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Sunday, May 24, 2026

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Addicks’ play-off joy

Charlton Athletic 0 Leicester City 0

(Charlton won 2-1 on penalties)

Charlton Athletic gained promotion to Barclays WSL 1 for the first time in their history after a gruelling battle with Leicester City in their play-off match.

In baking hot conditions, 120 minutes of tension filled football at The Valley had failed to separate the teams and the outcome was settled from the penalty spot. Sophie Whitehouse saved no less than four Leicester efforts to seal a long sought after return to the top tier for a club steeped in women's football tradition and history.

 

Charlton were the more positive team in the opening half with Jodie Hutton and Karin Muya causing problems for the WSL 1 team at times but failing to test Katie Keane in the Foxes goal. It was Whitehouse who kept Charlton on terms just before the break though with a fine save from a Shannon O'Brien close range shot during the first concerted spell of Leicester pressure.

 

Leicester improved after a triple substitution brought on Emily van Egmond, Rachel Williams and Ashleigh Neville and mounted concerted pressure on the WSL 2 team, forcing a succession of corners but Whitehouse came up trumps again to turn away a Neville header from Sarah Mayling's deep cross.

 

Charlton thought they had opened the scoring after seven minutes of extra time when a superb Katie Lockwood shot from distance cannoned off the bar, to be headed home by Leah Lobato who was flagged offside.

 

Leicester pressed frantically in the final minutes as Charlton held on to take the match to penalties. The magnitude of the stakes involved was reflected in the shootout with Keane saving two Charlton efforts but it was her opposite number who proved the match winner.

 

Charlton manager Karen Hills will now lead her club back into the top tier just as she did for Tottenham Hotspur previously. Leicester endured a tough WSL 1 campaign and may well be able to regroup and bounce back as so many have done before .

Charlton Athletic: Sophie Whitehouse, Ellie Mason, Leah Lobato, Kiera Skeels, Lucy Fitzgerald, Jodie Hutton (sub Carla Humphrey 90mins), Katie Bradley, Mary McAteer (sub Katie Lockwood 80mins), Marin Muya (sub Mia Ross 79mins), Gillian Kenney, Emma Bissell (sub Amalie Thestrup 68mins). Subs: Anna Pedersen, Gracie Pearse, Frankie Finlayson. Lizzie Waldie.

Leicester City: Katie Keane, Sari Kees (sub Chantelle Swaby 88mins), Julie Thibauld, Sarah Mayling (sub Neomie Mouchon 111mins), Sam Tierney, Olivia McLoughlin, Asmita Ale (sub Rachel Williams 55mins), Jutta Rantala (sub Ashleigh Neville 55mins), Hannah Cain (sub Emily van Egmond 55mins), Emma Jansson (sub Heather Payne 90mins), Shannon O’Brien. Subs: Rosella Ayane, Missy Goodwin, Janina Leitzig.