COVENTRY CITY LADIES 3-0 PRESTON NORTH END BY KEV MONKS
City
Wood, Wilcox (Saulter 76), Ward, McKenna, Lynch, Butler, Miles, Robson, Barber, Clough (Archibald 61), Dermody (Ryder 86)
Preston
Murray, Sherwood, Eastwood (Carroll 62), Charnley, Burgess, Hickson (Forshaw 55), Walker, Cahill, O'Connor, Ball (Clayton 70), Berry Subs Bartley, Tiberner, .
HT CCLFC 2-0 PNE FT CCLFC 3-0 PNE
Referee Andrew Stickley
Goals Kirsty Robson (20), Leanne McKenna (39), Danni Saulter (84)
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Coventry City Ladies kept up their bid for the Women's Premier League Northern Division title with a 3-0 win over Preston North End.
Paul Cudby's side needing a victory from the final home game started lively with a Katy Ward free kick just missing the far post in the fourth minute as did a corner five minutes later.
Leanne McKenna sliced a Tammy Burgess free kick over her own bar but soon atoned getting in a 15th minute header from a corner which visiting keeper Rachel Murray just grabbed under pressure from Natasha Lynch.
In the 20th minute, City Ladies took the lead when Kirsty Robson was given space on the left and gave Murray no chance from the edge of the area with a crisp finish.
The pace of Mel Ball made her a threat to the City defence but Natalie Wilcox and Natasha Lynch kept her quiet.
In the 39th minute, City who are in the final of the Birmingham County Cup on Wednesday night at Tamworth, went further ahead when good work from Kirsty Robson played in Leanne McKenna who thumped home from twenty yards.
Ball and McKenna had shots as the second half restarted before Laura Walker's left footed 47th minute effort bounced off the bar.
Preston won three corners in quick succession but City countered and Helen Dermody was unlucky in that her left wing cross was not turned in.
Leanne McKenna tried her luck with a 56th minute long range which just dipped over the bar.
Substitute Cherelle Archibald ballooned over in the 71st minute after good work from Dermody and Robson before City were denied two penalties for deliberate handball and a trip on the hard working Callen Barber.
Leanne McKenna had a header from a 78th minute corner saved on the line by Murray.
City keeper Sue Wood made her only save pushing a Forshaw pile driver round for an 81st minute corner.
The Sky Blues needed a goal to finish the match off and in the 84th minute, City attacked down the right. Danni Saulter spotted Murray off her line and from thirty yards, sent the ball high into the net and City needing something from their final league game of the season at Derby on May 4th to book their place in the Women's Premier League for next season.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM