BETHAN Roe’s early goal handed Charlton Athletic a 1-0 win over Saints Women at The Valley, writes Tom Masters.

A match between third and fifth at the start of the day was set to be incredibly tight, and it proved to be just that with Roe’s strike after just six minutes the difference between two sides with an outside chance of promotion to the WSL. 

A simple long ball was played into the area by Elisha N’Dow and Melissa Johnson managed to get a touch to play it on further, and Roe calmly and coolly took the ball around Kayla Rendell to give the home side the lead after just six minutes. 

Chances were at a premium in an incredibly evenly matched contest, and Emma Follis’s half-chance came after Freda Ayisi’s ball in, but Saints were able to clear. 

Rendell remained the slightly busier of the two keepers in the first half, and Johnson almost beat the Saints keeper, but she was able to get a hand to it and keep the deficit at one goal. 

It was a second half of even fewer chances than the first, but Saints did come at the Addicks in the final 10 minutes, with Beth Lumsden and then Katie Wilkinson coming close late on, but it was not to be and it was a valuable three points for the home side. 

Saints sit third in the Championship table, now 10 points off leaders Bristol City with seven games to play.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale's side return to action on Sunday, hosting Blackburn Rovers at St Mary's (2pm).

Saints: Rendell, Morris, Kendall (Griffiths, 88), Parnell, Rafferty (Rutherford, 71), Pharoah (Wynne, 71), Peplow, Collett (Mott, 56), Peake, Pusey (Lumsden, 56), Wilkinson.

Unused subs: Freeland, Ward, Williams, Howard (g/k).

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