WOLVES WOMEN 3-0 COVENTRY CITY LADIES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Ladies remain in the WPL Northern Division relegation zone after a 3-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Willenhall Town based club went ahead in the 18th minute when a corner was not cleared and the ball fell to Becky Hall who blasted the ball high into the net from the edge of the area.
With Emma Lipman limping off due to an ankle injury,the afternoon for Mark Phillips team got even worse as a 28th minute corner, after a super reaction save from Gemma Smith,was not properly cleared and Emily Westwood stabbed the ball in from close range to double Wolves tally.
Despite conceding two goals,City keeper Gemma Smith was in fine form. Firstly making a superb reaction save for a Becky Hall effort and then diving low to push away a Natalie Poole twenty yard shot.
In the 37th minute,Wolves added a third as Becky Hall capitalised on a defensive error and tucked the ball past Smith.
As a good following of City supporters looked on,Coventry managed their first chance of the game when skipper Laura Healy fired wide with a 35 yard shot on the stroke of half-time.
Mark Phillips and his backroom staff read the riot act to his players during the interval and for the second half,City's defence remained.
Wolves had earned four corners before a through ball from Maria Cartwright found Katy Box in the penalty area. However, the City striker snatched at her shot and sent it over the crossbar.
Having lost Amanda Whalley to a knee injury, City who travel to bottom side Manchester City on Sunday had another chance in the 75th minute when Michelle Hickmott cut inside for Sarah Marshall to rifle a shot form twenty yards wide.
TEAM
Smith,Lipman (S.Marshall 27),Bryenton, Healey,Lynch,Baseley (McLeod 60),Whalley (Lockyer 75), Cartwright,Box,Marshall, Hickmott SNU K.Cartwright
There was better news for City Reserves who beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 in a Women's Premier League Reserve Second Division North fixture at Coventry University.
With Linda Scott equalising for City in the first half, the Sky Blues turned up the pace in the second with goals from Melissa Byrne,Karen Clough and Rachel Smith giving Mark Howard's team a comfortable victory.