Portsmouth Women end Charlton Athletic's mighty 16-month unbeaten run to set up huge survival battle
Pompey Women lifted themselves out of the WSL2 relegation zone with a mighty 2-0 win against league leaders Charlton Athletic on Wednesday.
Pompey Women’s boss Jay Sadler is adamant his troops have what it takes to avoid relegation from the WSL2 for the second-successive campaign.
And the head coach has lifted the lid on how his side toppled league leaders Charlton Athletic to end their 16-month league unbeaten run.
Pompey topple league leaders Charlton Athletic
Despite heading into the contest winless in 2026, the Blues brought their frustrating run to a sensational end with a huge 2-0 win over the table-topping Addicks at The Valley on Wednesday.
Early goals from Izzy Collins and Georgie Freeland were enough to fend off the south London outfit, whose last league defeat came in November 2024.
The maximum points lifted Pompey off the foot of the WSL2 standings and crucially away from the danger zone, with Ipswich Town now occupying the only relegation spot.
Sadler’s troops now sit two points above the Suffolk outfit, who do have three games in hand on the Blues, as the season races towards its climax.
And the head coach is hoping their impressive victory over title-chasing Charlton can be the ‘catalyst’ behind their survival push.
Pompey Women’s boss on WSL2 survival fight
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Sadler said: ‘I think it was more of a behavioural and psychological game plan of they've obviously been unbeaten in the league since November 2024, which spans 571 days I think it was.
‘But I think the message was quite clear that all these great records, whether it would be Arsenal men's invincible, Anthon Joshua, Red Rum, they all have to end at some point and there's always a victor.
‘And for that, you need work ethic, you need fight, but more importantly, you need belief. You need to believe in your own ability, you need to believe in the team's ability. And then you need to go out and do that.
‘And we can only give them the tools for that and ultimately it's down to the players that started, that came on, ultimately to execute it and they did it to a T.
‘I never have any doubt in that and I’ve never had any doubt (in beating the drop).
‘Obviously the last seven games before this, we haven't started the calendar year very well. It was quite bleak and hopefully this performance now can be a catalyst.
‘But we've been here before. It's not a position we want the club to be in, it's in a position that I would like to be in as well because it does obviously take its toll and it is difficult to maintain that motivation.
‘But we've always had a focus and we've always had a remit. Before yesterday there was 53 days, there were eight weeks, six games and 18 points.
‘We know exactly how we're focussing on each game at a time and this is one cup final down. We got five to go and I genuinely believe we'll pick up the points to stay in the division.’