Stratford Ladies 1-5 Coventry City Ladies
Birmingham County Cup
7th December 2006
Christine Wheeler reports
A shorthanded Coventry City Ladies made it through to the last eight of the Birmingham County Cup on Sunday, with a 5-1 win over lower league Stratford, despite a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Sky Blues.
Coventry were forced to play without many of their normal squad because of injuries or players being cup-tied, with only one substitute available, goalkeeper Kerry Williamson, although she was struggling with a groin strain. Reserve players Katie George and Chantelle Stanley made their senior debuts.
The worst side of Coventry City was on show in the first half, with the team failing to trouble the opposition goal or even being able to put together a string of passes. Things got worse when Natalie Brace was taken off unwell after 38 minutes, leaving Coventry with just 10 players. Lisa Slowther then scored just one minute later to make it 1-0 to Stratford at half time.
Coventry came out a completely different side after the break. Sarah Marshall drew the two sides level on 70 minutes with a deft shot over the onrushing Anna Jones, then deputising captain Emma Lipman made it 2-1 with a bullet of a header from a Kelly-Ann Willis corner just two minutes later. Kelly Henson scored the third after 80 minutes when a Willis corner was parried away leaving the midfielder to smack the ball into the roof of the goal. Sinead Wade got the final two goals; the second, using a cheeky piece of skill to take the ball round the goalie after a wonderful through ball by fellow striker Sarah Marshall.
Coventry manager Stuart Wilson summed up the game with one word – frustration. “Before the game we had 12 players, which included 2 goalies. Then we lose a player half way in. Frustration is the key word, but we came through it”
Coventry: Katie George, Chantelle Stanley, Natalie Wilcox, Kelly Henson, Emma Lipman, Maria Cartwright, Kelly-Ann Willis, Helen Dermody, Sarah Marshall, Sinead Wade, Natalie Brace. Subs not used: Kerry Williamson