WOMEN'S FOOTBALL: Bristol Academy face a long and testing trip to one of the National Division's in-form teams as they bid to get their FA Premier League campaign back on track this weekend.

They travel to Sunderland, who inflicted a second league defeat in six seasons on champions Arsenal two weeks ago – and then followed it up with another win over Chelsea last weekend.

Bristol had another long journey to Leeds Carnegie last weekend, only for the game to be abandoned at half-time because of a waterlogged pitch with the score 1-1. Remi Allen had nodded the home side in front but Katie Daley had levelled from the penalty spot.

The weather once again wiped out the vast majority of the local women's football programme, although Bitton forced their way through to the semi-finals of the GFA Women's Challenge Trophy for the first time thanks to a 1-0 win at Cheltenham Spa, Becky Jones the scorer. Bitton boss Steve Jones said: "We had several key players missing and could only field 11 players – and four of them were playing despite injuries. It was a bit of a smash and grab victory, but the girls deserved it for their hard work."

Bitton have a four-point lead at the top of Division Two in the Gloucestershire County Women's League and face bottom-placed Abbeymead Rovers on Sunday.

"We have a number of games coming up against teams in the lower half of the league and we will be looking to extend our lead," said Jones.

Bitton will be boosted by new signing, former Welsh international Hannah Simms, and the return of Kirsty Stone, who has been out for 18 months with a serious knee injury

RESULTS

FA Premier League National Div: Doncaster 3 Birmingham 1, Sunderland 2 Chelsea 0.

Southern Div: Colchester 1 Portsmouth 4.

SW Women's League Premier Div: Weymouth 0 Larkhall 3.

Eastern Div One: Cleeve West Town 10 Downend Flyers 3.

Gloucestershire FA Women's Challenge Cup second round: Cheltenham Spa 0 Bitton 1.

Gloucestershire County Women's League Div Two: Abbeymead 0 Longlevens 5.

FIXTURES

FA Premier League National Div: Birmingham v Millwall, Blackburn v Doncaster, Sunderland v Bristol Academy.

Southern Div: Barnet v Colchester, Crystal Palace v Cardiff, QPR v West Ham, Reading v Portsmouth.

FA Women's Cup first round: Cullompton v Forest Green.

SW Women's League Premier Div: Cheltenham Town v Chippenham, Frome Town v Weymouth, Larkhall v Gloucester City, Oldland Abbotonians v Bristol Ladies Union, Saltash v Poole, Taunton Town v Stoke Lane Ath.

Bristol Soccerworld Cup first round: Falmouth v Bishops Lydeard.

Second round: Cleeve West Town v Swindon Town Res, Downend Flyers v Torpoint, Forest Green Res v Bude, Launceston v Marjons, Winscombe v Cirencester.

Gloucestershire County Women's League Div One: Bristol & West v Swindon Supermarine, Cheltenham CS v Cheltenham Town Res, Dursley v Newent, Forest of Dean v Cam.

Div Two: Abbeymead v Bitton; Longlevens v AEK Boco; Mitcheldean v Tetbury.

Div Three: Quedgeley v Cirencester Res; St Nicholas v Gloucester City Res; Stoke Lane Res v Wootton Bassett Town.