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News archives 2007/08 season

10th February 2008 The Owls first team have gained another point after a 1-1 at Tranmere. The Owls goal was scored by Frankie Waller 13 minutes from time to cancel out the home sides opener. The draw condemns their hosts to a relegation spot on goal difference whilst the Owls climb to fourth.

The Reserves have continued their recent improved showing beating top of the table Notts Forest 1-0 thanks to a late winner from Abbie Mullens. Wednesday again showed defensive mettle with Becky Crump particularly impressive. Reserve team photos have been added to the gallery.

21st January 2008 The Owls have come through their match with local rivals Rotherham winning 2-1 in their Sheffield & Hallamshire County cup clash. more later.......

19th January 2008 The Owls entertain local rivals Rotherham in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County cup at Maltby Main tomorrow KO 1pm. They will be looking to capitalise on last weeks 3-1 victory over Newcastle.

The Owls are also delighted to announce the signing of Frankie Waller from Doncaster Rovers Belles. Wednesday manager Daniel Duke is delighted to have attracted such a promising player to the Owls playing ranks commenting "Frankie is a strong, powerful forward who possesses a lot of quality and a fearsome strike, infact she scored a pearler against us in pre-season, when we played Belles at the Keepmoat."

13th January 2008 Owls 3-1 Newcastle - The Owls got 2008 underway with an excellent victory over Newcastle with three goals coming in a frantic last few minutes. Wednesday went ahead through a Lucy Foreman header from a corner just before the interval. Newcastle pressed for virtually all of second half, eventually levelling a minute from time, through a low Sarah Bennett drive from the edge of the box.

But the Owls in a dramatic late flourish won a penalty when Leanne de Silva was brought down, Beth Gingell converting. There was still time for another, their third, as Rachel Skeemer broke down the right and unselfishly squared for Gingell to slip in her second goal of the game.

Wednesday's manager, Daniel Duke, said: "I'm very pleased with how the squad approached the game today, we've seen newcastle can score goals. It was a game that could have potentially gone either way but we felt that if we worked hard and played the way we have been before Christmas, we had the quality in the squad to get the result."

2nd December 2007 - Owls Res 5-0 Aston Villa Res
After some indifferent results by trying to play attractive football
Wednesday reserves have decided to go back to basics with 2 banks of four behind the ball and using the lightning pace of Laura Windle & Holly Barker fresh from the under 16s and it brought instant rewards with a resounding 5-0 beating of Aston Villa.

Kicking up hill into the wind Wednesday were happy to hold Villa until half time but every time Villa attacked Wednesday hit them with Windy & Holly causing all sorts of problems. Time after time Windy broke free but after 3 one on ones it looked like it was going to be one of those days but she finally got her reward on 41 minutes, again breaking clear. Wednesday went in at half time 1-0 up thanks to a superb point blank save from Keats just after the goal.

The wind dropped in the 2nd half but it did not stop the onslaught, on 54 mins Windy got her 2nd breaking clear on the left to calmly slot home. On 56mins. Becky Crump got her 1st of the season following a pin point free kick into the 6 yard box.

The team and the crowd were willing Windy to get her well deserved hat trick and she duly obliged on 86mins again breaking free and calmly slotting past the keeper, on 90mins she got her 4th again leaving the defence for dead but this time drilling in from 20 yards.

Head coach Mark Holmes said " We are very good at stopping the other team playing but at the moment don't have the creative quality going forward but with the pace of the strikers going route 1 is the best option at the moment. We were very solid today in every position"

Team: 1 Keats, 2 Rabjohn, 3 Crapper - sub 12 Reid 75 mins, 4 Crump, 5 Froggatt, 6 Shelton - sub 14 Masling 49 mins, 7 Amhed, 8 Bengiman - sub 15 White 75 mins, 9 Windle, 10 Barker, 11 Osborne
Subs not used none

5th November 2007 - Stockport 0-4 Owls The reserves made the long trip to Crewe worthwhile coming away with a 3-0 win.

After a dull 1st half with few chances at both ends Wednesday went up a gear in the 2nd half and went ahead on 52 mins with a superb goal from Abie Mullen who latched on to Skeemers through ball and hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Wednesday went further ahead on 72mins. from a well worked corner, Amhed's delivery was flicked on by Skull for Rachel Skeemer to tap in, the win was sealed on 82mins. when the influential Skeemer rounded 3 defenders in the box before laying the ball off to Jemma White so slot home. < Owls Reserves: 1 E.Clements, 2 J. Rabjohn, 3 A. Reid – Crapper 60mins, 4 C. Skull, 5 N.Froggatt, 6 C. Shelton – White 60mins, 7 D.Amhed, 8 R. Rutherford, 9 R. Skeemer, 10 A. Mullen,
11 K.Osborne – Bengiman 69mins,

Subs not used: none

29th October 2007 - Newcastle United 2-4 Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls made it three consecutive away wins with another fine awayday, with a 4-2 result at Newcastle. Although the hosts were handicapped missing nine first team regulars it was still a fine performance from the Owls. Rachel Furness opened the scoring for the hosts, hitting the roof of the net from 25 yards. Furness had a penalty appeal waved away, before Lucy Foreman levelled via the post before the interval.
Sarah Smith put the Owls ahead on 57 minutes, as the visitors appealed constant pressure and the Magpies failed to clear a corner. In the space of two minutes, Newcastle's back four were twice caught out by the direct ball through the middle, Cheryl Mawhood then Leanne De-Silva scoring the goals to make it 4-1. Furness added her second on 76 minutes, with an unstoppable header from a Kelly Ridley corner.

25th October 2007 - A narrow 1-0 home victory over bottom club Crewe has kept the Owls back in the mid table placings. A 26th minute goal from striker Rachel Skeemer proved to be the only goal in a game that saw the Owls dominate the first half but left relying on the brilliance of keeper Claire Wallhead in the second.
Squad: Wallhead, Severns, L Smith, Foreman, Hobson, Rutherford, (sub Windle 82), De Silva, Gingell, Mawhood, S Smith, Skeemer ( sub Donohoe 70)

Owls Scorer Rachel Skeemer

Owls Scorer Rachel Skeemer pictured in the match against Crewe

9th October 2007 - The First team bounced back in tremendous style to inflict a 3-1 home defeat on high flying Preston on Sunday. After their heavy home defeat to Lincoln 2 weeks previously it was just the result Boss Dan Duke needed. Goals came courtesy of Leanne Da Silva, Winger Beth Gingell and Sarah Smith.
The Owls face local rivals Rotherham at Maltby Main this Wednesday (Oct 10th) KO 7.45pm.
The reserves were beaten 3-1 by a strong Newcastle side at Bawtry Road. After an initial good start the Owls second string went ahead through a Bridie Pitsch penalty. Newcastle came back strongly in the second half and took the game to their less experienced hosts putting three unanswered goals on the scoresheet.

1st October 2007 - With the First team allowed a rare week off the Reserves were able to call upon one or two experienced players for their match with Crewe reserves. Crewe proved very strong oppositions themselves, despite their lowly league placing and the Owls second strong came good in the second half to record a 4-3 victory. Goals coming from Sarah Smith (3) and Beth Gingell.
Both the First team and the reserves have been given byes in the First Round of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Women's Cup.
First round draw:

Handsworth V Brunsmeer Ath
Sheffield FC Ladies V Brinsworth Whitehill
Sheffield University V Steel City wanderers
Manvers V Recreation
Rotherham Utd V Barnsley
21st September 2007 - There is a full weekend of action as both representative sides are at home this weekend. The First team play host to Lincoln City Ladies at Maltby Main FC in FA Northern Division action, whilst the reserves tackle last weeks opponents Stockport in the Reserves League cup. This match is at Bawtry Road.
Both games KO at 2pm

16th September 2007 - It's been a good day for SWLFC with the first team winning 3-1 and the Reserves 4-1..... The Owls first team travelled across the Pennines for their away clash with Man City Ladies, a side they lost to in extra time in last years Women's FA Cup. Owls boss Dan Duke made three changes to the starting X1, which included a welcome return for Lizzie Gommersall and Leanne De Silva who had been ruled out for 18 months through injury. In a wind affected match the owls played into the wind in the opening 45, going ahead on 30 minutes through Rachel Skeemer. City equalised just before the half time break.
In the second half the Owls started brightly and were rewarded for a fine display late on when Skeemer smashing home her second on 88 minutes, before Sarah Smith added a third in injury time.
Owls: Wallhead, Severns, L Smith, Wale (C), Gommersall, Foreman, De-Silva, Donahoe (sub Hobson 70), S Smith, Skeemer & Gingell
unused subs: Lewis, Skully
Afterwards Owls Boss Dan Duke was very pleased for the girls to get their first away win of the campaign "I'm very pleased with all the girls. I asked them to put previous results behind them and work on the job in hand. They all did their own jobs extremely well in a very professional manner. We brought home the three points, I can't ask for anymore than that!"
The Reserves now back to near full strength were to strong for Stockport County coming out 4-1 winners.

A well worked move after 6 minutes saw Osborne tap in from close range. Stockport drew level on 11 minutes from a free kick on the edge of the box, Keeper Keats turned the shot onto the bar but the rebound hit her back and bounced in, Wednesday hit back immediately on 12 minutes, Deryn Ahmed picked up a loose ball 25 yards out and delightfully lobbed the keeper. Kicking up hill into a strong wind Wednesday were content to defend the lead until half time with Amy Reid outstanding in the defence.

Wednesday were in control for most of the 2nd half kicking down hill but didn’t get the breakthrough until 80 minutes, sub Laura Windles was brought down in what looked well in the box but the ref gave a free kick on the edge which Osborne duly converted drilling into the far top corner. New signing Abbie Mullen rounded of a good day with the final goal on 88 minutes.

Reserves from: C. Keats, J. Rabjohn, N. Froggatt, A. Reid, B. Pitsch, D. Amhed – sub Windle 65 mins, C. Shelton, N. Masling – sub Mullen 65 mins, K. Osborne, G. Benjeman, J. White – Dixon 60 mins,
subs not used: Z. Beresford, C. Crapper

2nd September 2007 - Owls go out of PL Cup 3-6 to Newcastle, whilst the depleted Reserves lose out 0-2 to Forest in their season opener: The Owls agreed to the Fixture switch as Newcastle ground was unavailable. The visitors went ahead early on through Nikki Devine. Shortly Sarah Hobson got the Owls back on level terms when she scored direct from a free kick. Shortly before the interval the Owls fell behind again when Ruth Sutcliffe netted from close range. The suffered a mini collapse falling to a 1-4 scoreline before rallying through winger Beth Gingell and then Shelley Donahoe. With the Owls trailing 3-4 the Magpies quickly restored their two goal advantage before adding their 6th late on.
The Reserves stumbled in their Reserves League opener. With 5 players on holiday, 3 long term injuries & no goalkeeper the season didn’t start to well for the reserves going down 2-0 at Nottingham Forest. In a poor 1st half performance Forest scored 2 early goals from defensive mix ups & hit the bar twice despite stand in keeper Bridie Pitch’s Heroics. After a severe talking to at half time and a reshuffle of personnel Wednesday put in a much better 2nd half performance hitting the inside of the post & the ball trickling along the line & a “goal” which hit the back stantion being deemed not to have gone in by the referee. With no game next week it gives the team a chance to get all the squad back up and running.

26th August 2007 - Owls 4-1 Tranmere - The Owls have made it a winning start at home with a late super show putting 4 past Tranmere in the second half at Malty Main earlier this afternoon:
After a goalless first half the visitors took the lead on 57 minutes. Sarah Smith began the home comeback on 64 minutes. The Owls then assumed control adding goals by Rachel Skeemer (81) Smith added her second on 87 before Skeemer completed a fine afternoons performance with a fourth on 90.
The Reserves warmed up for their debut in the FA Reserves league with a 6-0 win over Buxton, goals coming from Jade Dixon, Bridie Pitsch, Jemma White (2), Nicole Rush and Leanne Warren
19th August 2007 - Aston Villa 4-2 Owls - The Owls have been defeated in their opening match for the 2007/08 season:
NORTHERN DIVISION
Aston Villa 4-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Manchester City 2-2 Sunderland
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Newcastle United
Preston North End 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
Rotherham United 1-5 Stockport County
Tranmere Rovers 1-5 Lincoln City

17th August 2007 - Owls drawn in FA League Cup Preminary Rd.- The Owls have been drawn away at Newcastle in the preliminary rd of the League Cup. The full draw is: <>PRELIMINARY ROUND – Sunday 2nd September 2007

Millwall Lionesses LFC v Lincoln City LFC
WFC Fulham v AFC Team Bath Ladies
Newcastle United WFC v Sheffield Wednesday LFC
Nottingham Forest LFC v Sunderland WFC