Match Preview: Durham v London Bees

London Bees will journey to the North-East as they take on Durham as Lee Burch’s side continue to challenge in the FA Women’s Championship.

Nickname: The Wildcats

Manager: Lee Sanders

Stadium: New Ferens Park

League Position: 4th

 

Form Guide:

Durham  Last 5: W3 D1 L1

London City 0-6 Durham

Durham Women 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers 1-3 Durham (Conti Cup)

Aston Villa 1-1 Durham

Durham 4-0 Coventry United  (Conti Cup)

 

 

London Bees  Last 5: W3 D0 L2

Bristol City 3-0 London Bees (Conti Cup)

London Bees 2-1 Lewes FC

London City 0-3 London Bees (Conti Cup)

London Bees 2-3 Crystal Palace

London Bees 0-0 Charlton Athletic (Conti Cup, London Bees won 4-2 on Penalties)

 

The Opposition:

The Wildcats’ start to the season has certainly been a positive one which has seen them climb to 4th in the table and just three points behind league leaders Aston Villa.

In their last five fixtures, which have included two in the Conti Cup, have picked up three wins with one of them being a resounding 6-0 win over Championship highflyers London City.

 

The Gaffer: Lee Sanders

Lee Sanders occupies two roles within Durham, as general manager and first-team manager having founded the team in conjunction with Quentin Sloper in 2014. Sanders has previously spoken of the difficulties of competing with Premiership clubs on 10 percent of their budget but has seen steady growth in success for the club which now sees them pushing to reach the Women’s Super League.

 

One to Watch: Beth Hepple

Not only is Beth Hepple the Wildcats’ record appearance holder, but she has also accumulated the most goals for her club cementing herself well within the history books of the club which is still in its infancy. A midfielder, Hepple clearly has an eye for goal and will be sure to cause problems for Lee Burch’s side.