Albion Women are aiming to back up their recent positive showing against Halifax with victory over Hull City in their FAWNL Northern Premier clash on Sunday (2pm).
The Baggies return to the Alexander Stadium following three consecutive weeks on the road after trips to Burnley, Stoke City and Halifax.
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s side edged closer to fifth place with their most recent win - Sunday’s match means they can gain ground on those above with one of their two games in hand.
Hull City match dedicated to Her Game Too
The match with Hull City is the closest home women’s fixture to International Women’s Day, which was celebrated around the world on Sunday, March 8.
Albion are, therefore, dedicating Sunday’s game to Her Game Too - an award-winning organisation consisting of female supporters who are passionate about tackling sexism and promoting gender equality in sport.
The Baggies partnered with Her Game Too on International Women’s Day in 2022 - when Albion Women played at The Hawthorns for the very first time. Ever since, they have held dedicated fixtures for both men’s and women’s teams to mark the campaign.
Their team of ambassadors and advocates work with the club and offer support to fellow female fans who may experience harassment or abuse at a match or online.
You can follow the team on social media:
X - @HerGameToo_WBA
Instagram - hergametoo_wba
And to report an incident at The Hawthorns, contact your nearest steward, text 07929 221878, or email info@hergametoo.co.uk.
Last time out
Creative midfielder Monique Robinson produced late heroics to beat Halifax in their most recent league encounter.
Albion looked to have been held to a battling goalless draw at Myra Shay, but Robinson popped up in the 93rd-minute to latch onto a loose ball and slam home the winner - sparking pandemonium in Yorkshire.
The opposition
Visitors Hull City picked up a crucial win over Sporting Khalsa to ease any remaining relegation worries last time out.
Before the 2-1 victory, where goals from Helen Lynskey and Grace Foyer were the difference, they hadn’t won in the league since November and would’ve been looking over their shoulder - particularly after being beaten by 11th-placed Loughborough Lightning the week prior.
But, now with a stable six-point cushion between themselves and the drop zone (eighth after 17 played), Chris Hames’ side should be able to play their remaining five matches with relative freedom as they look to propel themselves up the league table.
The Tigresses have been successful in their most recent three meetings with Albion, including a 4-1 win in the reverse fixture back in August - and will surely have similar successes on their mind when they make the trip down to the Midlands this week.
Previous meetings
Hull City 4-1 Albion Women - August 2025
It was a tough second away trip of the season for the Baggies when the two teams last met. Strikes from Hope Knight (2), Ellie Tanser and Erin Nicholson meant that Phoebe Warner’s second-half goal wasn’t enough to claim any points in North Ferriby.
Albion Women 0-2 Hull City - February 2025
Albion’s last home game against the Tigresses saw another defeat. Izzy Gigg and Sophie Tinson’s efforts were the difference at the Valley Stadium.
Hull City 2-1 Albion Women - August 2024
Two Hull goals were again the downfall of Albion on their travels at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign. Hope Knight opened the scoring inside three minutes, before Helen Lynskey’s cross deflected cruelly past Anna Miller, and Hannah George’s consolation couldn’t quite mount a late comeback.
Pre-match thoughts
Attacking midfielder Riya Mannu has “loved” her time at the Baggies so far.
The 19-year-old made the temporary switch across the Midlands from WSL2 club Birmingham City in February, and hasn’t looked back after scoring her first goal for the club on her full debut against Rugby Borough.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Mannu, though, who amidst the rigorous, physical test of the third-tier, has had to, as she describes - “earn the right to play.”
Drawing on her experience in a robust encounter with Halifax last week, where she still twisted and turned past several defenders at will, Riya hopes her side can “continue to put the hard yards” into a similar test against the Tigresses on Sunday afternoon.
She said: “Before Halifax, we hadn’t been performing in the way we wanted to. Today it was all about getting the performance right and back to our standards - we did that really well.
“The first part of that is winning our individual battles, and managing to score one of those chance. We’ve struggled in recent weeks to put them away, but when you keep knocking on the door - eventually you’ll get that opening you deserve.
“Credit to all of the girls for keeping on fighting until the very end. It’s very easy to switch off when it’s later in the game, but we stuck to our principles and managed to get a deserved breakthrough later on.
“I think the change in formation helped us against Halifax, particularly in terms of us getting out round the sides. Ultimately, you have to win your individual battles and we did that really well - we started the game of pretty well which helps - we all put a shift in for the team.
“When it’s a game that’s so end-to-end, particularly in the second half when either team could’ve taken a chance and won it - it means much more but I think we deserved to win the game.
“We dominated in and out of possession, we stayed on the ball and managed to get forward as much as we did so it was deserved. Hopefully in the next few weeks, we can score a few more goals - keep those good connections going and get higher up the pitch.
“We have a trust and togetherness, sometimes it won’t go your way but when you’re all pushing for something as one - you’re always likely to come out the right side of the result. We all have the same goal, which is to perform for this club and get as many goods results as we can.
“I’ve absolutely loved my time here so far, the girls have made it very easy for me. I sometimes struggle in new environments, but this is the easiest it’s ever been in terms of making new connections with people.
“I know some of the girls from Birmingham City from before, so that always helps. Everyone’s made it really easy for me to fit in and express myself on the pitch, which is what I wanted to do.
“My confidence is getting better week-on-week, and I’m feeling sharper every time I get out there.
“I know I have to earn my right to play football and I have to earn my stripes, it’s never going to be easy coming into a physical league but I know it’ll help me in the long run. Every week’s a different challenge, Burnley and Stoke more of a psychological challenge because of how they rotate, whereas Halifax are more of a physical battle.
“We feel Sunday’s game will be a similar test to Halifax. We need to put the hard yards into training, improve as a team, and trust those connections with each other to get the end result.
“When we work together as a team we can continue that, and we’re happy to be back at home because it’s been a long few weeks travelling away.”
Ticket information
Tickets are on sale for £6 Adults, £5 Seniors (65+), £5 20-25s, £4 Under-20s, £3 Under-17s and £2 Under-14s. Disabled tickets are priced £5.
They can be purchased online now, or on the gate at the Alexander Stadium on the day of the game.
Parking for supporters will be available at the Alex on Sunday. Those attending will be directed by stewards upon entry and asked to park on either the car park adjacent to the High Performance Centre, or the overflow section situated to the south side of the stadium.
For those unable to attend, coverage will be provided across Albion Women’s social media channels, as always.
The match report, reaction and match highlights will be available on the club website across the coming days.
