Albion Women will play at The Hawthorns for the second time this season on Sunday as they host Sporting Khalsa (ko 2pm).
The Baggies take to the Shrine full of confidence knowing they’ve won their last two FAWNL Northern Premier matches - picking up vital wins over Hull City Ladies and Halifax both at home and on the road.
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s side remain in pursuit of the top five, and still have a game in hand on 5th-placed Middlesbrough heading into this weekend’s fixtures.
Last time out
Albion produced a spirited showing to beat Hull City Ladies at the Alexander Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Strikes either side of half-time from Lucy Day and Marli Rhodes left the hosts in a strong position heading into the final stages of the game. Tigresses forward Hope Knight scored late in the match, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback as the Baggies claimed a 2-1 victory.
The opposition
Visitors Sporting Khalsa are heading to The Hawthorns to meet the Baggies for the second time in two seasons.
Juan Dopazo’s side rank bottom of the FAWNL Northern Premier, and are five points away from safety having won just three games from 18 league matches.
Khalsa have relied on a variety of different goalscorers since the beginning of the campaign. Wolves loanee Skye Owen ranks alongside Daisy Wickett in their scoring charts, both perched on four goals - while second place is taken up by the trio of Megan Cann, Ania Denham and Lowri Walker.
Like Albion, the visitors most recent league match was against Hull City Ladies, where they suffered a contrasting outcome, losing 2-1 in North Ferriby, despite Cann’s sixth-minute strike.
With the season rolling towards its conclusion, Khalsa will need to begin collecting points at the earliest possible opportunity to make ground on those above.
Previous meetings
Sporting Khalsa 1-3 Albion Women - November 2025
It was a fiery encounter when the two sides last met. Defender Day, forward Ellie May and an own goal secured all three points, despite Walker’s first-half equaliser.
Sporting Khalsa 2-1 Albion Women - February 2025
May once again got on the scoresheet against Khalsa, this time after 60 seconds, but it wasn’t enough as Laura Smith’s brace claimed a home win at the Guardian Warehousing Arena.
Albion Women 4-0 Sporting Khalsa - September 2024
A trip to The Hawthorns was on the cards for Khalsa back in 2024, but Albion swiftly made home advantage count. Phoebe Warner, Simran Jhamat, Hannah George and Rhodes got their names on the scoresheet during a memorable match at the Shrine.
Pre-match thoughts
Childhood Albion fan Naomi Sharp knows the feeling of playing at The Hawthorns is one of the best she can describe.
The defender, who was handed a start at the unfamiliar role of centre-back in their Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup defeat to Wolves in midweek, has been a Baggies season ticket holder since she was younger and still regularly attends men’s first-team matches at the Shrine and on their travels up and down the country.
19-year-old Sharp has enjoyed being part of the Albion squad this season, and has cited some of the more senior defenders at the club (Zoe Creaney & Hannah George) for their help in guiding her through the rigours of senior football.
And with another match at The Hawthorns to look forward to this weekend, Naomi says representing the club in B71 is a real “honour."
She said: “It was very frustrating on Wednesday because we defended well in the first half. We put our bodies on the line and gave away two set-pieces, we didn’t feel we did too much wrong.
“The effort was there from start to finish so it’s a tough onto take. Set-pieces are something we look at a lot and it’s a difficult one to take when you know what’s coming and we’ve got to learn from that.
"I was really happy when Shev (Siobhan Hodgetts-Still) told me I was starting. With it being a Black Country derby me being an Albion fan, it was huge for me to be given that start, I wanted to help the team win but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
“I’d not played at centre-back very often before. I felt comfortable with it being in a back three, knowing I had that support.
“Zoe (Creaney) was talking to me constantly throughout the game, and I felt grew into it as the game went on. I don’t mind where I play as long as I’m playing, I’ll always give my all in each game.
“Whatever age you are, having someone like Zoe next to you is huge. Any information she gives you is important to take on, if you make a bad pass or a mistake, she’s there encouraging you.
“There’s been a lot of people like that to help me develop. Hannah George is another who’s like that, she’s a huge presence on and off the pitch.
“Every player has helped me a lot and they’ve made me feel comfortable and supported me both on the pitch and when out training.
“It was huge to beat Sporting Khalsa last time out. We played really well against them, they’re a physical side but we managed to play around them and we were able to back each other up.
“That passion and togetherness was the deciding factor in that one.
“I can’t wait to be back at The Hawthorns. I played there during the Leicester City game earlier in the season, just to play on the pitch is an amazing feeling.
“I grew up going to The Hawthorns, I’m a season ticket holder and grew up watching my favourite players. Being able to play on that pitch is an unreal feeling and we can’t wait to get back out there.
“I’ve been brought up as an Albion fan, going home and away, so to represent this club means everything to me. It’s an honour to play for the club and these matches at The Hawthorns are really exciting.”
How to follow
Supporters can join the Baggies at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Tickets are available now and priced £6 Adults, £5 Seniors (65+), £5 20-25s, £4 Under-20s, £3 Under-17s and £2 Under-14s. Disabled tickets are priced £5.
Supporters can secure them online here, in person from the East Stand Ticket Office, or on the day from the Ticket Office (open from 12pm-2pm).
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 also be available on the club website.
