Albion Women are looking to make it seven wins in-a-row when they head to Derby County in the FAWNL Northern Premier on Sunday afternoon (ko 2pm).
Charlie Fripp’s Baggies have been in rampant form across all competitions, most recently dispatching Sporting Khalsa to secure their progression from the FAWNL Cup group stage.
And they don’t intend to stop there; after six victories on the spin, they’re aiming to climb as high as second in the league table should they be successful at the Vibrant Doors Arena this weekend.
Last time out
Though they’ve been racking up the cup wins of late, Albion’s latest victory in the league came against Rugby Borough almost a fortnight ago.
Naomi Sharp’s 95th-minute screamer was the difference between themselves and their Warwickshire opponents at the Alexander Stadium.
The opposition
It’s been a mixed start to the season for Derby County, who currently sit eighth in the FAWNL Northern Premier table.
The Ewe Rams have beaten the likes of Peterborough United and Middlesbrough in their league endeavours, but suffered an unlikely exit from the FAWNL Cup on goal difference.
Amongst their most prominent goalscorers this season has been Dolcie O’Connor, who has notched four strikes in five league outings so far.
Long-serving boss Sam Griffiths has been in charge since the 2018/19 season, and took to the touchline as Derby head coach for the 200th time in the last meeting with Albion back in April of 2026.
And it was the same penultimate match of last term where the Ewe Rams managed to win and ensure their third-tier safety for another season - leading them into 2026/27 with plenty of upward positivity.
Previous meetings
Albion Women 0-2 Derby County - April 2026
It was a disappointing defeat at The Hawthorns in the last meeting between the two sides.
Yasmin Mason and Rebecca May were on the scoresheet in B71.
Derby County 0-3 Albion Women - October 2025
The Baggies overcame a tight first half to score three goals in the final 15 minutes as Fran Orthodoxou, Ellie May and Phoebe Warner notched to ensure a fifth win in-a-row.
Albion Women 2-0 Derby County - March 2025
It was the late show again for those in navy-blue-and-white, as they managed a 2-0 victory at the Valley Stadium.
Ali Miller and Rhianne Oakley scored again within the last 15 minutes of the clash to see the home side take all three points.
Pre-match thoughts
Riya Mannu is enjoying playing with freedom since joining the club on a permanent deal in the summer.
The forward leads the way amongst her peers for overall goal contributions in the Albion ranks, notching a goal and four assists in 2026/27 thus far.
As well as her efforts in creative moments, Riya continues to rack up senior minutes, playing every available match in navy-blue-and-white this term.
And as a smile beams across her face, she’s fully aware of being in the right place to continue bolstering her first-team experience - along with her personal numbers.
She said: “If I have to be critical, I’d say my goal tally could be higher. But I’m trying to help the team as much as I can. We’re all playing our part; it doesn’t matter who scores or who gets the assist - as long as the team wins at the end of the day.
“I’ve really enjoyed being back here. The game time I had here really helped me in terms of the mental side of the game.
“It’s a great group of girls. I enjoy coming to training, and I’ve loved every second so far. It was a tough start to the season, but we stuck together, and we’re starting to reap the benefits of that now.
“It was a slow start in the league; we had two tough matches, two big away games, but we carried on with our work in training, and we can see that coming out now. We’re starting to get into the flow of things now.
“For me now, it’s all about continuing to get experience. I had great exposure to first-team football last term, so this has been really helpful to continue that.
“Being creative comes with confidence, and the Albion has really helped with that so far. To be myself and able to express myself on the pitch is really important - I like to play with freedom.
“It was a tough week last week, because we had three games in there, one of which was at The Hawthorns, when you’re always likely to run a bigger distance. But still, across those games we’ve been really dominant.
“We’ve prepared well, we’ve recovered well, and we all take care of each other. It’s another chance to put on the Baggies shirt.
“We just want to keep the momentum rolling, and as long as our performances keep improving, we know the results will come. It was a disappointing game at The Hawthorns against Derby last time, especially in front of our fans. We have a new team, and we can put a shift in.”
How to follow
Tickets are available to purchase now for Albion’s trip to the Vibrant Doors Arena on Sunday.
Tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £3 for those aged 6-17, while those aged five and under go free - and can be purchased here.
There are plenty of spaces available, and parking costs £3 per vehicle. Plenty of parking is available when the ground is dry. However, when weather is damp, field parking is restricted.
Disabled parking can also be reserved online for free with a valid blue badge displayed upon arrival.
For those unable to attend, coverage will be provided across Albion Women’s social media channels, as always.
Reaction, the match report and match highlights will be available on the club website over the coming days.
