Home GeneralThree into two – battle to reach WSL goes to final day

Three into two – battle to reach WSL goes to final day

by Luna
2 views
Lee Geum-min of Birmingham City Women with Veatriki Sarri
For the second season in a row Birmingham are involved in a winner-takes-all final-day fixture [Getty Images]

Three teams, but only two spots. Someone's got to miss out.

Just one round of fixtures remain in WSL 2 and two of Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic will secure automatic promotion on the final day.

Things are a little different in the second tier this season with the top two both going up automatically and third place playing a promotion-relegation play-off, against the side who finish bottom of the Women's Super League.

With the final round of fixtures on Saturday, 2 May (15:00 BST) looming, including the top two facing off, here's everything you need to know.

How did we get here?

Last June the Women's Super League voted to expand the league from 12 to 14 teams from the 2026-27 season.

It means three teams could potentially go up from the second tier rather than the usual one, which had happened in every season since the 2019-20 campaign.

Going into the penultimate round of fixtures on Sunday, Birmingham were hoping to effectively seal a spot in the top two thanks to their superior goal difference, but were stunned in a 3-0 home loss by mid-table Ipswich Town.

Instead of going three points clear of Crystal Palace, Blues are now level on 41 points with Jo Potter's side who beat Sunderland 2-1 and are trying to return to the top flight at the first attempt.

However, both trail Charlton Athletic, who played later on Sunday and moved top on 42 points after a dramatic 2-2 draw with fourth-placed Southampton.

Charlton had gone 2-1 up in the 92nd minute, only for Saints to equalise in the 94th.

Who needs what for WSL 2 promotion?

WSL 2 table
[BBC]

In the WSL 2's final round of fixtures next Saturday (15:00 BST), Birmingham and Charlton play each other, while Crystal Palace are at home to already-relegated Portsmouth.

League-leaders Charlton will be promoted if they avoid defeat at home to Birmingham.

If they lose, they would still be promoted if Crystal Palace are beaten.

Birmingham City will go up with a win, or if they both they are Palace draw.

Palace will be promoted if they win or if they draw and Charlton are beaten.

Where it gets complicated is if both Birmingham and Palace either win or lose as it would come down to goal difference – with Blues currently seven better in that department.

For the second straight season, Birmingham are involved in a winner-takes-all match on the final day.

Last season, they drew with London City Lionesses when a win would have sent them into the top tier at the Lionesses’ expense.

Burnley and Watford promoted to WSL 2

Meanwhile, Ipswich's shock win over Birmingham on Sunday had the secondary effect of relegating Portsmouth to National League South.

Pompey will be replaced by three teams coming up from two third-tier leagues that concluded on Sunday.

Burnley secured the National League Northern Premier Division title and will join Southern Premier Division champions Watford in the second tier next season.

The runners-up from those two divisions, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle, will contest a promotion play-off in Burton on Monday, 4 May (13:00 BST) for a spot in WSL 2.

  • Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page

Original Article

You may also like

Leave a Comment