Three Irish women rise with Crystal Palace, but two fall with Bristol City

Three up, two down. Sunday proved to be a joyous day for Republic of Ireland internationals Hayley Nolan, Izzy Atkinson and Abbie Larkin, who won promotion to England’s top flight with Crystal Palace, but it was a deflating one for Megan Connolly and Chloe Mustaki whose Bristol City were relegated from the WSL.

Palace’s 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland was enough to seal them the Championship title, leaving them a point clear of Charlton, and so they will play in the WSL for the first time next season. Nolan joined Palace last summer from London City Lionesses, while Atkinson signed from West Ham in January and Larkin from Glasgow City in the same month.

After just one win from their previous 19 games Bristol had already looked doomed before their meeting with WSL leaders Manchester City on Sunday evening, but their 4-0 defeat confirmed their return to the Championship, from where they were promoted a year ago.

Injury restricted Mustaki to just six WSL appearances this season, and she was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign last month with a hip problem, but Connolly, who joined the club from Brighton last summer, has been an ever present for the side.

Moving back to Ireland would mean working till 10pm, no home of my own and bad coffee

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In Scotland, a goal from Kate Mooney sent Hearts on their way to their first ever Scottish Cup final, the former Peamount United striker opening the scoring in a 3-0 win over Spartans.,Irish international Ciara Grant also lined up for the Edinburgh side.

Hearts will meet Rangers in the final after their 2-0 win over Caitlin Hayes’s Celtic on Saturday. Hayes’s small consolation is that she was named in the Scottish Premier League’s team of the year last week.

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