West Women Preview | Tranmere Rovers (A)

Tranmere Rovers vs West Women

• Sunday 13th September 2026
• 2pm kick-off
• NWWRL Premier Division, Matchday 7
• Ellesmere Port Sports Village Stanney Lane, CH65 9LB
  

We head into the weekend's fixture after a tough trip to Crewe Alexandra. A testing first half meant we went into the break three goals down - and though it was an improved performance, there were few complaints at the eventual 4-0 scoreline. The result saw our hosts leapfrog us in the table on goal difference, and other results have seen us drop to 6th in the NWWRL table.

Sunday's hosts have true pedigree in the women's game. Formed in 1990, Tranmere Rovers Women rose rapidly through the divisions, earning four promotions in five seasons to reach the FA Women's Premier League National Division - the top tier at the time - by 1996. They went on to spend eight seasons in the top flight between 1996 and 2004, comfortably the most successful period in the club's history. For consecutive seasons from 1998/99 to 2000/01 they finished 5th - though were unable to claim bragging rights as the top team on Merseyside due to Everton being once placed above them each time.

That era brought both silverware and serious international pedigree. Rovers won the Premier League Northern Division in 1996, lifted the Cheshire Shield on numerous occasions and reached two FA Cup semi-finals, while their sides featured a string of international footballers Most notable was perhaps Sue Smith, who went on to earn a total of 94 England appearances and was twice international player of the year. Smith is now one of the more familiar voices around football as a whole, often working as a pundit.

Tranmere finished third bottom last time out, and our three games across the campaign ended up as high scoring affairs. Grace Sones Devally scored last to salvage a 3-3 draw away in September, while a Naomi Lawrence hattrick secured a 3-2 win at home - both in the league. We also faced Rovers away in the Alliance Design and Print Cup, Beth Wilson bagging a brace in a 4-3 West win. Though currently third bottom once more, they've started this campaign with two wins in five, and could pull themselves into the top half of the table with a win.