Women’s football Robins suffer first league defeat of the season
BRISTOL City fell to a first league defeat of the season as Darren Carter’s Birmingham City ran out 1-0 winners at Ashton Gate on Sunday.
Jade Pennock struck shortly after the break to hand the visitors the lead on a crisp afternoon in BS3.
The home side, backed by a 3,000-strong crowd, had chances to equalise as the game wore on, but couldn’t get closer than striking the woodwork.
Lauren Smith’s side returned to Ashton Gate for a second time this season in their first outing after the international break. The Robins were unbeaten after seven games six wins and one draw - prior to the Birmingham game.
Smith opted to make one change to the side which started their 2-0 victory over Charlton Athletic as Naomi Lazyell returned to the heart of the defence in place of Maddi Wilde.
The Robins were the side who got out of the traps first as they stamped their mark on the early proceedings.
Ella Powell was close to having a spectacular opener as she let fly from the right wing with a ball that looked intended to be a cross, which just grazed the roof of the Birmingham City net.
Shania Hayles and Abi Harrison were combining well to ask questions of the Blues defence, with the latter twisting and turning in the box before firing wide of the target.
Soon after, the game’s best passage of play and chance fell the way of the hosts. Aimee Palmer fizzed a ball into the chest of Harrison, who in turn laid the ball off to Hayles and the forward struck it sweetly to force Lucy Thomas into a fine save as she tipped the ball on to the post.
Just shy of the 20-minute mark, a mix-up at the back for Bristol City handed the visitors a golden opporout
tunity. Fran Bentley and Naomi Layzell failed to clear their lines and Lucy Quinn was on hand to force an effort from a tight angle, which rolled across the face of goal.
Harrison then had a great chance as Palmer drove the ball into the feet of the advancing forward who connected on the volley. However, Thomas gathered the ball.
The Blues had their best chance in the closing stages of the half, again through Quinn, as the forward picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area to fire inches wide
of the woodwork. With little more than five minutes played in the second half, Birmingham found the first goal of the game.A sweeping counter-attacking move saw Harriet Scott release Siobhan Wilson and the full-back picked out the advancing Pennock who was on hand to convert inside the six-yard area.
The Robins searched for a response and went close through the right boot of Emily Syme. The ball was rolled across to the midfielder who took aim from 20 yards and saw her effort crash off the crossbar and hooked clear by the visitors.
Harrison then had the ball into the back of the net as she burst behind the Blues backline, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
City turned up the heat in the dying minutes but couldn’t break through a resolute Blues backline, with Thomas making another great save to push Maddi Wilde’s effort on to the bar.
This report first appeared on www.bcfc.co.uk.