Title now in Chelsea's hands

Blues failed to break down a resolute Everton side at the Select Security Stadium last night, leaving the FAWSL title very much in the hands of Chelsea, who are now two points clear of the Midlands side with three games remaining.

The away side were unchanged from their recent 3-1 victory at Bristol Academy, with Everton making one forced change, young striker Lucy Whipp replacing the suspended Nikita Parris.

In light of their lowly league position, it was a surprise to see Everton begin the game defending very deep, allowing Blues to control the game in midfield, where they enjoyed the majority of possession in their opponents half, which lasted for the whole of the first 45 minutes. Winger Mel Lawley was the liveliest of the attacking Blues stars, causing the hosts plenty of problems on the left wing, and bringing a good low save from Brown-Finnis in the Everton goal early on. Lawley's cross three minutes later found Karen Carney, who headed just over, before Lawley again cut inside from the left to shoot just wide. The England U20 trickster then fed full back Jess Carter who forced Brown-Finnis into a smart stop, driving a testing shot from 25 yards, and from the resulting corner Danielle Turner hacked the ball off the line following a goalmouth scramble. Blues continued to control the possession stats, especially inside Everton's half, but the final killer pass was lacking. Carney and Kirsty Linnett had half chances as the half wore on, but Everton, understandably, were determined not to concede and made life hard for Blues' playmakers. The visitors suffered a blow minute before half time when Jade Moore suffered a reoccurrence of the ankle injury which affected her recent international duty, and she was replaced by Emily Westwood, a straight swap in the centre of midfield.

Ten minutes after the break, the only moment of controversy in the game flared up when Remi Allen collided with Toffees midfielder Brooke Chaplen who, unhappy with Allen's challenge, aimed a kick out at Allen. The incident could not have been seen by the referee clearly, as she was only given a talking to, a matter which was made worse when minutes later she was booked for a foul on Westwood, and may well feel she was lucky to stay on. The hosts were defending bravely, but never really looked threatening going forward until their best chance of the game fell to Whipp on the hour mark. Indecision in the Blues defence led to a loose ball being picked up by the U19 England international, but her shot flew over Becky Spencer's crossbar, much to the relief of the away side. This was the closest Everton came to scoring, as David Parker desperately tried everything to see his side grab a crucial goal that would have taken them above Chelsea to the top of the table. Turner was in the right place at the right time for Everton again from a Blues corner, Aoife Mannion's header cleared off the line, before Vicky Jones did the same from another Mannion header with ten minutes remaining. Brown-Finnis was looking confident in the hosts' goal, saving from Lawley, while Linnett headed inches wide from a delightful Carney cross, as Blues threw everything at their opponents, but their best chance was yet to come. As the clock ticked into injury time, Carney fed. Linnett on the right hand side of the Everton box, and her inch perfect cross bounced horrendously on the artificial surface, leaving Westwood ending up neither heading nor tapping the ball home, as it bounced harmlessly wide. Everton held out the remainder of added on time, leaving neither side pleased with the outcome.

The draw leaves Everton bottom of the table, four points behind Notts County with four games remaining, including a six pointer when they travel to Meadow Lane to face County. Blues are now on 21 points, two behind leaders Liverpool, and two ahead of next opponents Liverpool.

Chelsea have the advantage of playing the day before Blues, knowing victory away at Notts County would open up a five point gap before their two rivals for the title play each other a day later. If County were to stop the London side picking up all three points however, it would be a huge boost to both Blues and Liverpool, with both teams knowing a win would put them right back in the race. You have to make Chelsea favourites to lift the trophy on October 12, but this season has proved on many occasions any team can beat anyone on their day, so Blues have to believe three wins from their remaining games (Liverpool at home, Man City away and Notts County at home) could very well lead them to their first ever WSL title, and cap an incredible season for this group of players.

The Liverpool game is to be shown live on BT Sport on Sunday September 21st, a midday kick off, but it would be a huge boost to the players if there was a bumper crowd at Solihull Moors' Autotech Stadium, especially with the season drawing to a close, and so much still to play for.

Blues: Spencer, Weston, Mannion, Harrop, Carter, Potter, Moore (Westwood 44), Allen, Lawley, Carney (c), Linnett. Subs not used: Baggaley, Sargeant, Wellings, Torkildsen, Stringer, Keryakoplis

Everton: Brown-Finnis, Jones, Johnson, George, Greenwood, Turner, Chaplen, Hinnigan (c), Jones, Turner, Whipp. Subs not used: Walsh, Whelan, Handley, Magill, Williams, Kane, Davies

Select Security Stadium

Attendance: 310

Referee: T Neild

FAWSL campaign begins with a point

Blues Ladies kicked off their WSL league campaign with a goalless draw at home to Everton on Wednesday night at The Autotech Stadium.

The home side made several changes to their starting line up, with Saturday's UEFA Champions League semi final very much in the minds of players and management. Allen, Potter, Lawley and Linnett were left on the bench, while Weston was rested all together from the squad. This meant starts for Torkildsen, Simpkins, Wilkinson and a first start for pre season signing Keryakoplis. For the visitors, Danielle Turner made her debut, and Nikita Parris started up front, filling the gap left by England striker Toni Duggan who has joined Man City.

During a quiet first half, Blues' best chance fell to Wilkinson, who was unlucky to be denied twice by Brown-Finnis in the Everton goal. The former Villa striker met a left wing cross with a good header, and after the England stopper kept that out, she was their to deny Wilkinson from the follow up shot. Becky Spencer saved well following an Everton corner, but goalscoring opportunities were few and far between for both sides.

Parker made a double change at half time, Linnett and Allen replacing Torkildsen and Wilkinson, but if anything it was the Merseyside outfit who came out stronger after the break, and it took a superb save from Spencer to deny Billie Murphy the opener. Everton looked comfortable in possession, belying their tag as favourites for relegation this season, and it took Jo Potter's inclusion on the hour mark, replacing Simpkins, to drag Blues back into the game. Her usual nonchalance and composure in possession was much needed, and with the midfield back to how it has been for the start of the season Blues seized control. The best cross of the match from Keryakoplis was inches away from a decent Linnett connection, and Allen shot straight at the keeper following a right wing cross. The closest either team came to a winner was with ten minutes remaining, Linnett escaping her marker before crashing a 25 yard effort off the bar, leaving Brown-Finnis stranded.

Neither side could find the winner, and in terms of the start of the league both teams will be pleased with their respective points and clean sheets. This is a very impressive feat for Blues, who can add this clean sheet to the two they achieved against Arsenal in the Quarter Finals. Considering the loss of Laura Bassett from the back line, and with Emily Westwood recovering from injury, the young defenders have displayed maturity and confidence beyond their years. Harrop and Mannion have set up a good understanding at the heart of the defence, while Sargeant has looked equally at home at left back (Doncaster) or right back (Everton). I would guess that Jess Carter will make the left back berth her own as the season progresses, it is incredible to see a sixteen year old with so much composure, something Parker must be delighted with considering the lack of experience Blues have at the back.

The draw was a better result for both teams taking into consideration the other result of the night, where Notts County drew 1-1 with Arsenal, which confirms the expectations of many WSL supporters that this season will be the most competitive league yet. Liverpool and Chelsea will be the two teams most likely to break away and challenge for the title, but the remaining six teams will take points off each other throughout the season, so not losing the first game was very important for all four sides.

Attentions now turn to Saturday's history making tie with Tyreso, and the defence will have to stay strong against some of the best players in the world, while hopefully the rests given to the attacking players will do them good, and they can come out firing against the Swedish giants.

Blues: Spencer, Sargeant, Mannion, Harrop, Carter, Moore, Torkildsen (Allen 46), Simpkins (Potter 60), Carney (c), Keryakoplis, Wilkinson (Linnett 46)
Subs not used: Baggaley, Haines, Lawley, Brown

Everton: Brown-Finnis, Murphy, Whelan, Johnson, Greenwood, Handley, Jones, Chaplen, Turner (Magill 77), Hinnigan (c), Parris
Subs not used: Jones, Whipp, George, Turner, Walsh, Hayes

Timely reality check as Blues edge into FA Cup Quarters

Blues Ladies made hard work of their progression into the FA Cup Quarter Finals this weekend, eventually defeating WSL 2 side Doncaster Rovers Belles 3-1 thanks to goals from Remi Allen, Kirsty Linnett and a wonder strike from Jo Potter.

This was the first game to be held at Damson Park, the home of Solihull Moors, and Blues fielded a strong starting line up, with only two changes being made from the Champions League Quarter Final success over Arsenal. Both changes came in defence, Christina Torkildsen and, making her debut, Meaghan Sargeant replaced Aoife Mannion and Jess Carter. Belles also put out a strong side, the vast majority of which played a significant part in their previous WSL season.

It did not take long until Blues broke the deadlock, the first goal at their new home, and it was the impressive Allen who opened the scoring. A neat turn from Linnett on the edge of the box allowed her room to cross and, after evading the reach of Nic Hobbs in the Belles' goal, Allen timed her run to perfection to be in the right place at the right time to score her third Blues goal in as many matches, and increased her burgeoning reputation as a goal scoring midfielder.

If anything the goal led Blues to rest on their laurels a touch, and the fast, high pressing game the team displayed in the two Arsenal games was missing. As the first half went on, Doncaster enjoyed their fair share of possession, but rarely got into the final third due to the presence of Blues' midfield trio. Their best chance of the half came on the half hour, when Mille Bright found herself with what seemed an unguarded net to place the ball into, but her goalbound effort was superbly blocked on the line by Kerys Harrop.

Blues should have gone into the break two up. Potter's diagonal ball found Carney on the right wing, and following an excellent first touch her cross found Linnett inside the box, with Hobbs nowhere to be seen, but unfortunately for the former Arsenal forward she was leaning back as she connected with the volley, and her effort went harmlessly over the bar.

The second half played out very much the same as the first, both sides losing possession to easily and the game mainly being battled out in the middle of the park, but with fifteen minutes remaining Doncaster equalised. Jess Sigsworth rounded a couple of challenges to find herself inside the area, and her shot-come-cross was side-footed home by captain Leandra Little, a goal which the lower league outfit deserved, if only for their determination and hard work.

Following the goal, Blues appeared to wake from their slumber and began to regain control of the game. Carney found space following a good link up with Linnett, and the skipper's square ball fell to Mel Lawley, but the winger took one touch too many and allowed Hobbs to parry her shot behind for a corner.

Potter had wasted a couple of good set piece opportunities during the second half, but Belles conceded one foul too many two minutes from time when Jade Moore was bundled over on the edge of the area. Potter chipped the cross in which caused all sorts of confusion inside the area, and as the Belles defence attempted to clear their lines, an attemped clearance ricocheted off Linnett and looped over Hobbs to put Blues back in front, and they wrapped the tie up in injury time thanks to a piece of solo genius.

Hobbs raced out of her goal to prevent a Blues corner, and her clearance eventually fell to the left foot of Potter, the last place they would have wanted it to land, and the former Everton and Charlton midfielder fired home a tremendous effort into the top corner.

Blues will know they have to be better if they are to steer clear of trouble in the upcoming WSL season, but they will also know they are capable of much better, and will be hoping to get back to business in their opening league game of the season against Everton on Wednesday evening.

Credit to Doncaster, nobody could have begrudged them of their equaliser, and they should take great confidence from this game, as they strive for an immediate return to WSL 1 this season.

Blues: Spencer, Weston, Torkildsen, Harrop, Seargant, Potter, Moore, Allen, Carney (c), Lawley, Linnett. Subs not used: Baggaley, Carter, Mannion, Keryakoplis, Simpkins

Doncaster: Hobbs, Cunningham, Little (c), Roberts, Cresswell, Smith, Lipka, Bright, Chadwick (Williams 70), England (Mills 55), Sigworth. Subs not used: Knight, Johnson

Familiarity breeds success to give Blues slender lead

Debutant Remi Allen’s first half strike gave Blues Ladies a 1-0 lead going into Sunday’s second leg of their Champions League Quarter Final tie against Arsenal. In front of a crowd of over 2,500 at St Andrews, the hosts displayed outstanding character and spirit in the face of a team full of experienced internationals.

Blues set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as expected. The front six players picked themselves: Potter and Moore sat in the holding position in front of the back 4, with new signing Allen being the player given the licence to push forward to support lone striker Linnett. Newly appointed Captian Carney and Lawley offered the side width throughout the game and stretched the pitch as much as possible, whilst tracking back to assist their full backs.

 

The main selection questions marks came in defence, and boss David Parker bravely opted to throw sixteen year old Jess Carter in at left back for her first team debut. The ever reliable Weston patrolled the right back slot, with Mannion and Harrop the two centre backs.

 

Arsenal picked a strong line up considering the player exodus during pre-season. New signing Chamblerlain had to settle for a place on the bench as Byrne kept goal. A new back four of Scott, Stoney, Kinga and Mitchell were shadowed by youngster Jade Bailey.

 

The front five players interchanged throughout the match. Yankey and Dan Carter found themselves up against the full backs regularly, while Smith, Ohno and Weir tried to make the most of the central areas, moving into the gaps between midfield and defence.

Arsenal forced Blues into a few nervy moments early in the match, as the young defenders tried to find their feet, but gradually they became more comfortable and the home side gained control of the match. An early Potter free kick went just wide, and after Byrne spilt a Weston cross from the right, Lawley should have opened the scoring, but blazed the dropping ball just over from inside the area. Linnett was causing Stoney and Kinga all sorts of problems, and Allen was pushed further forward to assist her teammate, and following another burst forward from the former Gunner, Allen’s shot was gathered comfortably, but it was another Weston cross that created the only goal of the game. Carney laid the ball back for the England U23 international, and her cross was hooked in by Allen. Linnett had another shot cleared off the line as Blues went into the break a goal to the good.

The second half became a war of attrition, as Arsenal’s front five began to impose themselves onto the game. Whilst possession stats are unavailable, I would suggest that Arsenal had the majority during the second half, but the midfield trio of Moore, Potter and Allen worked tirelessly to prevent Arsenal’s playmakers to create any clear cut goal scoring opportunities. It seemed wherever Smith ventured, Potter followed. If any midfield outfights Blues this season, then they will certainly feel it the next day. Given that this was the first competitive match since the 5-2 victory over Zorky four months ago, the energy shown by Blues was tremendous, and the fact the vast majority of the team have either played together or know each other very well was invaluable in the battle against the Londoners. Yankey was replaced by another of the young Arsenal reserves Freda Ayisi, while Blues looked to close the game out by bringing on Simpkins, usually a defensively minded midfielder, to play up top, replacing the impressive Linnett with ten minutes remaining. Japanese World Cup winner Ohno had the best two chances of the second half, firstly being denied by a tremendous block tackle by Mannion, and late on firing over when well placed in the area.

The player of the match was fully deservedly awarded to Jess Carter. For a sixteen year old debutant, she showed nerves of steel up against Carter and Scott on the Arsenal right hand side, and for her not to look out of place was testament to how well she performed on the biggest stage Blues have ever performed on. There is a very bright future ahead for the youngster, already making waves in the England U19 squad, and after shining against Arsenal she has proven herself capable of playing in the big games. Kudos must go to Parker for her giving her the chance to play, and she took full advantage of her opportunity.

So Blues go into the second leg not only with a lead, but with an all-important home clean sheet, meaning if they were to score at The Hive on Sunday, Arsenal would need three to progress to a semi-final showdown with Swedish outfit Tyreso.

 

Looking at the respective benches during the first leg, I would not expect many changes to be made for the reverse tie, and if Blues can match the effort and commitment shown during Monday night’s game, they will give themselves a great chance of making even more history and find themselves in the last four of the competition.

Blues: Spencer, Weston, Mannion, Harrop, Carter, Potter, Moore, Allen, Carney (c), Lawley, Linnett (Simpkins 79). Subs not used: Baggaley, Sargeant, Keryakoplis, Wilkinson, Torkildsen, Haines

Arsenal: Byrne, Scott, Stoney, Kinga, Mitchell, Bailey, Weir, Ohno, Carter, Smith (c), Yankey (Ayisi 76). Subs not used: Chamberlain, Hoogendijk, Williamson, Bragg, Sampson, Humphrey

Attendance: 2,671

Blues vs Arsenal preview

With only a few days to go until the first leg of the Champions League Quarter Final, we preview the season opener at St Andrews.

There is a distinct feeling of the changing of the guard at Blues this season. Long standing stalwarts of previous seasons have departed, with younger, fresher players being brought into the club. There is no doubt Captain Laura Bassett and top scorer Rachel Williams, both of whom moved to Chelsea over the winter, will be missed, despite the fact the latter was unavailable for Blues for the majority of the second half of last season. The leadership qualities lost by Bassett’s exit will be hard to replace, although the appointment of Karen Carney is one that ensures the team will be under no illusions of how much the club means to the Birmingham born winger. Izzy Christiansen has signed for WSL newcomers Manchester City, and she will be a big loss, especially with how well she linked up with the front line towards the back end of the 2013 campaign. Last season ended on such a high, the 5-2 victory at the home of the men’s side over Zorky was arguably the display of the season. The likes of Mel Lawley and Kirsty Linnett showed how well they had seamlessly fitted into the BCLFC system, and there will be added pressure on them this season to deliver the goods in the final third of the pitch.

It hasn’t all been exits and departures this pre-season: Midfielder Remi Allen and versatile defender Meaghan Sargeant have joined from the former Lincoln Ladies, and Welsh international attacker Hannah Keryakoplis has bolstered David Parker’s options up front, arriving from Stoke City. I would expect Blues to set up similar to last season, with Carney and Lawley the wide outlets, Allen and Moore patrolling the midfield, with Jo Potter breaking forward to support Linnett up front. The main question marks would be the centre of defence. Assuming Emily Westwood is fit, she would make up one of the back two, but Parker has a decision to make regarding whether Sargeant comes straight in for her debut, or Harrop is moved into central defence, and Hannah George plays. There is plenty of youthful exuberance available to Blues should they feel the need to use it.

The transfer activity at Blues has been nothing compared to that of their quarter final opponents from the capital. Eleven players have left the current FA Cup holders, eight of which were first team regulars last season. The financial muscle of Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool and Notts County have accounted for many of Arsenal’s stars of the past three years, while PFA Women’s Player of the Year Kim Little has moved across the pond to re-join her old coach Laura Harvey at Seattle Reign. The Gunners have recruited well, however, bringing in England internationals Siobhan Chamberlain and Casey Stoney from Bristol Academy and Notts County Ladies respectively, Dutch full back Anouk Hoogendijk, Scottish midfielder Christie Murray, along with Japanese duo Yukari Kinga and Shinobu Ohno.

Shelley Kerr has a very tough job gelling this new squad quickly. The loss of key players down the spine of the team such as Little, Houghton and White will mean the side has to adjust, and whilst there are players who can come in and fill the same positions, there can be no hiding the impact Little’s departure will have. Jordan Nobbs is out injured for the first month or so of the league, and this will be another huge blow to the London outfit. A lot of trust will be placed in Dan Carter to supply the level of goals left behind by White, Little and Davison, all of whom always caused Blues numerous problems in previous encounters. It is very difficult to predict the Arsenal line up, what with the huge turnover of players, but they will be hoping to play as many of their experienced players as they can in such a huge game to start the season.

With the first leg providing Blues with home advantage, up against a side very much in transition, I am letting my heart persuade my head in predicting a tight 2-1 victory for the hosts.

A fitting way to say goodbye

Only days after leading Blues Ladies into the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club's history, it was announced that club captain Laura Bassett would not be renewing her contract, and would be leaving the Midlands side. Since then, many tributes have been paid, so here is ours to a true legend of Birmingham City Ladies.

Since she arrived at Blues thirteen years ago, Laura has not only left her mark, more imprinted her DNA into the whole club. Any team that goes out to play for Blues does so with a tenacity and a drive that is so symptomatic of Bassett's character, it doesn't matter whether she is even playing, her passion is ingrained into every player who has had the pleasure of playing under her. Watching her lead her team from the heart of the defence has been a joy to watch for these last three years, and her impact may only be truly felt once next season begins. For someone so strong and determined, there is a vastly underestimated calmness about her ability on the ball. A better reader of the game in her position I'm yet to see, and she always knows where a pass is available, even under severe opposition pressure. 

But despite her undeniable talent and emphatic leadership qualities, Laura is genuinely the nicest person we have ever met. She would always greet us when we arrived at the game, always available to chat with all fans, and has been instrumental in us covering the game as much as we do. Whether it be this blog, or photographs from games and the kit launch, Laura always acknowledged what we did and always made it feel worthwhile. She met us at a couple of Centre of Excellence games, and always made time to talk to us.

Whilst we are naturally gutted that Laura is leaving, we can wish her nothing but the best in her future, wherever that may be. We can look back fondly and remember her lifting the FA Cup last summer, and of course bowing out at such a magnificent occasion at St Andrews. Thanks for the memories Laura, and good luck!

Blues Ladies to make history

On Wednesday 13th November, St Andrews stadium will create history. For the first time in its 107 year history, Birmingham City Ladies will strut their stuff on the hallowed turf. 45 years after their formation, the female team will represent our great football club at its spiritual home, as FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk make the long trip from Russia to play the second leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 tie, with Blues leading 2-0 from the first leg.

Many of you may have your misgivings about the women's game, and no doubt there will be plenty of preconceptions regarding the standard of football, but for one night, Birmingham City Ladies have been given the honour of playing at our famous stadium. Many heroes have graced our pitch, from Gil Merrick and Trevor Francis, to Martin Grainger and Joe Hart, but now the ladies have their chance to add their names to that list. Captain Laura Bassett, who first joined Blues in 2000, has lifted the FA Cup for her side, but the opportunity to lead her team out at St Andrews has been a huge dream for a long time. Local hero and England star Karen Carney has expressed her thrill and excitement about having the opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream, and boss David Parker has described how emotional it will be for him to walk out at the home of Birmingham City, the sound of the famous Champions League theme ringing around the stadium.

Whether you have ever watched women's football before or not, and even if you are not that interested in following the team after this game, these girls deserve the chance to play in front of one of the biggest crowds in their career. With a Champions League quarter final only 90 minutes away, it would be such a boost for the team to feel a fantastic atmosphere in what is the biggest game of the young club's history. They have earnt the right to play at this level, and they deserve an attendance to match that achievement. A mere 8 years ago, the club was on the verge of extinction, and was saved thanks to a loan from the parents of a former player. Those days are past now, and this team have such a bright future ahead, so please, even if it is just for one evening, come and support the girls, come and support Birmingham City, and make this a night to remember for all involved.

Wednesday 13th November
St Andrews Stadium
7pm kick off

Adults - £6
Concessions - £3

Group ticket bundles:
Adults - £20 for 5 tickets
Concessions - £10 for 5 tickets

Contact the BCFC Ticket Office on 0844 557 1875 option 2 or visit St Andrews Stadium, where you can pay on the day