2015 Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. season
# 2015 Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C. season

The 2015 season was Doncaster Rovers Belles' fifth season in the FA WSL, and their second season in the second tier of English women's football.

After the Belles narrowly missed out on promotion in the previous season, Gordon Staniforth resigned on 30 October 2014. Former Lincoln Ladies manager Glen Harris was appointed on December 8, 2014, beating competition from all over Europe; including Belgium, Croatia, Italy and the UK.

This season also saw the introduction of a new club crest, combining the old-style Doncaster Belles badge, with the more recently used Doncaster Rovers badge.

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Nicola Hobbs |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Lyndsey Cunningham |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Samantha Tierney |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Leandra Little (Captain) |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Rhiannon Roberts |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Kasia Lipka |
| 7 | DF | ENG | Molly Johnson |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Sue Smith |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Courtney Sweetman-Kirk |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Emily Roberts (on loan from Notts County) |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Bethany England |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Reanne Thomas |
| 13 | MF | ENG | Sophie Stamp |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Ashleigh Mills |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Nicole Dale |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Sophie Barker |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Danielle Hill |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Lauren Cresswell |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Hope Knight |
| — | GK | ENG | Megan Govier |
| — | FW | ENG | Jody Handley |

## Transfers

### In

| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Transfer From | Date | Source |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 18 | MF | Sophie Barker | ENG | Sheffield | 13 January 2015 | |
| 10 | MF | Emily Roberts | ENG | Notts County (loan) | 26 January 2015 | |
| — | FW | Jody Handley | ENG | Everton | 28 January 2015 | Archived 2015-06-14 at the Wayback Machine |
| 22 | GK | Danielle Hill | ENG | Durham | 29 January 2015 | |

### Out

| No. | Pos. | Name | Country | Transfer To | Date | Source |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 10 | MF | Millie Bright | ENG | Chelsea | 27 November 2014 | |
| 5 | FW | Jessica Sigsworth | ENG | Notts County | 6 January 2015 | |
| 15 | DF | Victoria Williams | ENG | Sunderland | February 2015 | |
| 14 | FW | Lucy Sowerby | ENG | Bradford City | March 2015 | Archived 14 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine |
| — | FW | Jody Handley | ENG | Retired | 6 May 2015 | |

## Statistics

    As of 12 June 2015

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | WSL 2 | WSL 2 | FA Cup | FA Cup | WSL Cup | WSL Cup |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Nicola Hobbs | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Lyndsey Cunningham | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Samantha Tierney | 4 | 0 | 0+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Leandra Little | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Rhiannon Roberts | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Kasia Lipka | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | ENG | Molly Johnson | 4 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Sue Smith | 11 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Emily Roberts (on loan from Notts County) | 9 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Bethany England | 10 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Reanne Thomas | 7 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | ENG | Sophie Stamp | 5 | 0 | 0+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | ENG | Lucy Sowerby | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Ashleigh Mills | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Nicole Dale | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Sophie Barker | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | GK | ENG | Danielle Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Lauren Cresswell | 9 | 0 | 4+3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Hope Knight | 8 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – | GK | ENG | Megan Govier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| – | FW | ENG | Jody Handley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the season: ||||||||||||

### Goals record

    As of 12 June 2015

| Rank | No. | Po. | Name | WSL 2 | FA Cup | WSL Cup | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 9 | FW | Courtney Sweetman-Kirk | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | MF | Sue Smith | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | 11 | MF | Bethany England | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | 10 | MF | Emily Roberts | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 18 | MF | Sophie Barker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 4 | DF | Leandra Little | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | 5 | DF | Rhiannon Roberts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Own Goals | Own Goals | Own Goals | Own Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 23 | 5 | 0 | 28 |

## Matches

### Pre-Season Friendlies

On 15 January 2015 Arsenal Ladies announced that they would play a friendly against the Belles, in a clash of two former heavyweights. On 28 January, Liverpool Ladies became the second club to announce a friendly against Doncaster.

### FA Cup

On 12 January 2015 the draw for the Third Round Proper of the FA Women's Cup was made. The Belles were drawn at home to London Bees, with the match to be played on 1 February 2015. This fixture was then rearranged to be played a day earlier on 31 January. In the Fourth Round, Doncaster were drawn away to either Bradford City Women or FC Reedswood, depending on who won the postponed tie. The postponed match was won by Bradford, with the Fourth Round tie to be played on 8 March.

### FA WSL Cup

Rovers were drawn in Group 2. They play 5 matches in the group.

### FA WSL 2

On 26 January 2015, the fixtures for the coming season's WSL were released, with the Belles starting their fixtures at home to Durham Women.

