Leicester City Ladies 1- 4 Coventry City Ladies
Midlands Combination League
28th January 2007
Christine Wheeler reports
Coventry City Ladies kept the pressure up on league leaders Rotherham with a comfortable 4-1 win at Leicester on Sunday. Four second half goals gave the Sky Blues all three points, putting them just one win behind Rotherham.
The visitors opened the scoring through Sinead Wade on 53 minutes after being set up by Jenny Lowe, with the lead being doubled four minutes later when Emma Lipman sent a bullet into the top left hand corner from 25 yards.
Natalie Brace scored the third just past the hour mark. She caught the ball sweetly on the half volley with her trusty left foot and watched it sail into the bottom right hand corner, a goal she thoroughly deserved after putting in a sterling performance out on the left wing that caused the home side problems all match.
Leicester got a goal back through Sam Clarke on 72 minutes to put Coventry a little on edge, but this didn't last long as Kelly-Ann Willis made it 4-1 with 12 minutes remaining. Willis, who was playing as a striker in place of the missing Mel Byrne, hit a free kick straight at Ruth Collis, but the goalie fumbled the ball and pushed it into the roof of her own net.
The second half had been a big improvement on the first forty five minutes when neither side managed to trouble the opposition keeper, although Coventry did give away a lot of silly free kicks in their own half which Leicester failed to capitalise on.
Coventry are now looking to next weekend's match, which is a repeat of this fixture, but in the league cup. Sky Blues boss Stuart Wilson said “I think both teams will have different players playing. They might start with a stronger side. We've got a few injuries that we might rest so I think you'll see two different sides next week”
Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Natasha Lynch, Maria Cartwright, Jenny Lowe, Kirsty Robson (Sarah Marshall 78), Emma Lipman, Kelly Henson (Helen Dermody 68), Natalie Brace, Kelly-Ann Willis, Sinead Wade. Subs not used: Katie George, Ali Forbes.