My midweek game saw a return to league action in the FAWSL, now that the 4 semi-finalists for this years Continental Cup have been decided. A trip back over the Autotach Stadium, the home of Birmingham City Ladies to watch them play Bristol Academy for the 2nd time in 4 days.
This time Birmingham City Ladies would be hoping for a better result having been beaten 5-0 in their previous encounter, the final game in Group Three of the Continental Cup.
Both teams missed out on a Continental Cup semi-final spot so for both the attention is very much back on the league. There it is a different story for Birmingham City Ladies sitting top of the pile with 11 points after 5 matches played, and would no doubt be looking to put things right against Bristol Academy as they returned to Solihull.
Bristol Academy would be full of confidence to after their recent victory and fancy their chances of closing the gap to the league leaders to just a point having played 5 league games and 7 points. This game had also been chosen by BT Sports to be their live televised match.
Plenty of camera's about the pitch looking in great condition, the weather warm and muggy with a fair amount of dark cloud about there was rain in the air as kick off approached.
Birmingham City Ladies starting XI - Becky Spencer, Chelsea Weston, Aoife Mannion, Kerys Harrop, Hannah George, Jo Potter, Jade Moore, Remi Allen, Melissa Lawley, Karen Carney (C) & Emily Westwood.
Bristol Academy starting XI - Mary Earps, Grace McCatty, Jemma Rose, Loren Dykes, Corinne Yorston (C), Sophie Ingle, Angharad James, Nikki Watts, Laura Del Rio, Natasha Harding & Natalia Pablos Sanchon.
It was the home side Birmingham in their blue kit to kick off, lined up against Bristol in their red kit with white trim.
It was a lively start with both teams looking to work the ball from defence to attack quickly. Bristol though are the team to find a way past the oppositions defence namely through Natasha Harding, the Welsh international getting the better of her marker and darking into the channel puts a got ball back across the goal but behind the run of Nikki Watts.
It's Watts who is the provider soon after playing the ball into the box into Harding who sends her first time effort wide of the goal.
Birmingham's first meaningful attack is on the right a determined run by Karen Carney wins her team a corner. Playing it in from the right the ball finds the head of the rising Jade Moore the attempt send wide of Mary Earps' goal.
Birmingham's Emily Westwood is fouled outside the box on the left as she attempts to have shot. It's Jo Potter and Karen Carney standing over the ball. Carney to take strikes in well sending it up and over the Bristol wall, Mary Earps dive is too late and the ball is in, Birmingham have the lead 1-0.
Bristol enjoy a good spell of possession after conceding with Laura Del Rio making several runs with the ball pushing the Birmingham defence back, they win a succession of corners that Birmingham deal with well.
The rain is starting to fall steadily now. Good work from Bristol's Nikki Watts as she plays a pass through to Spanish striker Natalia Pablos Sanchon. She storms into the box, cuts back to work space for a shot and Birmingham keeper Becky Spencer makes a fine save to deny her a goal.
Birmingham have a corner, cleared by Bristol the ball is worked down the pitch quickly, the ball finding it's way out to Grace McCatty wide right she plays it into Sophie Ingle on the edge of the visitors penalty box she in turn crosses it in towards goal. There is Nikki Watts leaping to head the ball towards goal from six yards out, Becky Spencer though is in the right place to deny her and make the save.
A few niggley challenges are creeping into the match as the rain grows stronger. Birmingham have a break through Melissa Lawley she has support from Chelsea Weston the right back picking out Emily Westwood her shot is put over the bar.
Not long after it's Bristol's turn to put the ball over the opponents cross bar as Corinne Yorston bursts forward with the ball at her feet plays it over to Natasha Harding, her pass is into Nikki Watts who puts it over from inside the box.
Half-time Birmingham City Ladies 1-0 Bristol Academy
It's Bristol to kick off the 2nd half the rain is fairly heavy by now the note pad getting a little dog eared, but I can't write with an umbrella, did offer it to the young lady standing next to me mind but she was hard and content to get wet.
Back to the match, it was a fairly even 1st half if anything Bristol edged it, bar conceding the free kick that lead to the goal. It was another error that Birmingham were to capitalise from. Had been a fairly quiet opening to the half, Birmingham with the goal advantage letting Bristol come on a bit then look to break.
It was a poor pass from defender Jemma Rose playing it back to keeper Mary Earps, the pass short was leapt onto by midfielder Jo Potter, with Emily Westwood free to her right it's 2 v 1, Earps has to come out try and put Potter off, she can't get to the ball in time as Potter lays it off to her team mate and Westwood makes no mistake slotting the ball into the empty net, 2-0.
The pitch is getting slicker as the rain falls steadily challenges are mis-timed and fouls are being given away by both teams. Loren Dykes is well placed to head clear a dangerous Birmingham cross at one end, whilst at the other Pablos Sanchon has an effort on goal blocked that goes away for a corner.
The game is played at a furious pace both teams commited determined to get the ball forwards as swiftly as possible. From a Bristol corner Watts has a volley that she puts wide of goal.
Emily Westwood has a punt from a long way out that Mary Earps collects on her line. Bristol make a chance bringing on Jasmine Matthews for Corinne Yorston.
Mary Earps is called on to make a fantastic save as Emily Westwood strikes a vemonous shot from the edge of the box.
Bristol win a free kick inside the Birmingham half on the left it's Laura Del Rio. The ball is flighted into the box falling into a crowd it get's a touch from a Birmingham player and the ball bounces into the goal beating the diving Becky Spencer to make the score 2-1.
Carney has a good run into the right channel and deliver a good across, the ball travelling towards the far post has Earps scrambling to cover, no one can get a touch to deflect it in as it sails narrowly wide and behind.
Nikki Watts is replaced by Bristol for Frankie Brown. For Birmingham Hannah Keryakoplis comes on for Emily Westwood.
Late in the game Bristol have a coner as they press for an equaliser, delivered from the right Pablos Sanchon rises to meet it sending her header wide of goal. The niggle has been rising all game, Pablos Sanchon and Carney have an altercation off the ball that they are lucky the referee didn't see.
Birmingham are happy to keep the ball, keep Bristol pinned back in their half as the final whistle approaches and hold on to win 2-1 and extend their lead at the top of the WSL a good result, to bounce back after the weekend. Were hard to break down and took their chances well.
Bristol might feel they should have gotten a point out of the match and will be disappointed of the goals they conceded.
There were two other FAWSL 1 matches played tonight in the 6:30pm ko Liverpool Ladies edged the Merseyside derby against Everton Ladies 1-0 to move onto 9pts and in the London derby between Chelsea Ladies & Arsenal Ladies it's Chelsea who claim 2nd spot in the table moving onto 11pts after a 2-1 victory.
Birmingham City Ladies lead the way with 14 points after 6 games played.
A fan of the sport doing my small part to help promote the women's game
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