Salute
Bristol City 0-2 Birmingham
Abbi Grant and Lucy Whipp grab goals in Birmingham's win at Bristol City
Goals from Lucy Whipp and Abbi Grant clinched Birmingham City’s second win of the season in a close encounter at the Stoke Gifford Stadium – and left Bristol City still searching for their first three-point haul of the campaign.
Whipp struck early to give the visitors the advantage when she flighted a shot over the despairing dive of Bristol keeper Sophie Baggaley.
And Grant made the game safe 20 minutes after the interval when her shot from the edge of the box skimmed off a wet pitch and deceived Baggaley, flying in just inside the keeper’s left-hand post to seal Birmingham’s first away win of the season.
KEY MOMENTS
The game got off to a frantic start with goalmouth action at both ends.
The home side had the first opportunity when Poppy Pattinson fed Ebony Salmon, whose angled shot was saved by Hannah Hampton.
But moments later Birmingham went ahead through Whipp.
Robins keeper Baggaley was called into action after eight minutes to parry a fierce drive by Walker, then Birmingham somehow survived a prolonged goalmouth scramble as they struggled to clear Meaghan Sargent’s delivery from a free-kick.
Birmingham’s Grant was then denied twice in the space of two minutes. First she had the ball in the net but her attempt was ruled offside – and then she rattled the crossbar with a rising effort.
Bristol posed more of a threat after the break and Birmingham keeper Hampton had to grab a wind-assisted effort by Frankie Brown just under her crossbar, then parry a fierce effort from Jana Daniels.
Birmingham’s second came when Grant’s strike skipped past Baggaley and though Bristol tried to rally, Olivia Chance fired wide from 25 yards, Charlie Wellings saw her goal-bound shot blocked by Rebecca Holloway, and Wellings had a fierce effort from a free-kick parried by keeper Hampton.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
In truth Bristol never really recovered from Whipp’s opener, pegging them back after just five minutes.
Claudia Walker’s cross from the right cannoned off a defender and fell for Whipp, who curled a left-footed shot from the edge of the box into the top corner.
WHAT THEY SAID
Birmingham bossMarta Tejedor said: “I was very pleased with the performance from the girls and also the attitude they showed.
“We knew it was going to be a difficult game because of the conditions – strong wind and heavy rain – but I was happy with the way they adapted. I thought we managed to stay in control of the match.
“We struggled to get goals in some of the earlier matches so to score two today – and especially one as early as the fifth minute – was crucial. In some of the other games we have created chances but not finished them.
“We have two games in a week again now and a win like this can give you energy and confidence.”
Bristol City bossTanya Oxtobysaid: “I thought we created enough chances to have won the game but individual errors have cost us again at both ends of the pitch.
“It’s frustrating when at one end you are conceding goals you shouldn’t be conceding and at the other end not taking chances that you should be.
“At 1-0 down I thought we had a blatant penalty turned down, and that’s the type of thing that goes against you when you are at the wrong end of the table.
“We are looking to bring players in during January and hopefully that will help us, but in the meantime we need to pick ourselves up and go again.
“We know the areas we need to tidy up on that’s what we’ll be working on this week. We can’t keep chasing games like we are at the moment.”
Bristol City (4-4-2): Sophie Baggaley; Meaghan Sargeant, Jasmine Matthews, Gemma Evans, Poppy Pattinson; Georgia Wilson, Frankie Brown, Olivia Chance, Charlie Wellings; Ebony Salmon, Yana Daniels
Substitutions: Katie Robinson for Salmon 58, Loren Dykes for Pattinson 78
Substitutes not used: Eartha Cumings, Vita van der Linden, Maisy Collis
Bookings: Pattinson 26, Wilson 39
Birmingham City (4-3-3): Hannah Hampton; Lily Simpkin, Harriet Scott, Rebecca Holloway, Adrienne Jordan; Claudia Walker, Lucy Staniforth, Chloe Arthur; Rachel Williams, Lucy Whipp, Abbi Grant
Substitutions: Connie Scofield for Walker 78, Freya Gregory for Grant 90
Substitutes not used: Alex Brooks, Ella Powell
Bookings: Walker 26
Goals: Whipp 5, Grant 65
Referee: Sam Allison
Attendance: 404
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