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First Team Match Reports Coventry City Ladies 2 - 1 Long Eaton Villa An own goal and a Sinead Wade strike help Coventry City Ladies to all three points in their final home fixture of the season. The game was a well fought battle from both sides with Coventry having a bit of luck with their first goal as Georgio Plinston knocked the ball into her own net after nine minutes following a Wade cross. Long Eaton Villa had some great chances to equalise in the first half from Sharon Cox and Mary Wayne, but they couldn’t manage to find the back of the net. The visitors then had a penalty appeal turned down when Kerry Williamson looked to have brought down Dannielle Duffy after she took the ball round the keeper, but their calls were turned down. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson didn’t think it was a penalty “Kez [Williamson] did clatter her, but she got to the ball first, so no penalty in my eyes” Long Eaton Villa came out after the break determined to press on for a goal, but Williamson was on hand to deny them as she pushed Toni Eaves effort onto the bar. It took until the 61st minute for the away side to get their slice of fortune when Sam Griffiths free kick missed everyone in the box only to bounce over Williamson’s head. Coventry looked like they had retaken the lead with 15 minutes to go after a scintillating run from Sinead Wade, only to see her shot rebound back of the left post. The striker wasn’t to be denied three minutes later though. She latched onto a through ball by Kirsty Robson to slide home the winner. Although the win is unlikely to help the Sky Blues gain promotion this season, Wilson is optimistic for the future. “There are some really great players coming through that are really going to change our team” Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox (Jade Formaston, 68), Jenni Lowe, Maria Cartwright (Kelly Henson, 34), Natasha Lynch, Ali Forbes, Kirsty Robson, Helen Dermody, Sarah Marshall (Kate Moran, 64), Sinead Wade, Kelly-Anne Willis Goals: Coventry City Ladies 1 - 1 Rotherham United Dreams of promotion became a little more distant for Coventry City Ladies on Sunday as they could only manage a 1-1 draw with table toppers Rotherham. The game was an ill tempered affair, including a penalty, a sending off and a talking to for the Millers manager Paul Durrand. The mood for the game was set 10 minutes in when Sky Blues' right back Natalie Wilcox was booked for her third foul of the game. The vistors were then awarded a penalty after 19 minutes when Coventry captain Natasha Lynch brought down Helen Lynskey in the box, but Kerry Longstone failed to score when goalie Kerry Williamson dived the right way. With Coventry City Academy players Cameron Belford and Lee Hildreth, cheering on the Ladies from the sidelines,this seemed to strengthen the home side, as just four minutes later Coventry's Jodie White, making her senior debut, had her shot blocked near the far post with Kelly-Anne Willis smashing the rebound over the bar. It was just before the half hour mark when Coventry made the breakthrough with a neat outside of the foot shot from Emma Lipman that dribbled into the bottom right hand corner. Coventry had several more chances to add to their tally at the end of the first half, the best falling to Sinead Wade who saw her effort saved by keeper Rose Nash's shins, but the home side failed to score and they went into the break 1-0 up. Quarter of an hour following the restart, Rotherham were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box after a tackle from behind by Kelly Henson. Helen Lynskey blasted a pile driver through the wall with Williamson being forced into pushing the ball over the bar to keep Coventry in the lead. This was only to last until the 74th minute though when Suzanne Davies was left unmarked and let rip a long range effort which sailed into the bottom right hand corner, which resulted in what the referee considered to be overexuberent celebrations that led to Millers manager Paul Durrand geting a talking to from referee Chris Lamb. Lamb's next major involvement in the match came just three minutes later when he sent off Coventry right back Natalie Wilcox for her second bookable offence after raising an elbow. Despite this setback Coventry continued pushing for the winner. In the last few minutes, Lynch sent a long ball through to Wade, but the striker could not bring the ball under control. Emma Lipman then saw her powerful shot just tipped round the post by Nash. The final whistle resulted in celebration for Rotherham, who now believe they have clinched the only promotion spot. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson wasn't quite so pessimistic "It's not over. It's still a point. We could've done with beating them today, but there are still six games to play. As long as we keep winning, we can only look after ourselves". Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox (sent off 77), Jenny Lowe, Kelly Henson (Helen Dermody, 81), Natasha Lynch, Maria Cartwright, Kirsty Robson (Natalie Brace, 73), Emma Lipman, Jodie White (Sarah Marshall, 89), Sinead Wade, Kelly-Anne Willis.Subs not used: Katie George, Alison Forbes Coventry City Ladies 0 - 0 Ricoh All Stars Coventry City Ladies held the Ricoh All-Stars, featuring England internationals Rachel Yankey and Karen Carney, to a goalless draw at the official opening of the Ricoh Arena on Saturday before going down 4-3 on penalties. Coventry started the match brightly, eager to impress the watching fans, but soon settled into the rhythm of the game that was designed as a fun exhibition game. The first real effort on goal came from Hannah Smith of the All-Stars after 19 minutes when she forced keeper Katie George into an excellent reaction save. Hozanna Parnell then hit a header against the bar with her first touch of the ball after coming on as a substitute. The Sky Blues’ best strikes on goal in the first half went to Kelly-Ann Willis whose shot at the end of the first half forced the visitors keeper to push the ball round the post with her knee. The second half saw Coventry’s best chances fall to Sarah Marshall and Jade Formaston, but no-one could break the deadlock. The introduction of Yankey and Carney with 10 minutes remaining saw the game go into a higher gear as each team looked for the winner. Coventry goalie Kerry Williamson was on hand to make some fine saves to deny the two internationals as regulation time finished 0-0. Coventry looked to be having their name put on the trophy when the All-Stars Josanne Potter had her spot kick saved, but then Coventry’s White blasted her effort over the bar and Emma Lipman, who turned 18 the day before, scuffed her kick for an easy save. The final moment of the day fell to Coventry though as Stacey Doughty took the Man of the Match award. The match, consisting of two 35 minute halves, had featured rolling substitutions for both sides in order to enable all players to get some time of the field, plus it was a precaution to prevent injuries. This also allowed injured Coventry striker Yvette Dolphin to play for 10 minutes to test out her cartilage. The forward has been out of action for several months. Following the match, Coventry captain Natasha Lynch said it was amazing to be able to play at the Ricoh, “It’s a great opportunity to play at such a fantastic stadium”. She also said that she took a positive outlook from the game “They [Ricoh All-Stars] didn’t score. We held them so I’m not disappointed”. Sky Blues manager Stuart Wilson enjoyed the game, but is now looking to the league “The girls have loved it. It’s been a warm up game for tomorrow (away at Lichfield) in the league, which is the most important thing” Coventry City Ladies 3 - 1 Derby County A questionable penalty helped second place Coventry City Ladies to all 3 points on Sunday as league leaders Rotherham drew at West Brom. With an evenly contested first half, it looked as if the sides were going into half-time all square until the 38th minute when Sky Blues striker Sinead Wade was clipped on the heels just outside the six yard box. Despite the opposition team protests ringing in her ears, fellow striker Mel Byrne coolly slotted the ball straight down the middle past goalie Jenny Simpson to make it 1-0. Eight minutes after the break, Byrne doubled her tally as she made it 2-0 with a close range shot, but Derby got one back just four minutes later through Lorna Abbey when she jumped highest to head home a free kick at the far post. A sublime pass from Kelly-Ann Willis on 64 minutes set up Sinead Wade to make it 3-1, putting the match beyond the visitors. The home side could have added more with chances falling to Mel Byrne – for her hat-trick, and also to Kirsty Robson, Emma Lipman, Kelly-Ann Willis and Kelly Henson. The best came from the latter whose curler was acrobatically punched over the bar by Simpson. Coventry City are now six points behind league leaders Rotherham, with City having a game in hand. The sides are due to meet at Westwood Heath on 11th February. After the game, Coventry manager Stuart Wilson admitted that he wasn’t entirely convinced by the penalty decision, “I thought it was a little harsh. Sinead just got clipped on the heels before she went down so it probably was justified that it was a penalty”. Coventry City Ladies are taking part in a 24 hour sponsored bike ride with proceeds being evenly split between Breast Cancer Research and funds for Coventry City Ladies FC. The event begins Friday, March 16th at 7pm at the Ricoh Arena Health and Fitness Club. Anyone wishing to sponsor the event can contact Mr A. Murphy on 07979498293. Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox (Helen Dermody, 71), Jenny Lowe, Kelly Henson, Natasha Lynch, Maria Cartwright, Kirsty Robson (Natalie Brace, 76), Emma Lipman, Mel Byrne, Sinead Wade (Sarah Marshall, 76), Kelly-Ann Willis. Subs not used: Katie George. Stratford Ladies 1-5 Coventry City Ladies 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. Coventry City Ladies 4 - 1 Loughborough Students Coventry City Ladies went into their Christmas league break with a 4-1 win over Loughborough Students on a cold, wet and windy Sunday at Westwood Heath, the previous night’s rain turning the pitch into a bog, making running and passing extremely difficult. The visitors had most of the early possession, but it was Coventry’s Sinead Wade who opened the scoring on 18 minutes for her 12th league goal of the season, beating the keeper in a one-on-one situation. Loughborough’s Jen Anison made things level when she scored with two minutes of the first half remaining. Her first close range effort was parried by goalie Kerry Williamson, but could do nothing to prevent the second shot going in. Coventry came quickest out of the blocks for the second half with the breakthrough coming on fifty-two minutes when Emma Lipman bundled the ball into the net from close range. Kelly-Ann Willis made it 3-1 with a goal she helped set up herself. The left winger sent a beautifully floated pass to Wade on the right, who then passed it back for the 17 year old to drive into the bottom left hand corner. The win was wrapped up by substitute Sarah Marshall when her sliding shot from just outside the area trickled in off the left hand post to make it 4-1. Afterwards, Coventry manager Stuart Wilson admitted that the weather had been quite a problem for the players: “We had to adjust, battle and fight. It was a game that wasn’t going to be easy because of the weather. The wind really helped in the second half because it was against them [Loughborough]”. Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Helen Dermody, Jenny Lowe, Maria Cartwright, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes (Kelly Henson, 67), Kirsty Robson (Natalie Brace, 73), Emma Lipman, Mel Byrne, Sinead Wade (Sarah Marshall, 73), Kelly-Ann Willis. Subs Not Used: Natalie Wilcox Coventry City Ladies 0 - 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers A record crowd for the 3rd Round of the Womens FA Cup at the Ricoh Arena saw Coventry City Ladies defeated 2-0 by Premier League Northern Division’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. The home supporters in the 1,057 crowd didn’t get the start they wanted though, as Louise Roberts put the visitors ahead after just 98 seconds with a low shot into the right hand corner, with Coventry goalie Williamson appearing to be troubled by the low sun. Roberts almost doubled her tally when she hit the post on 23 minutes. Coventry were not to be brushed aside though. The team had watched a DVD of Liverpool’s Champions League Final victory earlier in the day as a reminder that you should never give up. One minute after Wolves hit the post, Mel Byrne, scorer of all four of Coventry’s FA Cup goals this campaign, saw her powerful header finger-tipped round the post by Becky Hall. Roberts should have been celebrating her hat-trick just before the half hour, but was guilty of missing an open goal after getting past the Coventry defence and taking the ball round the keeper. The Sky Blues’ best chances in the second half fell to striker Wade. The 18 year-old used her pace to run at the defence, but lacked the final killer touch. Hannah Smith made it 2-0 on 66 minutes after getting away from Coventry defender and captain Natasha Lynch to slot the ball past Williamson. Despite the loss, Sky Blues Ladies chairman David Singleton was upbeat, “It’s been a great day for ladies football, and for the Ricoh stadium it’s been a massive occasion as well. I think it was a great game of football”. Manager Stuart Wilson also saw positives, “There was great effort and commitment. Just a shame about the result”. Assistant manager Neil Wilson, a lifelong Coventry City supporter, thought it had been brilliant day, adding “I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to do that again. It was great to be part of such a big occasion”. Coventry City team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Jenny Lowe, Maria Cartwright, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Kirsty Robson (Kelly Henson, 73), Emma Lipman (Helen Dermody, 84), Melissa Byrne, Sinead Wade, Kelly-Ann Willis (Natalie Brace, 73) Subs not used: Leanne Griffin, Sarah Marshall West Brom Albion 1 - 2 Coventry City Ladies With West Brom’s regular home pitch under water, this match was switched at the eleventh hour to Tipton, where the visitors seemed to settle quicker than the ‘home’ side. The Sky Blues had much the better of the opening spell with Mel Byrne firing a left foot shot wide of the far post in the 2nd minute, then just failing to get a touch to Kelly-Ann Willis’s low drive that squeezed just inches wide. After 20 minutes though, City were forced to make an early change when Ali Forbes dislocated a shoulder and was replaced by Kelly Henson with Emma Lipman dropping back into central defence, only for Lipman to pick up an ankle injury just minutes later that saw her too replaced by Helen Dermody. City’s reshuffled pack started to come under increasing pressure as the half wore on and it was no surprise when Albion eventually took the lead following a succession of corners and free kicks. The game was 5 minutes into time added on when Nicky Pearson swung over a free kick from just outside the box which City failed to clear, and when the ball broke loose on the right Erin Hicken smashed the ball in from a tight angle. Half time score: West Brom Albion 1 - 0 Coventry City Ladies The Sky Blues came out fired up for the 2nd half and took just 2 mins to get back on level terms. Kirsty Robson beat her marker on the right and passed inside for Sinead Wade, whose flick on found Mel Byrne unmarked 15 yards out. Byrne took the ball on before planting it left footed into the net past Williams. In an evenly contested 2nd half it always seemed likely the next goal would settle matters and so it proved, Mel Byrne stooping to nod home Kelly-Ann Willis’s dipping cross from close range in the 84th minute. West Brom had their chances, Hayley Moore having a shot deflected onto the bar on the hour and Philipowsky having a goal ruled out for offside, but in the end the Sky Blues just about deserved the win. Manager Stuart Wilson was very pleased with the effort of his side, “We didn’t have to say a lot at half time. It’s never nice to concede a goal with the last kick of the half, and the loss of two key players early on meant the mood in the dressing room was pretty subdued. But there’s no point feeling sorry for yourselves, we asked them what they were going to do about it and then left them to work it out for themselves. They deserve a lot of credit for the way they applied themselves in a game in which they had to work so hard for everything they got.” Stuart praised his makeshift centre backs for so effectively snuffing out the pacy Albion attack, and Mel Byrne for delivering the goods once again at the other end; but reserved special mention for substitutes Kelly Henson, Helen Dermody and Natalie Brace. “Hen and ‘H’ were terrific….we had to throw them in at the deep end to replace our midfield and Lefty came on to bolster things as we tired…. they all coped very well” Team: K Williamson, N Wilcox, J Lowe, M Cartwright, N Lynch, A Forbes (Henson 20), K Robson (Brace 76), Lipman (Dermody 24), M Byrne, S Wade, KA Willis snu S Marshall, L Whitehouse. Coventry City Ladies 4 - 0 Southam United Coventry City Ladies followed up last weeks FA Cup triumph with a 4-0 victory over lower league Southam United to take them into the third round of the Birmingham County Cup. Kelly-Ann Willis almost got the home side off to the perfect start when her right footed curler hit the bar just four minutes in. Coventry did get on the score sheet just ten minutes later though, when Sarah Marshall’s diving header off a Leanne Griffin cross made it 1-0. The Sky Blues should’ve been at least 2-0 up at the break except for the miss of the season by Sinead Wade when she hit the ball over the bar from just four yards. Coventry really got going in the final third of the pitch after the interval with Kelly-Ann Willis doubling the lead on 71 minutes when her low drilled shot flew into the bottom right hand corner. Sinead Wade finally got her goal three minutes later to make it 3-0 after having a horrid first half where she couldn’t get the ball on target. The striker got away from her marker to set up a one-on-one and then calmly shot across goal and into the bottom left hand corner. Natalie Brace then completed the win with a goal with fifteen minutes left. Although pleased with the performance and the win, manager Stuart Wilson admitted that the Birmingham County Cup isn’t his highest of priorities, “It’s not as important as the league, though it’s always important whatever the game or competition to try and win”. Coventry City Ladies: Kerry Williamson, Helen Dermody, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Natalie Brace, Kelly-Ann Willis, Maria Cartwright, Kelly Henson (Louise Whitehouse, 67), Leanne Griffin (Emma Lipman, 56), Sarah Marshall (Mel Byrne, 74), Sinead Wade Subs not used: Lauren Middleton Coventry City Ladies 1 - 0 Rushden and Diamonds A stunning second half strike by Mel Byrne has put Coventry City Ladies into the draw for the third round of the Women’s FA Cup after a 1-0 victory over Rushden and Diamonds at Westwood Heath. The match was even throughout with it looking likely that just one goal would take the victory. Rusden and Diamonds should have taken the lead after 24 minutes when Anna McLeod was left with an empty net to shoot into from 8 yards, but she blasted the ball high over the bar. The opposition did finally get the ball in the goal 12 minutes later, but it was disallowed for a foul on a Coventry defender. The breakthrough finally came through striker Byrne on 74 minutes with a beautifully curled left foot shot, from just inside the area, which sailed into the top left hand corner. Coventry were without recognised right back Natalie Wilcox due to an Achilles injury, which will keep her on the sidelines for at least a couple of weeks. In her place was centre midfielder Helen Dermody who has just been promoted from the reserves. Normal left back Jenny Lowe also began on the bench and had left winger Natalie Brace deputising for her. Manager Stuart Wilson was full of praise for the out of position pair: “Helen was very strong technically. She did her job for us today. Natalie was pretty good in there. We managed to get her in her proper position where she did extremely well”. When asked who he would like for the 3rd round, “Not fussed. A draw at home is good enough for me”. Coventry City: Kerry Williamson, Helen Dermody, Natalie Brace (Kelly-Ann Willis, 79), Maria Cartwright, Natasha Lynch, Ali Forbes, Kirsty Robson, Emma Lipman, Mel Byrne, Sinead Wade (Kelly Henson, 83), Leanne Griffin (Jenny Lowe, 49) Sub not used: Sarah Marshall Coventry City Ladies 4 - 1 Lichfields Diamonds Coventry City Ladies completed a league and cup double over Lichfield Diamonds with a 4-1 win at Westwood Heath, with three players opening their scoring accounts for the season. Lichfield Diamonds scored first on the counter attack through Aimee Perry after 22 minutes, with a penalty by Mel Byrne towards the end of the first half putting the teams level after Emma Lipman was fouled just inside the box. Coventry went ahead after 53 minutes through Sarah Marshall, her debut senior goal. The goal seemed to come out of nowhere with even the goalkeeper Steph Cole caught watching. A pass from Byrne then set up Emma Lipman to strike a rocket into the bottom left hand corner to make it 3-1 on 58 minutes for her first of the season. Lipman almost got her second after 66 minutes with a powerful diving header, but an outstanding save from Steph Cole, tipping the ball over the bar, kept it at 3-1. The Lichfield keeper made a number of magnificent saves throughout the match to keep the score respectable. The home side were not to be denied a fourth goal though as Maria Cartwright shot through a crowded penalty area past the unsighted Cole just a minute later to add her name to this seasons goalscorers list. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson thought that this weeks performance was much improved on last weeks FA Cup outing: “The team were taking their chances and keeping the belief that they’d get the goal. We played more ugly and direct in the second half and that got us more chances” Coventry team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Jenny Lowe (Natalie Brace, 59), Kirsty Robson, Maria Cartwright, Emma Lipman, Kelly-Ann Willis, Mel Byrne, Sarah Marshall (Leanne Griffin, 70) Subs not used: Kelly Henson, Helen Dermody Coventry City Ladies 3 - 1 Lichfields Diamonds A hat-trick by Mel Byrne ensured Coventry City Ladies passage into the second round of the Women’s FA Cup with a 3-1 extra time win over Lichfield Diamonds. Despite having the majority of the possession for the first half, Coventry City couldn’t find the back of the net and it wasn’t until the fifty sixth minute that Mel Byrne got the home team on the scoresheet with a cleanly taken shot that sailed past the Lichfield keeper Steph Cole’s right hand side. A free kick by Rachel Patrick with eight minutes remaining made it level and condemned two exhausted sides to extra time as neither managed to snatch a winner in the remaining minutes. Coventry had further chances on goal, but it wasn’t until the 108th minute that Coventry retook the lead. Natalie Wilcox sent in a beautifully floated cross that gave Byrne an easy header into the net. The striker completed her hat-trick in the final minute of extra time with a shot to the near post from wide right. The goalie fumbled the ball with Emma Lipman smacking the ball into the net for good measure. This was Coventry’s second hat-trick in as many weeks with Sinead Wade bagging three against Chesterfield last week. After the game there was a debate raging over who scored the final goal. Both Byrne and Lipman were adamant the goal was theirs with the squad split down the middle. The final decision was not up to the players though, as manager Stuart Wilson said: “The linesman had already given it to say it crossed over the line. Mel deserved the hat-trick”. Coventry team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Jenny Lowe, Kelly Henson (Alison Forbes, 65), Natasha Lynch, Maria Cartwright, Kelly-Ann Willis (Kirsty Robson, 65), Emma Lipman, Melissa Byrne, Sinead Wade (Helen Dermody), Leanne Griffin Coventry City Ladies 5 - 0 Chesterfield A hat-trick in half an hour by Sinead Wade condemned bottom of the league Chesterfield to their seventh consecutive defeat on a wet Sunday afternoon at Westwood Heath. Both sides had good chances early on, but Coventry soon began to dominate with Wade scoring her first of the game on thirteen minutes. The goal was set up by fellow striker Mel Byrne who passed the ball down the middle for Wade to coolly slot it home in the bottom right hand corner. Wade got her second on the half hour mark. Byrne had got a shot across goal from wide on the left, only for the Chesterfield goalie Lucy Whatley to get her fingertips on it, with Wade reacting quickest to hit the ball in from close range. The hat-trick was completed on forty two minutes with a run down the left wing finished with a neat lob over Whatley’s head. Kelly-Ann Willis got on the scoresheet just before the break with a rocket with her unfavoured left foot from twenty-five yards into the bottom right hand corner. The scoring was completed by Mel Byrne six minutes after the re-start with a shot over the goalie’s head. Despite being 5-0 ahead, the home team did not sit back on their lead, although they failed to add to their tally. Talking about her third goal, Sinead Wade said that she meant to shoot despite her team mates thinking it was a mis-hit cross: “I saw Lipo [Emma Lipman] and I also saw the goalie. I heard Stu [manager Stuart Wilson] shout ‘shoot’ so I did and it went in”. Team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Jenny Lowe, Kelly Henson, Natasha Lynch, Maria Cartwright, Kelly-Ann Willis (Amanda Whalley, 70), Emma Lipman (Hayley Joynson, 54), Mel Byrne, Sinead Wade (Katie Box, 54), Leanne Griffin. Subs not used: Natalie Brace, Alison Forbes Coventry City Ladies 2 - 3 Leicester City Ladies A suspected broken nose and concussion to striker Mel Byrne compounded Coventry City Ladies misery on Sunday with a 3-2 loss to rivals Leicester City. The game had got off to the worst possible start for the Sky Blues when Leicester scored in the first minute through Sam Clarke. Amanda Whalley got the hosts back on level terms fourteen minutes later with a lucky cross from wide right, which sailed over the Leicester goalkeepers head Byrne’s injury occurred after twenty minutes following a clash of heads while challenging for a header. Sam Clarke then got her second of the game on thirty two minutes when she blasted into the roof of the net from close range to give Leicester a half-time lead. Substitute Sinead Wade made it 2-2 eight minutes after the break when the diminutive striker got up to head home a Kelly Henson corner. Coventry didn’t stay level for long though as Sam Clarke got her hat-trick just one minute later with a low shot after she was left unmarked. Coventry upped the tempo in the final ten minutes with a barrage of assaults on the Leicester goal, but it was a case of little too late as Leicester held on to take all three points. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson said that he thought that a few of his players did not want to be on the pitch as some put in such little effort: “The focus and concentration for the whole game, except for the last ten minutes, was disappointing” Team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Jenny Lowe, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Amanda Whalley (Maria Cartwright 67), Emma Lipman, Mel Byrne (Sinead Wade 24). Kirsty Robson, Kelly-Ann Willis (Julia Marshall 67) Sub Not Used: Kayleigh Poole Loughboro' Students 0 - 9 Coventry City Ladies Coventry City Ladies, sponsored by Cassidy, demolished Loughborough students 9-0 in their first away game of the season. Yvette Dolphin opened the scoring seven minutes into the match after being set up by Kirsty Robson. Robson then claimed a goal of her own with a well composed shot midway through the first half. Dolphin scored her second of the match on thirty six minutes with a speedy run and good finish. Mel Byrne made it four for the Sky Blues with a lovely lob over the goalkeeper from the left hand side of the penalty area. She scored again just four minutes later with a close range shot following a cross from Kirsty Robson to make it five-nil at halftime. New substitute Natalie Brace scored the opening goal of the second half, Coventry’s sixth, within five minutes of making her entrance. Kelly Henson then coolly put away a shot on sixty seven minutes to make it seven-nil. Coventry’s last two goals were scored by substitute Sinead Wade to complete the rout, both with clinical finishes. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson said he was surprised that nobody scored a hat trick with two players on a two goals at halftime, “the chances that came Mel and Yvette’s way in the second half were few and far between. Bringing Sinead on, she got in the right positions to score goals and give them a new problem. Sinead got two, but should’ve got three, but decided to pass” Squad: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Jenny Lowe, Kelly Henson, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Kirsty Robson (Natalie Brace, 58 mins), Lucy Campbell (Sinead Wade, 70 mins), Melissa Byrne, Yvette Dolphin, Leanne Griffin (Kelly-Ann Willis, 27 mins). Subs not used: Julia Marshall, Kayleigh Poole Coventry City Ladies 5 - 2 West Bromwich Albion Coventry City Ladies, sponsored by Cassidy Group, kicked off their Midlands Combination League season with a 5-2 win over newly promoted West Bromwich Albion. Mel Byrne opened Coventry’s account after fourteen minutes. Her shot went in off the left hand post after a neat turn on the edge of the area. West Bromwich Albion drew level twelve minutes later through Emma Purscow from a corner. Coventry City were back in the lead just one minute later though with a close range shot by Yvette Dolphin. Kristy Robson, who had an excellent match overall, made it 3-1 just before half-time with a shot from just outside the box. Leanne Griffin made it four for the Sky Blues six minutes into the second half with a wonderful free kick that sailed into the top left hand corner. Coventry got their fifth after sixty seven minutes. A stunning piece of control by Yvette Dolphin to get the ball round the goalkeeper set up a goal for Mel Byrne. Purscow scored a conciliation goal for the away team midway through the second half with a well finished shot, although the run did look several yards offside. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson was very pleased with the performance saying “we were by far the better side today”. He admitted that the team could have scored more goals, but was not concerned that the sixth goal never came: “We always looked like scoring so I never had any worries”. Team: Kerry Williamson, Natalie Wilcox, Natasha Lynch, Alison Forbes, Jenny Lowe, Kirsty Robson, Kelly Henson, Emma Lipman, Leanne Griffin, Mel Byrne, Yvette Dolphin. Subs: Kayleigh Poole (64 mins), Natalie Brace (69 mins), Kelly Ann-Willis (78 mins) Bristol Academy 4 - 0 Coventry City Ladies Coventry City ladies kicked off their Midlands Combination League pre-season warm up game with a 4-0 loss against Bristol Academy, who play in the Premier League National Division, the women's top flight. Being pre-season, the match was divided into three periods of thirty minutes to allow coaches to assess fitness and tactics and change them accordingly. The regular games will be two half of forty five minutes. Both sides were missing players from the very start, with Coventry playing without a recognised centre back due to injuries. This became evident from the first period, which ended 3-0. Bristol registered their first shot from a free kick on six minutes, which sailed over the bar failing to trouble Coventry goalkeeper Kerry Williamson. The opponents were excellent at maintaining the ball in the first thirty minutes with some tight passing, which didn't give the Sky Blues much sight of the ball. The first Bristol goal was scored on nine minutes by Kerry Bartlett, who also scored the third after eighteen minutes. The second goal was scored by Michelle Green on fourteen minutes. It seemed that Coventry were in for a rout from their top flight opponents. The Sky Blues had their first corner on 23 minutes, but failed to make anything of the opportunity. Coventry goalie Williamson showed her value to the team on twenty five minutes when she pushed a shot onto the bar. The rebound was collected by Bristol, but the following poor shot was easily saved. The final five minutes of the first period showed the start of the Coventry fighting spirit with right back Natalie Wilcox and midfielder Amanda Whalley linking up well on the right wing. Coventry's first real push on goal was at the end of the first period when Amanda Whalley hit a long ball to Sinead Wade, who chased the ball, but was beaten to it by the Bristol goalkeeper. The start of the second period had echoes of the first when Bristol hit a free kick over the bar after five minutes. However, this seemed a momentary lapse as Coventry went back to their fighting ways. There was good link up play between Captain Emma Lipman and Kelly Ann-Willis on the left wing, which looked promising for a Coventry goal. Near the end of the second period, striker Mel Byrne got away from her marker and saw her header from a cross go just past the post. This was Coventry's best goal opportunity the whole game and should have been put away as the Bristol goalkeeper was stranded. The Sky Blues seemed to have found their confidence and were more willing to pass the ball around. Coventry's first effort in the third period came after just two minutes following a lightning run from Sinead Wade at the Bristol goal, only to see her effort hit the side netting. A minute later, Yvette Dolphin made a run at goal only to lose her boot and any opportunity of a goal for her efforts. Then, a cross from Wade from the right went behind Dolphin who was running in for the cross. Later, Natalie Wilcox crossed a ball into the penalty area, but Dolphin failed to catch it cleanly and the shot was easily saved. It seemed like a Coventry goal was so close, but it never materialised. Half way through the third period, a miscommunication in the Coventry defence allowed Bristol a chance on goal. Williamson managed to get her fingertips to the shot for a brilliant save, and the ball was cleared by the defence to escape any further danger. Bristol's fourth goal came from a questionable penalty, resulting from a foul by Lucy Campbell on Gemma Hopkins, who converted the penalty. Campbell said after the game that thought she got the ball. Coventry manager Stuart Wilson said it was "arguably a penalty", and even Bristol manager Gary Green didn't seem convinced, saying "they don't often flag, so I would imagine it was a penalty". After the game, manager Wilson said he had been "very pleased" with the overall performance, but admitted the team were "very rusty in the first third...it was always going to be difficult, as a lot of players haven't played with each other before". He also said that he might have found a new centre half in Lucy Campbell, who was standing in due to injuries. She normally plays in a centre midfield/striker position. |