The invincible Fulham triumphed at The Hive in a dramatic and fiery contest that saw tempers boil over, with both London Bees head coach Dan McKinnon and assistant James McKinnon sent off from the touchline.
An end-to-end first half concluded with Stella Gandee-Morgan converting from the penalty spot to give Fulham the lead, although the decision was one that the home support felt was harsh.
The momentum swung dramatically after the break. London Bees came out with renewed intensity, and quickfire goals from Shamoy Campbell and Millie Isherwood turned the game on its head, putting the hosts 2-1 ahead and leaving Fulham’s remarkable two-year unbeaten run hanging in the balance.
There was then a worrying moment as Isherwood was stretchered off following a collision with a Fulham player. Everyone at Since 71 sends their best wishes to Millie for a full and speedy recovery.
The lengthy stoppage resulted in 15 minutes of added time, and as the clock ticked on Fulham piled on the pressure, repeatedly testing the London Bees goalkeeper in search of an equaliser.
Eventually, the resistance broke in the 105th minute when Leeta Rutherford struck fiercely into the net to preserve Fulham’s extraordinary streak.
But there was still one final twist to come. Deep into added time, Madi “The Moose” Parsonson produced a sensational effort — half cross, half shot — that flew into the top corner to snatch victory and ensure Fulham completed their league season unbeaten.
Now, one final challenge remains: the Capital Women’s Cup Final against AFC Wimbledon at the VBS Community Stadium.
Fulham Women manager Steve Jaye praised his players and staff after the club completed a remarkable second consecutive unbeaten season, describing the achievement as something that has not yet fully sunk in.
Speaking after the latest victory, Jaye reflected on the scale of Fulham’s success and the work that has gone into building such a dominant side.
“It’s an incredible achievement,” he said. “It probably hasn’t really hit home what we’ve actually achieved. The players have done a phenomenal job over the last two years and fully deserve all the accolades and all the credit.
“The staff behind the scenes have also put in an immense amount of work to make sure we’re in this position. I’m super proud of the group and really pleased.”
Comeback Spirit on Display
Jaye also gave his thoughts on the match itself, admitting Fulham were largely in control but were punished for lapses in concentration.
“It was an interesting one,” he said. “I actually thought we were in a lot of control for large portions of it and unfortunately we just fell asleep for the two goals they scored.”
Despite that setback, the Fulham boss highlighted the resilience and mentality within his squad, who once again found a way to respond.
“I said to the group at the end that they just have this consistent drive to know we’re never out of a game. We’ve shown it a number of times this season and last season.
“If I’m honest, when we scored the equaliser, I was saying maybe we just take the draw and move on. But they had different ideas.”
Fulham went on to secure victory with what Jaye described as “some great finishes”.
Ready for the Step Up
After back-to-back promotions and continued dominance, Fulham Women are preparing for life in the third tier next season. Jaye acknowledged the challenge ahead but believes his squad has the quality to compete.
“It’s a big jump, we know it’s a big jump,” he said. “But we’ve got some great quality across the group and we’re really excited and looking forward to it.”
The manager also pointed to an upcoming clash against third-tier opposition as an early benchmark for where his side stands.
“We’ve got a great game on Tuesday night against tier three opposition. That will give us a bit of an indicator as to how we might get on.”
Time to Celebrate
Before attention turns to next season, Jaye wants his players to enjoy what they have accomplished.
“The players should absolutely go and celebrate and enjoy their opportunity to have some time off,” he said. “Then we’ll reset, get ready to go again, and give it a good push next year.”
After two unbeaten campaigns, Fulham Women head into the future full of momentum, confidence and belief.
