BIRMINGHAM CITY LADIES 3-1 COVENTRY CITY LADIES
City
Wood, Johnson (Lynch 73), Walton, Hodgson, Wilcox, Miles, Barber, Goulding (Rogers 78), Formaston (Edwards 60), Sweetman-Kirk, Toussant.
Birmingham: Hourihan, Weston, Harrop, Bassett, Chrisiansen, Potter, Moore (George 60), Taylor, Westwood, Torkildsen.
HT BCLFC 0-1 CCLFC FT BCLFC 3-1 CCLFC
Goals Courtney Sweetman-Kirk 7, Jo Potter 56, Jodie Taylor 76, Hannah George 78
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Coventry City Ladies battled well but ended up going down to a 3-1 defeat to Birmingham City Ladies at Stratford Town FC.
Paul Cudby's side, who continue to look for new investors, faced a Birmingham side who play in the franchise WSL league and were a team that started with a number of former City players including Emily Simpkins who left the Sky Blues in midweek but without their players who had been on duty with Team GB.
Nicky Miles sent a sixth minute twenty yarder wide as City put together some good passes.
A great pass from Callen Barber found Courtney Sweetman-Kirk in the seventh minute who cooly slipped the ball under Hourihan to put the Sky Blues ahead.
Dave Parker's team, who built from the back through former Sky Blues Torkildsen and Bassett, won two corners before Sweetman-Kirk fired in a 19th minute shot which Hourihan dealt with at the second attempt in the sunshine at Knights Lane.
A great block by Hollingsworth, who made another quickly, gave Birmingham a corner but a stout City defence cleared before Wilcox made another timely clearance in the 25th minute.
Birmingham forced a couple of corners but it was the Sky Blues in their green and black away kit who led at the break.
Hollingsworth got her foot in to make a concede a corner and Simpkins curled wide six minutes later but the Sky Blues kept their shape and continued looking to counter.
However, in the 56th minute, they were caught by a ball from the left. Simpkins missed but Jo Potter was able to squeeze the ball past Sue Wood to draw Birmingham level.
Two more corners were followed by both sides blazing over the bar.
The tally of Birmingham corners grew by three in the 66th minute. All were dealt with as were two more seven minutes later.
In the 76th minute, a mistake in the City defence saw Sue Wood come out of her goal, only to be dispossessed by Jodie Taylor who tapped into an empty net.
Then two minutes later, Hannah George fired in a screamer to put the Blues 3-1 up.
City substitute Cheryl Edwards had two shots well saved by Hourihan as the Sky Blues, who face Charlton Athletic in their opening WPL Premier League fixture next Sunday, went down to defeat.
Match pictures; http://www.flickr.com/photos/wren-media/sets/72157631036887594/