Albion Women have a trip to the bet365 Stadium to look forward to on Sunday afternoon (ko 2pm), where they’ll meet Stoke City in the FAWNL Northern Premier.
The Baggies are now back into the swing of their league campaign having endured a largely disrupted 2026 so far, owing to the abject weather conditions across the country.
Their recent postponements mean they have two, and in some cases, three games in hand on the rest of the division, giving Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s side the opportunity to elevate from sixth position in their remaining eight matches.
Last time out
It ended in defeat last time out for Hodgetts-Still’s side. Albion travelled to Burnley’s Turf Moor where they were beaten 3-0 in Lancashire despite a valiant showing against full-time opposition.
The opposition
Hosts Stoke City have enjoyed a change in their fortunes in recent times.
When the Potters visited the Alexander Stadium for their FAWNL Cup tie in October, they’d only won two league matches, but have since turned their form around.
Head Coach Sarah Richardson joined at the beginning of the season, having seen through a prosperous reign at now-FAWNL Northern Premier side Loughborough Lightning previously.
And she’s driven her team to a six-game unbeaten run of late, picking up 27 points from their 16 league matches to ensure they sit fourth in the division and just six points behind third-placed Rugby Borough.
There are plenty of Albion links in the Stoke squad. Former Baggies Sophie Tudor, Delphi Cole and Shannon Stamps currently ply their trade in Staffordshire having enjoyed spells in B71.
The Potters ran out 2-1 winners against Middlesbrough in their last match at Stockton Town FC. Cole scored on her 50th appearance for the club, while Olivia Cook got the eventual winner on Teesside.
Previous meetings
Albion Women 2-0 Stoke City - October 2025
Phoebe Warner and Monique Robinson were on target to complete a sixth victory in-a-row for the Baggies. Those early goals proved to be the difference, and even a late Fran Orthdoxou red card couldn’t stop them from achieving their spot in the FAWNL Cup last-16.
Albion Women 2-1 Stoke City - September 2025
Albion’s first game at the Alexander Stadium was quite the spectacle. Warner continued her positive goalscoring streak with a goal in the final seconds, after Orthodoxou had levelled the scores with 17 minutes to go.
Albion Women 2-3 Stoke City - April 2025
It was a narrow defeat as the high-flying Potters beat the Baggies at the Valley Stadium. Strikes from Rhianne Oakley and Simran Jhamat were enough to bring the game to a tight finish, but they couldn’t quite turn the 3-2 scoreline in their favour.
Venue
The Baggies will visit their second stadium in as many weeks with their trip to the bet365 Stadium.
It’s not the first time in Hodgetts-Still’s reign that they’ve visited the home of the Potters, having also been there in 2023/24.
Pre-match thoughts
Forward Ellie May’s versatility will help put her in the best possible position for selection as the Baggies reach their final FAWNL Northern Premier matches.
The 25-year-old has had to be patient in order to get her chance in the Albion starting XI, playing at right-wing-back, on both wings, and as a central striker to plug gaps in Hodgetts-Still’s team.
Though May’s preference is to play in that front-line, she feels pleased that the boss has that “trust” in her abilities to operate in most positions across the field, and she’s happy to “do a job for the team” when called upon.
Even still, the tireless forward has bagged five goals this season, putting her second in the club’s top scorer race - meaning there’s plenty she can add to the Albion ranks to “push everyone” forward as they dive into the final eight league fixtures.
She said: “I don’t think it was a 3-0 game against Burnley. We worked hard and we limited their chances but they’re a good team, they move the ball quickly and they get opportunities.
“It’s all about bouncing back and making sure we learn from them to make sure results like this don’t happen again. We can be proud of our performance, we worked really hard.
“I think we get up for the big games. We like to put in a performance against the people at the top of the table and it’s important that we take that performance through every game.
“We’ll build on what we’ve already done and make sure we’re prepared for that match.
“I like to think I’m quite versatile, I can defend when I need to. My preference is to be in attack, but I’ll always do a job for the team and give 100% wherever Shev (Siobhan Hodgetts-Still) puts me - it’s nice that she has the trust in me.
“We’ve got a very good squad and it’s very competitive. We need to keep pushing to ensure we’re in a good position come the end of the season.
“We’ve got some great attackers and everyone’s doing well and it pushes everyone on. We’re all determined to be better every game.
“It’s a competitive squad, I’ll continue to work hard in training to give myself the best chance. We’ll make sure everyone is prepared regardless.
“There are a few games in hand, we’ve not had the weather on our side, but we hope to keep it on our side over the next few games. We need to build some momentum and get some points on the board now.
“Everyone loves playing at the stadiums. It’s a big occasion, the pitches are looked after and they’re enjoyable to play on.
“You have to stay concentrated when those opportunities come along. One moment where we have a lack of concentration can really open us up, so we need to be disciplined in those moments.
“I’m sure the girls are really looking forward to it and we’ll be ready for the test that comes along.
“We know what Stoke are about having played each other twice. We need to stay disciplined and put in a performance to get the points on the board.
“We’re taking each game as it comes but we want as many points on the board as possible. We can definitely do that, it’s just backing each other, putting in a performance this week and taking it from there.”
How to follow
Supporters can make the trip to the Potteries on Sunday afternoon, with tickets available to purchase online.
Tickets are priced at £3 for adults and £1 for concessions, and can be bought online by clicking HERE.
Seats are reserved in The Franklyn Stand and parking is available onsite and free using the main stadium car park - refreshments will also be available in the concourse.
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.
