FA Women's Super League
at Meadow Lane, Nottingham
Notts County (0) 0
Birmingham City (0) 1
Emily Westwood 69
Admission £6. Programme £2. Attendance 923
For Flickr photo gallery from this game, click HERE
In the sweltering mid day sun, County 'warmed up' by playing fast paced, small sided games across the middle of the pitch, in strength sapping conditions, while Dave Parker's Blues practiced their running drills in the shade of the main stand along the touch line... just saying.
The referee Thomas Bramall encouraged the players to take on water whenever there was a break in the action, on what must have been an uncomfortable afternoon on the sun trap of the pitch.
Blues had the heroics of 19 year old Sophie Baggaley to thank for keeping the score at 0-0 during the first half, but after the break, the visitors effectively bossed the game, as Remi Allen and Jo Potter impressively took control of the midfield, while the 'Lady Pies' three pronged attack force of England internationals: Rachel Yankey, Jess Clarke and Ellen White, backed up by Leanne Crichton, barely got a look in, as they were so well marshaled by the Birmingham defence.
It was the seventh minute before either keeper got a meaningful touch of the ball during the second half when Carly Telford cut out Melissa Lawley's knock back across the face of her goal from Jo Potter's right wing corner.
At the other end Lawley tried making some headway down the right flank, with Jessica Carter and Abbey-Leigh Stringer in support, but Amy Turner was in an uncompromising mood covering the left back berth for the home side.
The referee Thomas Bramall encouraged the players to take on water whenever there was a break in the action, on what must have been an uncomfortable afternoon on the sun trap of the pitch.
Blues had the heroics of 19 year old Sophie Baggaley to thank for keeping the score at 0-0 during the first half, but after the break, the visitors effectively bossed the game, as Remi Allen and Jo Potter impressively took control of the midfield, while the 'Lady Pies' three pronged attack force of England internationals: Rachel Yankey, Jess Clarke and Ellen White, backed up by Leanne Crichton, barely got a look in, as they were so well marshaled by the Birmingham defence.
At the other end Lawley tried making some headway down the right flank, with Jessica Carter and Abbey-Leigh Stringer in support, but Amy Turner was in an uncompromising mood covering the left back berth for the home side.
Telford tipped Potter's left wing corner around the back post with Emily Eastwood looking favourite to reach the ball first, but from Potter's resulting flag kick from the left, Stringer was pulled up for a foul on Turner.
Notts almost opened up Blues defence when White chased a long clearance from Bradley-Auckland straight down the middle, but she stumbled and lost her footing giving Westwood plenty of time to clear the danger away.
Moments later, County were on the attack again when Yankey rolled the ball forward into the path of White, twelve yards from goal, and Westwood needed to get a touch to cut out a cross to Clark in the six yard box.
Birmingham cleared the corner ball out of their goalmouth, but it fell nicely for Bradley-Auckland twenty yards from goal and she shot first time, only to be thwarted by Baggaley had had anticipated the situation well and got across to make a save.
Moments later, County were on the attack again when Yankey rolled the ball forward into the path of White, twelve yards from goal, and Westwood needed to get a touch to cut out a cross to Clark in the six yard box.
Birmingham cleared the corner ball out of their goalmouth, but it fell nicely for Bradley-Auckland twenty yards from goal and she shot first time, only to be thwarted by Baggaley had had anticipated the situation well and got across to make a save.
Yankey was unceremoniously upended by Aoife Mannion just outside the area and the on loan Arsenal and England legend took the free kick herself deep into Blues goalmouth, where the visitors scrambled the ball away to where Angharad James unleashed a shot that looked destined for the top left hand corner, until Baggaley somehow got her fingertips to it and tipped the ball away round the post.
There was no let up for Baggaley, when the ball fell to Yankey and she aimed it towards Dani Buet who stabbed it towards the goal but the visitors keeper scooped it away from just inside the post and had to recover in an instant to block two more shots in quick succession from both White and Clark.
The Notts fans were on their feet waiting to proclaim an opening goal, but it was the Blues Ladies supporters who jumped from their seats now, to roar their approval of their young keepers agility and determination. The girl done good!
Remi Allen, whon't showing any side effects from a knock she took early in the game, kept plugging away in the hole between the visitors midfield and attack and unlocked the Pies defence with a well weighted pass for Freda Ayisi to run onto, but Telford dashed from her line and went down to save the ball at the Blues number 7's feet.
Baggaley's prowess between the posts seemed to have given Birmingham a boost and they finished the first half strongly. Potter won the ball on the halfway line as James hesitated and ran forward unchallenged before trying her luck from 25 yards, but her effort was stopped by Telford.
County's captain Laura Bassett lost the ball to Charlie Wellings twenty yards from her own goal, but even with Ayisi and Lawley up alongside her, Blues couldn't find the final touch.
HT: 0-0
The visitors looked the better of the two sides after the interval, while County seemed to lose their way a bit in the heat.
Carter hooked a great pass out to Lawley on the left wing, which Notts cleared at the second attempt, but Jo Potter latched onto the loose ball and fizzed a shot just past the post.
Yankey
Ayisi was getting into the game more and more, causing County all sorts of problems through the left channel and making herself available on the end of set pieces and she was close to finding the opening goal when she got her head onto the end of Carter's long throw, but couldn't quite direct the ball on target.
County tried to regain their first half momentum, but Blues defence were comfortably dealing with everything and anything their hosts could throw at them. And as if to demonstrate how well the Birmingham backline were playing, Notts manager Rick Passmoor withdrew Yankey and Crichton, two integral players in the home sides attacking diamond formation and sent on Alvi Luik and Aileen Whelan.
Even though they survived a scare right at the death, when Luik delivered a telling cross to White, but Baggaley had positioned herself well again and grasped the ball tightly.
The away fans broke into song again, signalling to their team that they had just about kept right on 'til the end of the road and the full time whistle was imminent.
Tommy Bramall added three minutes of stoppage time, but County had nothing left to give and Blues held out to claim the three points.
FT: Lady Pies 0 v Blues Ladies 1
Baggaley's prowess between the posts seemed to have given Birmingham a boost and they finished the first half strongly. Potter won the ball on the halfway line as James hesitated and ran forward unchallenged before trying her luck from 25 yards, but her effort was stopped by Telford.
County's captain Laura Bassett lost the ball to Charlie Wellings twenty yards from her own goal, but even with Ayisi and Lawley up alongside her, Blues couldn't find the final touch.
HT: 0-0
Carter hooked a great pass out to Lawley on the left wing, which Notts cleared at the second attempt, but Jo Potter latched onto the loose ball and fizzed a shot just past the post.
Yankey
Ayisi was getting into the game more and more, causing County all sorts of problems through the left channel and making herself available on the end of set pieces and she was close to finding the opening goal when she got her head onto the end of Carter's long throw, but couldn't quite direct the ball on target.
But as the home side were looking to reshuffle their pack, Potter played a long free kick towards Allen on the edge of the County area, but instead of challenging for the ball allowed it it bounce on towards Westwood, who looped a header over the advancing Telford from above the penalty spot on 69 minutes.
The 'Black and white army' as they call themselves, have a well earned reputation for getting behind the 'Lady Pies', but right now, all you could hear in the cavernous main stand at Meadow Lane, was the strains of Brummie accents booming out the time honoured classic of: 'Keep right on'
Notts looked dispirited for a while, but their fans raised the tempo again when White beat Baggaley to the ball and Westwood had to clear it off of the line, with Whelan homing in.
As the clock ticked down, the home side had to commit players forward and defend with the minimum amount of players, which is always a risky option, but the visitors had worked hard for their deserved one goal lead and regardless of how tired and weary they must have been, but with big stout hearts, they dug in for a cause most dear to them.Even though they survived a scare right at the death, when Luik delivered a telling cross to White, but Baggaley had positioned herself well again and grasped the ball tightly.
The away fans broke into song again, signalling to their team that they had just about kept right on 'til the end of the road and the full time whistle was imminent.
Tommy Bramall added three minutes of stoppage time, but County had nothing left to give and Blues held out to claim the three points.
FT: Lady Pies 0 v Blues Ladies 1
Today's win sees Birmingham City Ladies climb to fourth place in the FAWSL table.
Blues entertain Notts in the reverse fixture at Solihull Moors ground on Sunday May 22nd, on the same afternoon that I'll be travelling across the Pennines, to watch Roy Hodgson's England team against Turkey at Manchester City's ground.
No doubt there will be those among you who'll say that I'll see a more entertaining game at Damson Park and that I'd be better off going there instead... and you would probably be right too, but I have followed England long enough to know what I'm getting myself into.
Each to their own, innit!?
