The London Bees kick off 2026 with an away trip to The Elite Travel Stadium to face AFC Sudbury in the FAWNL Division One South East.
London Bees:
London Bees finished off 2025 as they booked their place in the next round of the Combined Counties Cup with a thrilling 7–3 away victory over Haringey Borough in a highly entertaining encounter.
The Bees started brightly and took an early lead through Hayley Hoare’s excellent free kick, but the hosts responded quickly to level the score.
Sandra Martins restored the Bees’ advantage after capitalising on a defensive error, only for Haringey to equalise again just before the break.
Lily Whitelock ensured the visitors went in ahead at half-time with a superb solo effort to make it 3–2.
The Bees took control after the restart as Martins struck twice in quick succession to complete a clinical hat-trick, before Whitelock added her second following a scramble for possession in the box.
Haringey briefly threatened with a stunning long-range finish, but the Bees remained dominant, and Betty Larkin rounded off the scoring late on to seal an emphatic and deserved cup victory.
London Bees last five results:
Haringey Borough 3-7 London Bees (Combined Counties Women’s Cup)
Dartford 2-3 London Bees (Adobe WFA Cup)
London Bees 2-0 QPR
Fulham 5-0 London Bees
London Bees 5-0 Portishead Town (Adobe WFA Cup)
In the dugout:
London Bees assistant manager Tim Abramyan spoke ahead of this Sunday’s FAWNL Division One South East fixture saying:
“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the Bees fans!
We are looking forward to starting this year in the same manner we finished last.
We have some exciting games coming up and we are all excited to see as many fans as possible at our games this year”
AFC Sudbury:
AFC Sudbury earned a point on their last game of 2025 with a 1–1 draw against Milton Keynes Dons Women, after coming back from trailing 1-0 in the first half.
After withstanding early pressure and two disallowed MK Dons goals, Sudbury went into the break trailing to Maddie Pollard’s long-range strike.
The hosts emerged with greater intensity after half-time and were rewarded with a deserved equaliser just five minutes into the second half.
Sudbury continued to press and defend solidly against a determined Dons side, limiting clear chances despite late pressure, and ensured the points were shared in what proved to be a competitive and evenly matched contest.
In the opposition dugout:
Sudbury manager Luke Mallett will be in the dugout for the hosts this Sunday with his assistant Steff Mallett alongside him.
Ones to watch:
Sudbury duo Amy-Leigh Abrehart and Faith Harrison are the clubs current top goal scorers so far this season, both hitting the back of the net seven times.
Last time these two sides met:
London Bees produced a dominant performance to claim all three points last time out against AFC Sudbury earlier in the season with an emphatic 8–2 victory at The Bees Stadium.
The Bees dominated possession from the opening minutes and quickly built a commanding 5–0 lead before half-time, with goals from Megan Burrows, Sam Lanza, Brionne Fowle, Aria Heil and Betty Larkin.
Sustained pressure and set-piece quality overwhelmed the Sudbury defence.
The Bees showed no signs of slowing after the restart, with Larkin and Lanza both grabbing their second goals in quick succession before Heil added her second of the afternoon with a powerful header from a corner to make it 8–0.
Although Sudbury showed resilience with two late goals in the closing stages, the Bees’ control, depth and attacking cohesion ensured a comfortable and deserved victory.
Dan McKimm will be eager for his side to make a strong start to the new year, building on the performances shown at the end of last year as they look to gain momentum and climb the league table.