Blues still unbeaten as league takes unfamiliar shape

Blues Ladies secured their third successive FAWSL draw on Wednesday night away to Everton Ladies. Both teams had chances to win the game, including the woodwork coming to the rescue of both teams. Everton keeper Lizzy Durack ended up winning the Player of the Match award, which suggests which side had the better of the chances, but Blues unfortunately could not grab their first win of the league season. The draw leaves them sitting poised in fifth place in the league on three points after three games, six points behind the division’s pacesetters Bristol Academy, who, following an impressive 2-0 victory over Chelsea Ladies, are on a maximum of nine points from three games played. Arsenal Ladies have found the WSL tougher than the FA and Continental Cup this year, the 4-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool and their recent 1-1 draw away to Lincoln Ladies leaves them in 7^th position on a solitary point, but they will surely be intent on climbing the table in search of their third FAWSL title. The table in full is as follows:

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals F	Goals A	Points
Bristol Academy	3	3	0	0	9	4	9
Chelsea	4	2	1	1	7	4	7
Liverpool	3	2	0	1	6	2	6
Everton	3	1	1	1	5	4	4
Birmingham	3	0	3	0	2	2	3
Lincoln	4	0	2	2	2	5	2
Arsenal	2	0	1	1	1	5	1
Doncaster	2	0	0	2	1	7	0

The next FAWSL fixtures take place at the end of May. Blues host Chelsea Ladies on Tuesday 28^th, Liverpool are at home to Lincoln on Wednesday 29^th, Arsenal travel to leaders Bristol and Doncaster visit Everton on Thursday 30^th.

This weekend’s fixtures bring to a close the group stages of the Continental Cup, with all to play for in both groups. In Group One, Blues host Lincoln Ladies knowing anything but victory will see them eliminated from the Group, whereas a win for David Parker’s girls will see Lincoln go out. Arsenal host Bristol Academy knowing a draw will be good enough to see them qualify for the semi-finals and keep their hopes alive of a third Continental Cup success in a row, whilst their fellow FA Cup finalists Bristol are already out following two defeats. Going into the final weekend, the two groups are as follows:

Group One

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals F	Goals A	Points
Arsenal	2	1	1	0	3	2	4
Lincoln	2	1	1	0	2	1	4
Birmingham	2	1	0	1	3	2	3
Bristol Academy	2	0	0	2	0	3	0

Fixtures Remaining: Arsenal v Bristol Academy, Birmingham v Lincoln (Both 19th May, 2pm k.o.)

Group Two

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals F	Goals A	Points
Everton	2	1	1	0	3	2	4
Liverpool	2	1	1	0	2	1	4
Chelsea	2	0	1	1	2	3	1
Doncaster	2	0	1	1	1	2	1

Fixtures Remaining: Chelsea v Liverpool (19th May, 2pm k.o.), Doncaster v Everton (19th May, 6pm k.o.)

Bristol dismissed as Blues open Continental Cup with a bang

Blues Ladies began their Continental Cup campaign with a thoroughly well-deserved 2-0 win away to Bristol Academy. Goals from Rachel Williams and Kirsty Linnett either side of half time gave David Parker’s side maximum points to leave them top of their group after the first round of fixtures, and the manner of his team’s victory will have delighted the Boss after what has been a rather tame start to the WSL season for Blues.

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Blues set up with a very strong starting eleven, with wingers Izzy Christiansen and Mel Lawley, returning to Bristol for the first time since her pre-season switch to Blues, supporting Rachel Williams and Kirsty Linnett in attack, whilst Jo Potter and Jade Moore sat and patrolled the midfield. The biggest danger for Blues was the threat of Bristol’s Spanish duo Natalia Sanchon and Laura Del Rio, who had started the season in scintillating form. Blues began the game on the front foot, pressing their opponents hard and keeping them in their own half, and working incredibly hard off the ball to make it difficult for Bristol. Flair players Staniforth, Del Rio and Natalia were struggling to get into the game as Moore, Potter and Christiansen broke up the play and began to dictate the flow of the match. Kirsty Linnett showed a number of clever touches in possession, and was showing the abilities which have so cruelly been kept hidden over the last two years with her long spells on the sidelines. Rachel Williams came close to opening the scoring after ten minutes, a devilish Chelsea Weston cross narrowly evading the head of the England striker. Christiansen was next to go close, clever work from Linnett in the Bristol area led to her pulling the ball back to Christiansen whose fiercely struck shot was blocked by McCatty, and Potter’s follow up was deflected for a corner. Natalia was a peripheral figure for the majority of the half, but she did create a chance for herself following a Nikki Watts cross, getting ahead of Bassett but the Blues centre half did enough to put the Spaniard off her header and the ball sailed harmlessly over. The deadlock was broken on the half hour mark, and it was no surprise that Williams was the one to finish it. Jade Moore sent over an inviting cross, and Williams found space in between McCatty and Rose to head past a helpless Chamberlain for her fifth goal of the season.

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Bristol began the second half with more urgency, clearly a sign of boss Mark Sampson’s half time team talk taking effect, but Blues stood strong and kept their shape well. Reports of Parker keeping his side in the dressing room after the Lincoln draw last week suggested he was not happy with the start to the season his side had made, and there was certainly a change in the girls, a more determined, battling performance, something that has been a major characteristic of this Blues team over the last two years. Moore and Potter soon dragged the dynamic back in favour of the visitors, and before long it was clear Bristol were struggling to make any impact on this stubborn Midlands outfit. Linnett continued to cause the Bristol back line problems, and it was from a corner which she earned that the second and decisive goal came about. Potter swung the ball in from the right, and as the ball fell to the back post, Kerys Harrop helped it back into the danger area, where the impressive Linnett prodded home for her second goal in successive games, following her deflected equaliser against the Lady Imps in the previous game. Shortly after the goal, Bristol made a triple substitution, with Del Rio being replaced after being carefully shackled by Bassett and Moore all game. A significant change came from Blues at the same time, with Linnett being replaced following her superb performance by youngster Coral Haines, who came on for her Blues Ladies debut, having come through the ranks at the club’s centre of excellence. Despite the changes, the second goal knocked the stuffing out of Bristol, and it was always going to be a tough task to come back from that, and Blues went on to control the game, and if anyone was going to score next Blues had the chances. Potter sent a lofted pass through to Haines, but her sweetly executed volley whistled just over, and Williams was put through one on one, but Chamberlain ensured her international colleague would have to settle with just the one goal for her evenings work.

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It was a much improved performance from Blues, and it was clear to see that the focus was to go back to the drawing board in terms of effort and pressing. After the mauling at the hands of Arsenal and the disappointment of the home draw against Lincoln, Blues appeared to have been shaken by these results, and Bristol felt the wrath of a wounded side that were determined not to let their incredible efforts over the last two years to become serious challengers for trophies go to waste, and teams will surely be looking at Blues as a fierce opponent once again.

Blues’ next fixture is on May 11^th, and is their second Continental Cup group game, away to Arsenal Ladies in a fixture which the girls will be desperate to eradicate the memories of their 6-0 defeat last month. The next home game is the third and final Continental Cup group game, against Lincoln Ladies on May 19^th. Blues currently top the group ahead after Lincoln and Arsenal shared a 1-1 draw in their group game.

Bristol: Chamberlain, Dykes, Rose (Matthews 69), McCatty, Yorston (c), Harding, Windell (James 69), Staniforth, Watts, Natalia, Del Rio (Curson 69). Subs not used: Hignett, Cleverly

Blues: Earps, Weston, Bassett (c), Harrop, Unitt, Christiansen, Moore, Potter, Lawley, Linnett (Haines 69), Williams. Subs not used: Hourihan, Simpkins, Torkildsen, Wilkinson, George, Westwood

Player of the match: Izzy Christiansen

Blues grab late equaliser against impressive Imps

A deflected Kirsty Linnett strike five minutes from time gave Blues their second successive 1-1 draw in the FAWSL, this time at home to Lincoln Ladies. England winger Jess Clarke put the away side in front in the second half, and it looked like that would be enough for the three points, until Linnett was first to react to Mel Lawley’s excellent cross minutes from the end. Lawley herself could have snatched the win for Blues, but she blazed over in the dying stages of the game.

Blues started with the same eleven that began their WSL campaign away at Chelsea the previous week, and the early stages of the game was very scrappy, the vast majority of the game being a midfield battle between the two sides. Jo Potter tested England keeper Karen Bardsley twice from similar free kicks early on, but Lincoln grabbed a foothold and began to control the tempo, Remi Allen impressing in the centre of midfield. Blues were forced into a change midway through the first half, Lawley coming on to replace a dazed Izzy Christiansen, who suffered a nasty looking blow to the face after closing down a clearance in the Imps half. The young winger tried to carry on but it was clear she was suffering, and Lawley was brought into the action just before the half hour mark. Jade Moore hit a 20 yard effort just over the bar, but the best chance of the opening 45 minutes fell to Rachel Williams just before half time. England and Lincoln Captain Casey Stoney failed to react to a ball over the top which fell to Williams, but the striker dragged her shot harmlessly wide.

Linnett was introduced at half time for her home debut, replacing Emily Westwood and moving over to the right wing, with Lawley left and Williams down the middle. However it was the visitors who started the second half better. Blues struggled to keep possession on what was a blustery day in Stratford, which made it difficult for the likes of Potter and Moore to control the game as they did so often last season against teams at the DCS. Jess Clarke was looking dangerous up against Rachel Unitt, and she almost broke the deadlock on the hour, cutting inside from the right onto her left foot and bending a shot which looked destined for the bottom corner, until Hourihan pulled off a superb save low down to turn it round for a corner, from which the opening goal came. Carla Cantrell’s corner was headed back into the danger zone from ex Blue Precious Hamilton, and Clarke was quickest to react to the loose ball, swiveling and turning the ball past Hourihan. Hamilton forced another good save from the Blues stopper, and Cantrell put a free header from 8 yards wide in a spell where Lincoln could have been out of sight, but at 1-0 Blues always had a chance. Potter’s set pieces were proving to be threatening as always, and two in quick succession almost brought Blues level. The first was a cheeky attempt to catch Bardsley out from range, but the keeper was alive to her efforts. The second was floated into the area, and Linnett got to the ball before the onrushing Bardsley, but unfortunately for the home side the flick on just evaded Unitt at the back post. Katie Wilkinson was brought on for her home debut on 68 minutes in replace of Emily Simpkins, as Blues went for the goal to bring them level.

With time running out, it looked like Lincoln would hold on for an impressive victory, but as ever Blues kept going and got their rewards with five minutes remaining. Lawley, who had ran at Lincoln right back Sophie Walton a number of times during the second half, finally got the better of her, twisting inside the full back skilfully before delivering a tempting cross which Linnett was first to, and her shot deflected off Stoney’s shin before flying past a helpless Bardsley. The ever tireless Williams was again a devilish threat to the Lincoln back line, and on the stroke of full time she nipped in ahead of Amy Turner, before laying in Lawley inside the box. The England youth international steadied herself but sadly for the hosts her shot was off target, in which was the final action of a tight game. After an opening day defeat to Liverpool, the visitors will be disappointed not to have held on for all three points, but relieved that they are off the mark. In what will surely be a very tight season ahead, Blues will be relieved to have not been beaten, but will hope they are not looking back on missed chances in the opening two games of the season.

The next Blues fixture is a Continental Cup fixture, away to Bristol Academy on May 2^nd, a 7pm kick off. The next home game for Blues Ladies is also a Continental Cup group game, which is a repeat of this match, with the Lady Imps revisiting Stratford on May 19^th, a 2pm kick off.

Blues: Hourihan, Weston, Bassett (c), Harrop, Unitt, Christiansen (Lawley 27), Moore, Simpkins (Wilkinson 68), Potter, Westwood (Linnett 46), Williams. Subs not used: Earps, Torkildsen, Ballard, Haines.

Lincoln: Bardsley, Walton, Stoney (c), Turner, Martha Harris, Clarke, Allen, Megan Harris, Roberts (Bowden 69), Cantrell, Hamilton. Subs not used: Horwood, Kay, Bradley

Player of the match: Rachel Williams