Julie Chipchase Trophy
Doncaster Rovers Belles 1 (Trialist 78’)
Leeds United Women 3 (White 52’, Woodruff 73’, Gibrill-Keating 90’)
Leeds: Simpson (GK), Greene (Elliott 63’), Turner, Legge, Smart (C) (Jakeman 63’), Hughes, Danby (Smith 74’), Smith (Dobson 31’), White (Price 63’), Woodruff (Gibril-Keating 86’), Gibril-Keating (Rousseau 31’). Sub not used: Oates (GK).
Venue: Eco-Power Stadium
Referee: Megan Wilson
Leeds United Women proudly lifted the Julie Chipchase Trophy, after beating Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-1 away from home.
The friendly fixture celebrates the life of one of women’s football’s pioneers, with the former star having played for, and managed, the Belles, before leading the Whites to their first ever Women’s FA Cup final.
The afternoon also saw the official launch of the Julie Chipchase Coaching Legacy, a charitable organisation providing financial support for aspiring female coaches to study for their FA badges.
With Lionesses icons Ellen White and Sue Smith in attendance at the Eco-Power Stadium, WSL referee Megan Wilson got the action underway after the teams came together for a minute’s applause.
Simon Wood’s side were immediately on the front foot in the South Yorkshire sun, with the hosts having Jess Tugby-Andrew to thank after her last-ditch challenge denied forward Amy Woodruff.
Whites’ midfielder Sarah Danby then saw a powerful left-footed strike deflect off the Belles skipper, before coming within inches of an opener as she rattled the woodwork from a corner.
The pressure continued to mount and Leeds would have been ahead if not for the defensive work of Tugby-Andrews once more, with the defender this time on hand to clear Woodruff’s effort off the line.
Sian Gibrill-Keating was the next to go close for United, firing wide after fine movement saw her race clear of two yellow and blue shirts.
For all the Whites’ attacking threat on display, the hosts still created openings of their own, with Arianne Parnham’s dangerous cross looking for Oti Loki cleared well.
After starting on the bench, last campaign’s Player of the Season Jess Rousseau was brought into the action before the break and almost picked up exactly where she left off last term, drilling an effort narrowly wide before Woodruff saw a shot well blocked, as the sides went in level at half-time.
HALF TIME: Doncaster Rovers Belles 0-0 Leeds United Women
Moments after the break, Wood’s side again were in the ascendency, as Woodruff rose highest to meet a corner, but was unable to guide her header on target.
The pressure finally told after 52 minutes, when new signing Ellie White fired home superbly from the edge of the area as she met Woodruff’s enticing delivery from the right flank, marking her debut for the club in style with the emphatic opener.
Approaching the hour mark and the hosts looked to respond, as the impressive Parnham created space down the wing and crossed dangerously, with White’s former Halifax teammate and fellow debutant Drew Greene well placed to deal with the threat.
Belles’ skipper Tugby-Andrew, who had been in inspired form at the back in the first half for the hosts, then prevented the Whites from extending the lead, blocking Danby’s goalbound effort with just over 20 minutes left to play.
The deserved second finally came moments later when Woodruff finished off a fine attacking move, firing home after superb play down the left from midfielder Alice Hughes.
Not to be deterred by the scoreline however, Doncaster halved the deficit courtesy of a low finish from inside the area by a trialist to set up a nervy ending to proceedings.
As the hosts pushed for a late leveller, Gibrill-Keating made sure of the victory for Wood’s side with a well-placed finish in off the post to clinch the Julie Chipchase Trophy for Leeds!
FULL TIME: Doncaster Rovers Belles 1-3 Leeds United Women
