEST HEADLINES

We Need To Have That Belief, Says Passmoor After getting a goal back to make it 3-1 against Chelsea, Rick Passmoor was pleased with what he saw from his LCFC Women side on Sunday afternoon, and wants to see more across the final two games.

1 Hour 24 Mins Ago

Souttar Called Up For Socceroos Training Camp Harry Souttar has been selected to be part of the Australian Men’s National Team FIFA World Cup warm-up camp in the USA this week.

2 Hours 49 Mins Ago

5000/1 Anniversary Match: Tickets Now On Sale Tickets are now on sale for our 5000/1 Anniversary Match at King Power Stadium on Saturday 30 May (2pm kick-off), which will support local causes through the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Foundation.

3 Hours 24 Mins Ago

Ricardo Thanks Foxes Fans After Farewell Game Ricardo Pereira expressed his gratitude to the Blue Army after playing his 220th and final Leicester City game in difficult circumstances on Saturday.

4 Hours 54 Mins Ago