Take a look at her interview from after the game against Everton HERE.

Below is a match report from Belles’ final group game of the Continental Cup.

Doncaster were made to rue missed chances as Everton left the Keepmoat Stadium with maximum points in this Continental Cup clash.

It was the Belles who started brightly, and the first chance of the game fell to Millie Bright. The midfielder started a move when she played Beth England down the right wing. England played the ball to the returning Sue Smith, who teed up Bright perfectly. However, her shot from 25 yards whistled past the post.

The Belles were keen to take maximum points from this encounter, and started the game as the better side. England thought she had opened the scoring after ten minutes, following a lovely turn in the area. The striker saw her effort from a tight angle cannon back off the crossbar, with Ashleigh Mills then adjudged to have fouled an Everton defender when battling for the rebound.

Despite not having the best of the opening exchanges, Everton were still posing a threat to the Doncaster backline. The livewire, Toni Duggan, was looking dangerous, but was well marshalled by Emma Thomson and Leandra Little. The hosts were happy to play on the counter attack, with Jess Sigsworth twice going on runs from her own half. On the first occasion, her pass was just behind the onrushing Mills and the attack died. However, on the second try Sigsworth decided to go solo, and fired narrowly wide from 25 yards.

Sigsworth however, would have a large part to play in the opening goal. Her through ball found Bethany England who raced through and finished superbly to give the Belles a well-deserved lead after 35 minutes.

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a while I have been so busy with all my physio and working in various schools! All excuses, I have just been lazy and promise to be better. :)

Regarding my injury, the update is after a year of physio, strength and conditioning, various running drills I thought I would have been fit and raring to go for the first game of the season, frustratingly I tore my calf in the last 10 minutes of a pre season friendly and have been trying to recover from that for the past 5 weeks! I’m hoping that it won’t be too much longer before I can pull on my Doncaster shirt and help the girls finish as high as we possibly can for this season. While we are on the subject of football I have to say I was extremely disappointed and saddened at the news that we will be competing in WSL 2 next season (basically we have been relegated after only playing one WSL game) Manchester City have replaced us in the WSL 1. Notts County have also gone into WSL 1 taking Lincoln Ladies name which may mean that Lincoln don’t have a team anymore! It’s also sad to see my old team Leeds not getting into the WSL at all, a great name in the game along with others haven’t made it into the league.

Anyway enough of me ranting, as Kelly Clarkson would say ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!’ and as you can see from the result at the weekend against Chelsea all the girls are pulling together and team morale and unity has never been better! Each week we will go out and give our everything and show determination, passion and desire for the Donny family!

On a brighter note I’ve had some really interesting appearances recently. Firstly, I was part of a select five a side team, on my side, big Neville Southall in goal, Peter Reid, Alan Hanson, Connor Cody (the current Liverpool player) and the manager was Kenny Dalglish! We didn’t actually play but was great fun to chat to these guys, it was also nice they all knew a bit about women’s football and actually took an active interest in finding out more.

Next, I went to Butlins in Bognor to present some awards with the legend that is John Hartson I have to say the nicest man in the world and what an inspiration what he has been through and where he is now, I did agree to climb Ben Nevis with him to raise money for his charity! Best get practicing :)

I also went back to my old university Edge Hill to present the life time achievement award this was a great honour for me and that wasn’t the only honour, I was also given the hall of fame award, this was a complete surprise to me!

Enjoy the pics – I’ll write again soon! Over and out :) SS

Since I spoke last I have had my stitches out and I am now walking without the aid of my crutches although I do still have to wear my brace for another 6 weeks to help my medial ligament to heal. It is frustrating not being able to train normally but I have found other ways to keep ticking over, mainly upper body weights and some core work I am sure this will keep progressing as the weeks go on. The muscles in my legs have completely disappeared in only 4 weeks but I have an amazing little gadget called a compex machine that is helping me to build them back up. The machine basically sends electrical impulses to the muscles and with that help to get your muscles back while an athlete is unable to work them functionally. It’s my best mate at the moment I am carrying it around with me constantly.

While I haven’t been playing I have tried to keep in touch with football through the media and on bank holiday Monday the girls played Chelsea in their first womens super league game it was shown live on ESPN and I was lucky to have been asked to do the punditry along with Faye white. The day before all the other super league teams played and there were 14 goals and 3 sendings off, I think the crew at ESPN were worried that our game against Chelsea wouldn’t be as entertaining. This wasn’t to be, the game ended 3-1 unfortunately it was to Chelsea but I think we deserved at least a draw from the game. The team can take lots of positives from it and the lessons I think we need to learn is to be more clinical in front of goal I am sure there will be lots of shooting practices in training this week. We now have a 2 week break due to FA cup and Arsenal being in the champions league but our next home game is Everton on the 29^th April please come and support it s at the Keepmoat 2pm kick off. Bring your bells!!!

Our FA cup game against Barnet was away and they play at their men’s ground so the pitch was perfect, along with this the sun was shining and as our manager said, “it’s the perfect day for football”. The game kicked off and within ten minutes we were a goal down, the goal scorer being an ex Doncaster player (always tends to happen) I managed to grab the equalizer after 25minutes, not a bad effort even if I do say so myself. Then on 30 minutes my luck changed! I went to block a ball down the line and as I landed I twisted my right knee, I knew straight away that it was something serious, I dislocated my ankle some ten years previous and it was a similar feeling. I was stretched off and taken to hospital where they found no breaks but it was the ligaments that I was concerned with. Thankfully the girls won the game in extra time with Leandra Little scoring the winner.

The Tuesday of that week I went for an MRI scan to see what the damage was, I tried to convince myself and others that it wasn’t serious however I did fear the worst. The MRI showed that I had a grade 2 tear of my medial ligament and I had completely ruptured my ACL ligament which is the anterior crutiate ligament. I was devastated as I knew this was the end of my season and any hopes of England or the Olympics had been shattered. I also had a feeling of guilt about letting my new club down. Thankfully I went see a knee specialist the week after who analyzed my knee and operated the next day. I was pleased it was all done but at the same time apprehensive. Looking at the pictures around his surgery he had operated on Steven Gerrard, Johnny Wilkinson, Freddy flintoff and many more this put my mind at ease slightly he was obviously good!!

The surgery involved taking a graft from my left hamstring and using that in my right knee to help the ruptured crutiate ligament, so after the operation I had two peg legs thankfully the left one is getting better so im hobbling around a bit more now. The part of the rehab that I am up to at the moment is resting, icing and compressing my leg along with that straightening it and trying to contract my quad. Some people have asked me is this the end and I have actually read reports were they have said this is the case, but I can guarantee I will do everything in my power to get back fitter and stronger than ever I am a hardworking, motivated positive person and this will get me through it. Doncaster Belles and everyone associated with the club have been amazing and I will be back for them next season hopefully helping them get to where they belong and that’s winning. This season I will have to put up with watching and supporting the girls and try to get involved in whatever capacity I am needed in. I will keep you updated with my progress