Coventry City Ladies 2-0 Newcastle United
City:Wood, Neville, Johnson, Formaston, Lynch, Miles, Quayle, Barber, Dermody (Lowder 70), Gauntlett (Toussaint 29), Hughes. Subs Mellors, Towers, Piggott
Newcastle: Borthwick, Foster, Brookes, Lock (Chisholm 60), McNaught (Frazer 55), Vassallo, Havelock, Teasdale, Purdham, Turnbull, Gardner (Parker 60).
HT CCLFC 2-0 NULFC FT CCLFC 2-0 NUFC
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Coventry City Ladies maintained their WPL Northern Division title ambitions with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United.
On a sunny but very cold afternoon at Coventry Sphinx FC, the Sky Blues were ahead after seventy six seconds when Amber Hughes created space on the left and sent a superb looping shot into the far corner of the net.
Craig Nicholls side continued to have the better of the chances with Helen Dermody twice firing wide and Callen Barber firing at Borthwick before Amber Hughes scored a second in the 41st minute with a stunning volley past Borthwick on her right hand side.
The second half was a lot tighter and it was not until the 71st minute that two City substitutes in Destiny Toussaint crossed for fellow substitute Katie Lowder to get in a shot which was hacked off the line. That was only hallf cleared and when Lowder got the ball back, she fired in a shot that Borthwick did very well to get to.
Lowder fired over and a mazy run from Toussaint saw the ball hit the side netting before Amber Hughes sent a 79th minute curler on the crossbar.
Newcastle, managed by former Coventry City player Trevor Benjamin (pictured below) had a five minute spell of pressure which brought chances for Havelock and Purdham and a corner but the Sky Blues who had a late chance through Lowder and then survived a stoppage time free kick which hit the bar, recorded another victory.
Picture courtesy of Sam Williams and Covsupport News Service