2014–15 FA Women's Premier League Plate

2014–15 FA Women's Premier League Plate
WPL Plate
Country England
Teams 33
Champions Preston North End
Runners-up Huddersfield Town
Matches played 29
Goals scored 124 (4.28 per match)
2015–16 →

The 2014–15 FA Women's Premier League Plate was the inaugural season of the Premier League Plate, which was introduced as a secondary League Cup competition of the FA Women's Premier League (FA WPL).

Preston North End became the first ever winners of the Plate, beating Huddersfield Town 3–0 in the final at Guiseley's Nethermoor Park to win their first major trophy.

The teams that took part in the WPL plate were decided after the first qualifying round of the WPL Cup, known as the Determining Round. The winners of Determining Round matches continued in the WPL Cup, while the losers moved into the WPL Plate.

Background

Due to a restructuring of elite-level women's football in England in 2014, the WPL had doubled in size from three divisions to six. With this in mind the league opted to introduce a new cup competition to run alongside their existing League Cup competition, the Premier League Cup, to cater for the increased number of teams.[1]

Seventy teams were entered into the Determining Round of the FA WPL Cup, with the 35 match losers being eligible for the Plate, but two teams (Keynsham Town development and Norwich City) withdrew from the competition, meaning only 33 teams took part.[2]

Results

All results shown here were published by The Football Association.[3] Games are listed firstly in chronological order, and then by alphabetical order of the home team. The division each team played in is shown in Brackets after their name: (N)=Northern Division; (S)=Southern Division; (N1)=Northern Division One; (M1)=Midlands Division One; (SE1)=South East Division One; (SW1)=South West Division One.

Preliminary round

All other teams were given a bye to the first round of the competition.

First round

Shanklin were given a bye to the second round.[4]

Second round

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

1 March 2015
14:00
Huddersfield Town (N) 4–1 Shanklin (SW1)
Kate Mallin  25'
Debbie Hastings  36'
Emily Heckler  66'  80'		 Report Rowan Treagus  55'
Storthes Hall Park, Kirkburton
Attendance: 40

Huddersfield town reached the final of a major cup competition for the first time in their history thanks to a 4–1 victory over Isle of Wight side Shanklin, witnessed by a small crowd of just 40 people at the West Yorkshire club's Storthes Hall ground. It was their second cup semi-final win in quick succession, having recently also reached the final of the Sheffield & Hallamshire Women's Challenge Cup. Emily Heckler scored twice for Huddersfield, and Kate Mallin and Debbie Hastings each scored once. Rowan Treagus scored Shanklin's consolation goal. Midfielder Alarna Fuller was named Huddersfield's Player of the Match.[5][6][7]

1 March 2015
14:00
Preston North End (N) 1–0 West Ham United (S)
Chelsea Flanagan  80' Report
Sir Tom Finney Stadium, Bamber Bridge

Preston North End earned their place as Huddersfield's opposition in the final through a 1–0 victory over West Ham United. The only goal of the game was scored by Preston's Chelsea Flanagan.[7] West Ham, who were missing a number of regular first team players, rarely threatened the Preston goal, and eventually conceded the winning goal ten minutes from time.[8]

Final

26 April 2015
15:00
Huddersfield Town (N) 0–3 Preston North End (N)
Report Yasmine Swarbrick  44'
Keeleigh Savage  85'
Chelsea Flanagan  90+5'
Huddersfield Town
Preston North End
GKLaura Carter
DFNatalie Brace
DFCamille Clarke
DFOlivia DaCosta 87'
DFKate Mallin
DFLaura Windle 59'
MFSamantha Conroy
MFAlarna Fuller
MFKatie Nutter
FWDebbie Hastings 70'
FWEmily Heckler
Substitutes:
DFVictoria Abbott 87'
DFBethanie Halligan
MF Beth Jennings 70'
MF Katie Lockwood 59'
MF Leah White
Manager:
Glen Preston
GKDanielle Brown
DFAlice Forshaw
DFKerry Nickson
DFBethany Stanfield
MFAimee Cleaver 70'
MFNicola Emery
MFRebecca Foster 60'
MFYasmine Swarbrick 81'
MFLaura Walker
FWChelsea Flanagan
FWKeeleigh Savage
Substitutes:
MFNatasha Charlesworth 70'
MFEmily Hutton
MFHolly Rawcliffe 81'
FWSarah Chadwick 60'
FWJade Parker
Manager:
Luke Podmore[10]

Huddersfield were beaten 3–0 in the final by Preston North End, who were winners of a major trophy for the first time in their history.[11] The final was played at Guiseley's Nethermoor Park ground as part of a double-header with the FA Women's Premier League Reserves Cup, which was played in the morning before the Plate final. Spectators were allowed into the ground to watch both games for free.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "About the FA WPL". The Football Association. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Premier League Cup Round-Up". She Kicks. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "FA WPL Plate". Full Time. The Football Association. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Premier League Cup and Plate 1st Round Draws". She Kicks. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Doug Thomson (2 March 2015). "Semi-final successes for Huddersfield Town Ladies". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Season Archive". Huddersfield Town Ladies FC. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Neil; Brown, Mark, eds. (5 March 2015). "Premier League Plate". Women's Soccer Scene. Vol. 15 no. 26. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Ladies suffer semi-final heartbreak". West Ham United Football Club. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Preston Pick Up Premier League Plate". She Kicks. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Preston North End WFC on Twitter". Preston North End WFC. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Preston win inaugural Plate". Women's Soccer Scene. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Guiseley to host women's finals". Non League Daily. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
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