Birmingham respond to Ward’s blast and save a point after ‘diabolical’ start

Birmingham City manager Carla Ward slammed her side’s “diabolical” first-half display but praised their response to a half-time tellingoff, after coming back to earn a point at home to Bristol City in a key game in the relegation battle.

Bristol City forward Charlie Wellings gave the visitors a deserved first-half lead with a scrappy goal against her former club, after Carla Humphrey’s effort was not cleared, andward’s fury was evident.

“The first half was probably our worst half of the season,” Ward said. “We were absolutely terrible, diabolical. We were sloppy, we didn’t look after the ball. We didn’t have any work rate, desire or attitude. There wasn’t a single minute of the first half that I was remotely pleased with. We didn’t look interested and that isn’t acceptable. We had an honest conversation at half-time and the reaction was very good. ”

The draw was a fair outcome from a feisty contest, after Birmingham captain Christie Murray hit a swerving strike with the outside of her boot into the top corner to equalise. Both teams could have won it, with Ebony Salmon firing just wide for the visitors at 1-0, while Sarah Mayling had a superb strike touched on to the bar at the other end, but the draw edged both teams further away from the single relegation spot.

“It’s not a disaster that we haven’t won. It was vitally important we didn’t lose,” said interim

Thanks, captain: Carla Ward hugs scorer Christie Murray

Bristol City manager Matt Beard, whose team were bottom when he arrived in January as maternity cover for Tanya Oxtoby, and now sit 10th, above Aston Villa and West Ham, who both have two games in hand. “I think one more win will be enough [for safety],” he said. Ward believes her ninthplaced team probably would have secured safety with a win, but said: “I’d like to think we’re nearly there. It’s a really interesting run-in. Mentally it’s not a problem, they’re a toughminded group and they’ll dig in.”

Birmingham City (4-2-3-1): Hampton; Scott, Brougham, Mace, Holloway; Whipp, Murray; Mayling, Littlejohn, Napier; Walker. Subs Mccarron, Green, Kelly, Whitehouse, Lawley.

Booked Holloway, Littlejohn.

Bristol City (4-3-3): Baggaley; Daniels, Skeels, Evans, Purfield; Humphrey, Mastrantonio (Palmer, 63), Pike; Wellings, Harrison (Bryson 75), Salmon. Subs Rafferty, Allen, Haland, Bissell, Collis, Layzell, Jones. Booked Skeels, Evans, Wellings.

Referee Kirsty Dowle (Kent).