Aston Villa Women 2022/23

[Steve67]

There seems to be a few leaving, including Rachel Daly? I hope we have a few, even better players coming in. It would be great to have both men and women challenging for the top places.

Daly signed a 3 year contract when she joined, so it's unlikely she would be leaving now (I hope).

Thanks for correcting me Ian.  Thank goodness she's staying.  A couple are leaving Chelsea, hope we are in for them.  Good players.  Been a great season for Carla and the women's team and I hope she is backed in the summer.

[Lastfootstamper]

Well, at least the manager's survived the cull. Carla Ward has put pen-to-paper on a new deal until the end of the 2024/25 season, with an option to extend for a further year.

[nigel]

Well, at least the manager's survived the cull. Carla Ward has put pen-to-paper on a new deal until the end of the 2024/25 season, with an option to extend for a further year.

I don’t know if it’s been done, but she has to be in with a shout for Manager of the Season, too.

[Lastfootstamper]

If anybody thinks the men's squad is stretched, it's nothing compared to the women's. In our game today, arsenal can name 9 substitutes. We have 3, one of which is a goalkeeper.

[Lastfootstamper]

DALYYYYYYYYYY!!! 1-0 in added time at the end of the first half. Needs one for a new WSL record. Come on, Rach

[Lastfootstamper]

Lehmann doubles the lead 4 minutes in to the second half. We've never beaten arsenal in the WSL...

[Lastfootstamper]

Hanson fights free and tries a lob from twenty yards. I hope we can keep her, she's quality.

[Steve67]

Go Villa ladies!

[Lastfootstamper]

So close. We hunt down the ball again, breaks to a free Daly on the edge of the box, defender dives in and deflects a goal-bound effort over the bar.

[Lastfootstamper]

We use half of our outfield substitutes as McGill replaces Staniforth. Quarter of the game to go, still two to the good. And McGill gets booked before I finish this!

[Lastfootstamper]

Hanson skins the fullback and her pullback finds McGill, but she can't keep the shot under the bar.

[Lastfootstamper]

9 minutes of stoppage time, McGrath knows why. Still, bit more time for Daly to get this goal.

[Baldy]

Keep it going ladies and thanks for the updates Lastfootstamper.

[Lastfootstamper]

It's been a pleasure.

[Lastfootstamper]

And it's all over, 2-0. A season that started with a win over man city, quarter final in the Conti Cup, semi final of the FA Cup, winning half of our league games, spearheaded by the first Englishwoman to score over twenty league goals and equalling the all-time WSL record, and finishing with a first ever win over arsenal, all completed by a small group of players who've left nothing on the pitch since that opening game, watched by ever increasing crowds, 6k+ at Walsall, 7k+ at VP (for context, arsenal are the most successful ever English club, yet there was only 4k there today, with what sounded like a fair few Villa).

I will be getting a season ticket.