Leyton Orient Women will be looking to heat up the title race when they travel to table-toppers AFC Wimbledon in the FA Women’s Premier League on Sunday.
The O’s currently sit second in South East Division One, just two points behind Wimbledon. They have played 11 matches winning eight, drawing one and losing two whilst boasting the best goal difference in the division. (+33)
In their last league outing, Orient came through a tough match against Stevenage Ladies winning 2-0 in Hertfordshire. Second-half goals from captain Danielle Griffiths and striker Sárka Stryhalova ensured the O’s took all three points back to East London.
Orient were without a game last Sunday, giving them a week to prepare for what could be the most important fortnight of their season to date. With back-to-back games against Wimbledon before the Christmas break, the right results would prove to be a huge boost for Orient’s title chances.
As for the pace-setters, AFC Wimbledon, they sit top of the table with 27 points from 33 available. They have also played 11 matches, winning nine and losing two with a goal difference of +13.
The Dons were in Women’s FA Cup action on Sunday, narrowly losing 2-1 to Portsmouth Ladies. They will be keen to put that disappointment behind them and shift their focus back onto the league.
Both Orient and Wimbledon have enjoyed excellent starts to the season, and will battle it out over the next fortnight for the right to sit top of the tree going into the Christmas break.
Ones to Watch:
Orient defender Hannah Porter has impressed since establishing a regular spot in the starting XI. She has made nine starts for the O’s this season, operating at left back before moving into the heart of the defence. Porter reads the game very well, and is calm and composed when under pressure which gives reassurance to those around her.
For Wimbledon, Katie Stanley has bagged six goals in 13 appearances this season, 11 of which were starts. She will be needing a sharp eye for goal as the Dons look to stretch their lead at the top of the table before the winter break.
Previous Six Results:
| Stevenage 0-2 Leyton Orient | AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Portsmouth (FA Cup) |
| Orient 4-1 Denham United (Capital Cup) | AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Denham United |
| Ipswich Town 4-2 Orient (FA Cup) | AFC Wimbledon 5-0 Godalming Town (FA Cup) |
| Haringey Borough 0-8 Orient | AFC Wimbledon 2-3 Stevenage |
| Denham United 0-2 Orient | Enfield Town 0-1 AFC Wimbledon |
| Cardiff City 3-1 Orient (WPL Cup) | Cambridge United 0-1 AFC Wimbledon |
Stats and Facts:
- Orient have played eight away games in the league this season, taking 19 points from a possible 24 with six wins, one draw, and one loss.
- The O’s have scored 24 goals away from home in the league, and conceded just seven.
- They have kept six clean sheets in the league on their travels, three of which have come in their previous three away matches.
- AFC Wimbledon have played six home league games this season, taking 12 points from 18 available with four wins and two losses.
- The Dons have scored 15, conceded nine, and kept just two clean sheets at home this season.
- They have won four of their 11 league matches this season by a one-goal margin.
Captain’s Corner:
After the match against Stevenage, captain Danielle Griffiths spoke to Rising East about the importance of getting a result against Wimbledon saying: “It’s very important particularly off the back of this victory, we knew this would be a tough game. Wimbledon sitting top of the league at the moment, are an old foe, they used to be in our league a couple of seasons ago so we know it’s going to be tough. Two on the bounce before Christmas is going to be a tough run in; to get something out of that, get some points off them, that will be great and will certainly give us a morale boost going into the second half of the season.”
Griffiths talked about what sort of test she expects from back-to-back games against Wimbledon: “It’ll be a very big test. Wimbledon are sitting top of the league, they are our competition if we want to push on and win the championship this year. We need to be getting some points off them, and making life difficult for them for the rest of the season.”
With the O’s taking a week’s break, and Wimbledon in FA Cup action, Griffiths spoke about whether this gives Orient an advantage in terms of preparation: “I hope so, it’ll give the girls a rest as we’ve had quite a lot of games so far in this first half of the season. To have a bit of a break before two tough games before Christmas will hopefully only help us.”
On the prospect of potentially returning to the top of the table with the right results, Griffiths said: “It’ll be a big confidence boost I hope. Hopefully it wouldn’t change how we approach the rest of the season anyway because we want to be pushing on. To be sitting at the top would send a message to everyone else we’ve got to play for the rest of the season.”
When and Where?
The match will take place at The Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 2EY, with kick off scheduled for 2pm.
Missing the Match?
Don’t worry if you cannot make the game on Sunday. If you are on social media, you can keep an eye on both clubs Twitter accounts for news and updates on the game. (@OrientWFC and @afcw_ladies)
