Coventry City Girls 4 - 0 Solihull Ladies
Open Cup 9/3/08

After making hard work of Studley last weekend we knew that todays game would be a real test. Solihull were level with ourselves & Withymoor at the top of the league & with a great chance of achieving a promotion & cup final double. The girls would really need to be up for this game to achieve their dream of a cup final appearance this season. The good news was that we were back to full strength with Joanne Ryan & Leah O’Loughlin both back to full fitness & Stevie Rae Roberts returning to the squad after a 4 week break.

The first half kicked off & as was strongly expected both sides matched each other all over the park, with a real battle developing in the middle with Gemma Clarke & Sanjeet Jaspal fighting tooth & nail to gain control of the ball, with their Solihull counterparts. City were struggling to get the ball out wide to Roxanne Kinsella & Lauren Mochrie which ment in turn that there was a lack of service to Sinead Byrne & Jo up front. At the back Abbie Strong & Lynn Millbourn looked assured whilst both full backs Adele Kenny & Mia Charnley were dealing reasonably comfortably with everything Solihull could throw at them. Mia who had been drafted in, in place of Jessie Wilson who’s form had been erratic recently, made a distinct difference when it came to dealing with the balls in the air, winning her fair share of headers along with Abs & Lynn. City’s aerial domination ment Gemma Stafford was rarely troubled in City’s goal. Chances were few and far between for both sides with the only efforts on goal coming from long range which were easily dealt with by both keepers. As the halt time whistle approached thoughts were turned to how we could change things around to cause Solihull more problems during the second period.

Half time Score: Coventry City Girls 0-0 Solihull Ladies

The second half started with City under no illusions as to what was expected of them. I gave the players out there a further 10 mins to make an impression otherwise changes would be made.

To be fair from the kick off City looked menacing with Jo causing numerous problems with her movement up front. With Flinty playing a more withdrawn role we needed to put more pressure on the Solihull back four. So Leah was introduced at the expense of Clarky who along with Sanj was exhausted. Immediately City turned the screw & pushed Solihull back into their own half. With Leah’s dancing feet tying the opposing defenders in knots, City seemed to have an extra man on the pitch as players everywhere suddenly seemed to have time and space. Mochers & Mia were dominating the right hand side & with Flinty & Jo covering every blade of grass, Solihull’s defensive line was looking ragged. A break through seemed inevitable but when it came it was from an unlikely source. Despite having had another impressive game so far Roxy wasn’t the type of player who would strike you as a goalscorer, although she created more than her fair share. Yet out of the blue she turned her marker & made ground down the left beating a covering defender for pace before firing home from the edge of the box with what looked suspiciously like a toe-poke into the far corner. It was a goal worthy of a semi final & the relief was clear for all to see as the players mobbed the goalscorer.

Now City had the bit between their teeth & Leah & Jo in particular were really looking up for it. It took a further 5 minutes for City to extend their lead, after winning another one of the many corners they had won this half. Jo took it from the left and curled it right footed into the danger area where the keeper was caught out of position, as the ball flew over her head and into the roof of the net despite a last ditch effort from a defender to clear.

City now went from strength to strength with Leah pulling the strings as again & again she would beat a defender with her pace or with a trick & put an intelligent pass into someone’s path. She gained the reward she deserved soon after with another superb run, finished off with a dipping shot from just inside the area, which left the keeper clutching at thin air. At 3-0 it was game over & Solihull offered very little in way of a response as the Sky Blues continued to push far more goals. Flinty, Mochers, Roxy, Jo, Leah & Sam Pattinson who had replaced Sanj all had decent opportunities without punishing Solihull. The fourth goal when it came, again came from a well worked move involving four or five players before finding its way to Sams feet 25 yds from goal, from where she unleashed a cracking finish which flew past the keeper before she could move.

City went on to create further chances before the full time whistle, as they finished the half the way they had started it , comfortably in control.

Overall it was an impressive second half display from the girls which has earned them a cup final appearance in April. After an evenly matched first half the final scoreline & ease at which it was achieved was a pleasant surprise. A fantastic team display for the second 45 which reached the heights of some of our early season performances.

Congratulations girls!!!

Team: Gemma Stafford, Mia Charnley, Adele Kenny, Lynn Millbourn, Abbie Strong, Lauren Mochrie, Gemma Clarke, Sanjeet Jaspal, Roxanne Kinsella, Jessie Flint, Joanne Ryan.

Subs Leah O’Loughlin, Jessie Wilson, Sam Pattinson, Sinead Byrne, Stevie Rae Roberts.

Coventry City Girls 3 - 2 Studley Women
League 2/3/08

After last week’s disappointment, a positive result & a confidence boost was the order of the day against Studley. Although they were bottom of the league the girls were warned before kick-off that to take the 3 points for granted would be to do so at their peril. With City missing strikers Joanne Ryan & Leah O’Loughlin through injury, Abbie Strong & Jessie Flint were pressed into emergency action upfront.

The game got underway & yet City still seemed lethargic, as they played into Studley’s hands early on, constantly giving away possession cheaply. The ball was like a hot potato with everyone in Sky Blue seemingly lacking the confidence to get their head up & play a simple pass. Instead they seemed intent on getting the ball forward as quickly & aimlessly as possible. With Studley being a much taller side overall, they simply dealt with everything City threw at them. Then with about 10 minutes gone Studley took a shock lead, which came from a long ball over the top which seemed to be comfortably running through to Gemma Stafford in City’s goal, who came out to claim it. A Studley forward gave chase pursued by Lynn Millbourn. There seemed no danger when all of a sudden Gemma made the fatal mistake of closing her eyes & turning her head away from the ball leaving the forward to toe it past her before running on to the loose ball & side footing it into the empty net. If that was annoying then what followed minutes later was unforgivable. Studley earned a throw deep in City territory & again there looked little danger, as defenders comfortably outnumbered attackers when the throw came in from close to the corner flag, it was left by a couple of City defenders who seemed to turn their backs on the ball, before being picked up by a Studley forward. She drove along the byline without a challenge being made upon her, then as she attempted a shot from a near impossible angle Gemma inexplicably seemed to dive out of the way before the ball found its way inside City’s far post.

Two nil down at home, to the side bottom of the table & without a win all season, was nothing short of disastrous. Studley buoyed by their lead had one or two further half chances. Which if they’d taken would have killed City off. To their credit the girls kept fighting to claw their way back into the game with Flinty & Abs running their socks off up front supported by Lauren Mochrie & Roxanne Kinsella on the flanks. Sanjeet Jaspal & Gemma Clarke battled gamely in the middle of the park. Though City were still struggling to string enough passes together to get in behind the opposition & create a clear cut opportunity. As the half wore on City did begin to dominate proceedings & tested the Studley keeper, but only from long range where the shots failed to cause too many problems. Minutes before the break City finally managed a breakthrough when Mochers combined well with Jo & Sanj before beating her full back. She strode on before delivering a deep cross into the danger area which caught out the keeper & dropped under the bar & into the far corner of the net. It was the stroke of good fortune the Sky Blues had needed & in the final 3 or 4 minutes of the half they pushed Studley deeper & deeper into their own half & came close with shots from Abs & Clarkey.

Half Time SCore: Coventry City Girls 1 – 2 Studley Women

The second half got underway after City’s players had had a verbal dressing down. They were told in no uncertain terms how important the next 45 minutes was in the context of their whole season & that a repeat performance of the first half could destroy everything they had worked for since August.

Straight from kick-off City’s attitude was one of desire & commitment with the girls looking hungry to succeed. They were quicker to the ball & at least were playing with a bit of confidence with Sanj & Clarkey finally getting it wide to Roxy & Mochers, who was having a great game. 10 minutes into the half Leah O’Loughlin was introduced to the fray in place of Jessie Wilson as City went to three at the back in an attempt to force the issue & it was a move that paid off almost instantly as Leah using all of her tricks & turns caused Studley all manor of problems & created goal scoring opportunities for herself & others. Within 10 minutes of her introduction she had a hand in City’s equaliser as she linked well with Mochers & Flinty before the ball found its way into Sanj just outside the Studley area. From there she twisted & turned her way past a couple of defenders before unleashing a right footed effort across the keeper & into the back of the net. So 2 – 2 and City in complete control, all that was needed was a third goal to complete the comeback. Flinty, Sanj, Roxy & Leah all missed good opportunities before Leah finally achieved what she’d been threatening to do for the last 20 minutes, as she latched onto a ball in midfield & beat the first defender, before pushing the ball beyond the back four & beating them for pace. It looked for a moment that she may have pushed it too far ahead, as the keeper raced from her line in an attempt to smother the ball. But Leah was the quicker of the two & just managed to toe the ball beyond the advancing keeper into the net to spark celebrations from the City players. From that point onwards City dominated the remainder of the half apart from a few counter attacks from Studley. Sinead Byrne, who had replaced Sanj after a bout of cramp caused her to seem to start break dancing on the pitch much to the amusement of her fellow players & the City sideline, came closest to increasing the lead with a stunning effort that rattled off the post & bounced back outside the 18yrd box, such was the power of the strike.

Looking back, despite the awful first half hour, it was a cracking come back with the girls responding well to the challenge of being two goals behind, showing strength of character to dig in & force their way back into the game. We must work hard to cut out the individual errors that are causing all our problems these last few games. Its no shame to concede goals from good sides that are well worked or come from a moment of individual brilliance, but we cant afford to keep gifting the opposition one or two goals every game. It also isn’t helping that we seem to start games slower than the opposition every week, game after game no matter what the warm up or preparation the first 20 minutes seem to be a non event with the girls slow to react to anything going on around them on the pitch. With the league title still up for grabs we need to get back to basics & start playing as if we care. COME ON CITY!

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Lynn Millbourn, Abbie Strong, Mia Charnley, Lauren Mochrie, Gemma Clarke, Sanjeet Jaspal, Jessie Flint, Roxy Kinsella

Subs: Leah O’Loughin, Sinead Byrne, Sam Pattinson.

Coventry City Girls 0 - 1 Coundon Court Ladies
League 24/2/08

The point again that concerned me most prior to this fixture was the break between games. Time & again a blank weekend has had a detrimental effect on the side, with the girls seeming heavy legged & putting in below par performances compared to their usual efforts. But with all respect to Coundon we were still confident of bagging another 3 points in our quest for promotion.

The first half started scrappily with neither side putting together any moves of any quality. The majority of the early stages were played out in the middle third with the defences only being put under pressure from the long ball over the top. Both sides battled hard but neither seemed able to gain the upper hand. As the game progressed City began to get to grips with the opposition as Lauren Mochrie & Sam Pattison were seeing more of the ball on the flanks. Joanne Ryan & Sinead Byrne were pressing Coundons back four & and causing errors without really creating a scoring opportunity. Gemma Clarke & Jessie Flint were flying into the tackles in the middle whilst Lynn Milbourn & Abbie Strong were winning the majority of the balls that came their way. While City were edging the game it took almost half an hour before they created their first clear cut opportunity which came when Jo & Mochers linked well on the right before the latter whipped a low cross into the area which flew across the 6yd box evading Spud before falling to Sam at the far post. It looked harder to miss than score yet some how she managed to guide it high & wide. Now the chances began to flow, Jo, Flinty & Spud all had shots on goal but didn’t really test the keeper, Just before half time City had a shout for a penalty when Spud turned her defender & bore down on goal, but instead of taking the shot on early she took too many touches & was closed down by two Coundon defenders & the keeper. As she attempted to finish it seemed as though she was taken out by the defender, but in fact it proved to be a superb last gasp tackle as the defender just got her toe to the ball before Spud, who only connected with the bottom of her boot.

Half time score: Coventry City Girls 0 - 0 Coundon Court Ladies

The second half continued in a similar vein to the first with City dominating possession & creating chance after chance. As time passed a goal from the Sky Blues seemed inevitable as Mochers & Jessie Wilson were all over the opposition down City’s right hand side, and with Flinty becoming literally a pain in Coundon’s neck as she popped up here, there and everywhere. On the hour mark chances where made with Mia Charnley & Sanjeet Jaspal making her debut, in place of Spud & Willo. The Sky Blues continued to control proceedings Jo went clean through on more than one occasion but time & time again hit the keeper with her shot rather than the back of the net. Then out of the blue Coundon took the lead totally against the run of play when a nothing ball led to indecision in the City back line as Lynn & Abs left it to each other as Gemma decided to come then stopped, this ment City old girl Sarah Egan was left with the task of lifting the ball over Gemma from the edge of the box into the empty net. City were shellshocked & immediately piled on the pressure from the kick off. The Sky Blues were creating chances seemingly at will as Sanj took control in the middle and sprayed the ball wide right & left at every opportunity. Flinty ran her socks off whilst Jo was her usual self terrorising the Coundon back line, despite an ankle injury picked up during the first half. Shots rained in on the Coundon goal but everything was straight at the keeper who was in fine form. Roxanne Kinsella came on for Sam in a final throw of the dice. Jo had a further two one on one’s with the keeper but was foiled both times as she hit the keepers body & legs in quick succession.. When the final whistle blew City players dropped to the floor in despair whilst others held their heads in their hands.

After we’d had time to digest the game I knew that this was a result that could come back to haunt us, although to be honest I couldn’t fault the players effort & commitment, they had given me everything I could have asked of them. It had just been one of those days, we could have played till midnight & still would not have scored. Overall it was still 3 points dropped, our Coundon Court jinx had struck again.

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Lynn Millbourn, Abbie Strong, Lauren Mochrie, Jessie Flint, Gemma Clarke, Sam Pattinson, Joanne Ryan, Sinead Byrne.

Subs; Mia Charnley, Sanjeet Jaspal, Roxanne Kinsella, Hayley Smith Walker.

Walsall Development 1 - 2 Coventry City Girls
League 10/2/08

As I mentioned in the last report my only real worry ahead of this critical fixture was that last weeks game had been a little too easy, when a tougher fixture may have proved better preparation for this potential six pointer at the top of the table.

The game got underway with both sides competing fiercely in an attempt to gain the upper hand. The majority of the game was being played in the middle third of the pitch with Gemma Clarke & Jessie Flint instrumental during the early stages. Lauren Mochrie was seeing a lot of the ball down the right hand side, Joanne Ryan & Sinead Byrne looked busy upfront without actually troubling the Walsall keeper. As the game progressed Walsall began to cause more problems & City’s early promise faded. Walsall’s central midfielder took control of the middle & began to make life hard for Clarkey & Flinty. Gemma Stafford in the City goal had more to do as the half wore on ,and on one or two occasions escaped punishment for a couple of minor errors that Walsall’s front runners failed to take advantage of. Walsall were looking more comfortable in possession & started to stroke the ball around confidently. City stopped playing the way we know they can & became embroiled in a physical battle which Walsall were winning comfortably. As the half drew to a close Abbie Strong & Lynn Millbourn were relieved for the break from the aerial assault that had become the feature of the last 20minutes.

Half time score: Walsall Development 0 – 0 Coventry City Girls

After a half time team talk in which the emphasis was all about getting the ball down & playing football in areas in which we can hurt the opposition & making sure we were first to every first & second ball, the girls came out with a remarkably different attitude to the game. Although Walsall were physically a much bigger & stronger side, City started to compete with them in the 50-50’s & get a foot in more often than not. Jessie Wilson & Mochers were having some success on the right whilst Adele Kenny & Roxanna Kinsella were more involved on the opposite flank. The game was fast becoming an intriguing contest with Walsall probably just shading it in terms of possession but City playing some good stuff & creating the more clear cut opportunities. Walsall also created their far share of opportunities but City were defending resolutely with the skipper Abbie leading by example winning every tackle & every header that came her way. With the game still poised at 0 – 0 changes were made to try & shake things up with Sam Pattinson & Mia Charnley replacing Spud & Willo, this allowed Flinty to play alongside Jo & added a little more pace & movement up front, as the game entered the final 10minutes a goalless draw looked the most obvious outcome with both sides playing well but defending well also, and Gemma in City’s goal making some fine stops to keep the Sky Blues in contention. Then out of the blue City made the breakthrough against the run of play. After another spell of Walsall pressure City managed to clear the danger, and after winning the 50-50 ball in midfield Clarkey helped the ball onto Flinty who directed it over the top of the Walsall back line & into the path of Jo who just got to the ball ahead of the advancing keeper & lifted it over her, then ran onto poke the ball into the empty net. City celebrated as if they’d won the league there & then but the celebrations were shortlived as with only 6minutes remaining Walsall drew level when they made inroads down the City left & forced their way to the byline, before whipping in a dangerous ball towards the near post. The cross was left inexplicably by both Lynn & Abs, maybe Gemma had called for it maybe not, but whatever happened it meant the ball flying into the 6yrd box to be guided home by a Walsall forward. Now Walsall celebrated as if they’d won the title but this see saw battle hadn’t ended & 3minutes later City shocked their hosts to take the lead for the second time with Jo scoring a crucial winner which was a mirror image of her first as she again latched onto a ball over the top to end up one on one with the keeper. Again she kept a calm head to side foot the ball home from close range & notch a vital strike that may be crucial in a few months time. The game ended with Walsall pushing for another equalizer but coming up short with City defending for their lives.

On reflection the three points picked up today could prove to be absolutely vital in the promotion shake up at the end of the season. This was a fantastic performance from the girls who fought tooth & nail to stay on level terms against a strong Walsall side who were unlucky to end up with nothing to show for a determined display. Abbie Strong was immense at the heart of City’s back four & put in her best performance so far in a Sky Blue shirt. The other plusses were great showings from Gemma Stafford, Lynn Millbourn, Gemma Clarke & Joanne Ryan with everyone else also putting in a full shift to achieve the required result. Keep it up City!

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Abbie Strong, Lynn Millbourn, Lauren Mochrie, Roxanne Kinsella, Gemma Clarke, Jessie Flint, Joanne Ryan, Sinead Byrne.

Subs: Sam Pattinson, Mia Charnley, Leah O’Loughin, Haley Smith Walker.

Redditch United 0 - 9 Coventry City Girls
Open Cup 3/2/08

After last weeks collapse against Aston Villa. We were glad to have the opportunity to put things right seven days later, rather than have to wait weeks for a fixture. Although Redditch were lower league opposition we knew we had to show them the appropriate respect or risk another humiliating result.

Due to the nature of the opposition & some poor performances in recent games a few changes were made to the starting line up with Sinead Byrne & Stevie Rae Roberts given a start whilst Roxanne Kinsella was given another chance to impress. City got the game underway & early on it was quite obvious that Redditch were not really going to pose too many problems to the City backline as the majority of the game was being played in the Redditch half of the pitch. The opening 10 to 15 minutes were played out with City in complete control without really creating a clear cut opportunity. The opening goal was when it came opened the floodgates as City scores 7 times in the remaining 30 minutes before half time. Jessie Flint got the ball rolling with a tap in from 6yrds after a goalmouth scramble which followed an insuring corner from Joanne Ryan. Jo made it two from a free kick on the left hand edge of the penalty area. Which she bent into the top far corner of the net. She doubled her tally minutes later, before Roxy opened her account for the season with a fine volleyed finish from Stevie’s right wing cross. Spud made it five with an excellent finish from outside the box into the roof of the net. Before Jo completed her hat tick with another superb strike from distance into the top corner. Flinty completed the first half demolition job poking home a loose ball inside the box.

Half time score: Redditch United 0 – 7 Coventry City Girls During half time I reminded the side of that they had a perfect opportunity to play football for the next 45 minutes & use it almost as a training session rather tan relying on the ball over the top, which while it was proving effective was taking the thought process out of our game. The midfielders were missing out on an opportunity to get the ball down & play whilst the back four would benefit from playing the ball around rather than just launching it forwards. Due to this the second half whilst not producing the goals of the first was more pleasing on the eye as the girls took the information on board & played with more width & confidence in their own passing ability. Stevie & Roxy & later Sam Pattinson were seeing more of the ball & Flinty & Clarkey were looking Busier in the middle. With half an hour remaining Clarkey was replaced by Sam with the next weeks clash with Walsall in mind & Leah O’Loughin replaced Spud. Leah was soon involved & had 3 or 4 great opportunities to notch but seemed to be trying to hard to score. Roxy was replaced by Hayley Smith Walker to introduce fresh legs on the left, & looked eager to get involved & nearly scored her first of the season but glanced her header wide of the target. Jo Finally increased City’s lead with about 15minutes to go, again finishing brilliantly from 35yards out bending her shot around & over the keeper from the right hand side & into the left hand corner of the net. Leah completed the rout 10minutes from time side footing past the keeper from 12yards after good work again from Jo who got to the byline before pulling the ball back into Leah’s path.

On reflection it was an impressive display from City. As the old saying goes you can only beat what’s put in front of you. The result disguises the fact the Redditch battled well & never gave up trying, they were a credit to themselves & their backroom staff. The Sky Blues needed the chance to put last weeks poor performance behind them. And this result should help the restore some confidence. Through to be brutally honest I would have preferred a tougher game to prepare the side mentally & physically for next weeks six pointer at Walsall.

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenney, Abbie Strong, Lynn Millbourn, Roxanne Kinsella, Stevie Rae Roberts, Gemma Clarke, Jessie Flint, Joanne Ryan, Sinead Byrne.

Subs: Leah O’Loughin, Lauren Mochrie, Sam Pattinson, Hayley Smith Walker, Mia Charnley.

Coventry City Girls 0 - 5 Aston Villa
County Cup 27/1/08

Due to the unfortunate postponement of last weeks game we found the cup tie with Aston villa moved to today & only due to a lot hard work over the past 48hours on the pitch by Blair Frew, Paul Kenny & myself, was the game able to take place at all due to the harsh weather conditions of the past few weeks. So a big thank you first to everybody who gave up their free time to help out.

City got the game underway playing a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to stifle the villa midfielders, who we knew after a recent scouting mission, liked to dictate the game. With Gemma Clarke, Sian Jenkinson & Jessie Flint in the middle City were hoping to upset their opponents & take control of the game. During the early stages Villa began to show their quality & city struggled to get a foothold. The sky blues battled gamely & no one could doubt their workrate but with Villa decidedly quicker & stronger city were finding it hard to get out of their own half. Adele Kenney & Jessie Wilson were finding it hard going against the Villa wingers, whilst centre half’s Abbie Strong & Lynn Millbourn were under constant bombardment. With Joanne Ryan looking isolated upfront City were struggling to hold onto the ball long enough to cause villa any real problems. City were defending well & survived a few scares as the pressure mounted. They held out for 15 minutes until a free kick was awarded to villa 25 yards from City’s goal. The ball was delivered into the danger area & cleared away from goal out towards the left hand corner of City’s box were a Villa forward latched onto it & made her way around to the D without a serious challenge before unleashing a swerving shot through a mass of bodies & into the bottom left corner of City’s net with Gemma Stafford unsighted. It was a goal Villa deserved after constant early pressure. Within minutes things got worse for City when influential midfielder Sian Jenkinson fell awkwardly after challenging for an arial ball. Unfortunately a knee injury brought a premature end to her afternoon, as she was carried from the pitch in obvious pain & replaced by Leah O’Loughin. For the remainder of the half City coped admirably with a Villa onslaught but a second goal seemed inevitable. On 35th minute Villa were reduced to 10 men when Leah made a rash tackle from behind on a defender who reacted by jumping up & shoving her in the chest with the two players face to face, the situation looked as if it could get worse but Villa’s skipper admirably intervened to calm things down. The ref then decided to show red card to the Villa defender for the reaction and then showed Leah a yellow card for the poor tackle. City held out until the 45th minute mark & looked as if they would reach half time with just one goal deficit. But a rash decision injury time by Gemma in the City goal gifted Villa a second goal, as she came out for a ball that with hindsight she would have left the defenders to deal with. A long ball was aimed towards the Villa forwards from halfway but seemed to be covered by Abbie, Lynn & Adele until Gemma came & failed to make contact & left the Villa striker with the easy task of putting the ball into the empty net.

Half time score: Coventry City Girls 0 - 2 Aston Villa

At half time I tried to impress upon the girls that they could still come out of this with their heads held high. They just needed to believe in themselves & want the result more than the opposition. They were told that concentration was vital from the kick-off as a third for Villa would be game over, the next goal was massively important.

The second half kicked off & to be fair City started well, the challenges were flying in & headers were being won. Though it wasn’t to last long as 3 minutes into the half Villa broke down City’s left & swung in an early ball which was tucked away at the far post only for the lineman’s flag to rule it out. City thought they had escaped but within a minute it was 3 – 0 as players went to sleep at the back. After another break down City’s left which ended with the Villa forward in possession on the edge of the City area again no real challenge was made as she was allowed to wriggle away from the attention of the two defenders before turning and comfortably placing the ball beyond Gemma into the Corner of City’s net. City now started to look ragged as Villa began to dictate the game as City players allowed their opponents far to much time on the ball to pick out their passes. Villa were just physically fitter & mentally sharper than City with them winning almost every tackle & every first & second ball. To their credit the Sky Blues kept working without any real reward. Villa were comfortably in control as the 4th & 5th goals came. Whilst numerous chances were squandered, Roxanne Kinsella & Sinead Byrne were introduced into the fray for the exhausted Clarkie & Sam Pattinson but the game was beyond reach & without the superb athleticism of Gemma in City’s goal the score could have been embarrassing.

On reflection City were outplayed by their illustrious opponents, but the fact that they were playing Northern Premier League oppositions & had reached the quarter finals of the B.C.F.A.s Major cup competition at the first time of asking should not be overlooked. Since the first toe against Leamington in which the girls caused a major upset the County Cup Adventure had produced wins at Racing Warwick & Warwick University. So overall the girls should be congratulated for a superb achievement. This game was just one step too far for the young side who have has a glimpse of the standard they need to achieve to become a force in woman’s football.

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenney, Abbie Strong, Lynn Millbourn, Lauren Mochrie, Jessie Flint, Sian Jenkinson, Gemma Clarke, Sam Pattison, Joanne Ryan.

Subs: Roxanne Kinsella, Leah O’Loughin, Stevie Roberts, Sinead Byrne, Haley Smith Walker.

Coundon Court Ladies 2 -2 Coventry City Girls
League 13/1/08

After a period of seven weeks without a competitive fixture, the question that needed answering was whether the girls could pick up where they left off in November, or would they be rusty & need time to rediscover their early season form. City were also missing Gemma Clarke though illness, Sam Pattinson & Sinead Byrne away, Stevie Rae Roberts & Haley Smith Walker unavailable. This left the squad down to the bare bones with Mia Charniey a reluctant substitute after a recent neck & back trouble. The starting line up also included Lauren Mochrie who was carrying a knock after coming off second best in a tussle with a flight of stairs. On a positive note we were pleased to welcome new signing Lynn Millbourn to the side who was making her competitive debut.

The game started amid difficult conditions with a blustery wind blowing across the pitch making life difficult for both sides. The early exchanges saw a confident Coundon side getting their foot in & stopping city from putting more than one or two passes together. The majority of play was situated in the middle third of the pitch with neither keeper being seriously tested. Chances were few & far between, with City seeming to have the majority of possession but Coundon creating more dangerous opportunities. Midway through the half Coundon took the lead when a shot was blocked by Gemma Stafford after which a goalmouth scramble ensued which ended when a Coundon forward hit a shot on the turn goalwards, the effort was heading five to ten yards wide of the target until Jessie Wilson doing her utmost to block the shot, only ended up deflecting it off her knee and into the opposite corner past a helpless Gemma into City’s goal. The remainder of the half continued in a midfield battle with both sides struggling to put passes together & ended with Coundon a goal to the good, despite City’s best efforts.

Half time score: Coundon Court 1 – 0 Coventry City

After a half time telling off City came out with a more determined attitude, from the kick off Jessie Flint & Sian Jenkinson upped the tempo & began to dominate against their Coundon counterparts. Leah O’Loughlin & Joanne Ryan upfront for City began to pick out team mates, rather than the opposition & looked more likely to cause problems. Lauren Mochrie & Roxanne Kinsella were using what little width was available backed up by Willo & Adele Kenny. City were making headway down the flanks but all to often the final ball was lacking, and foul throws were becoming an embarrassing side show. Jessie Flint was superb in the middle with her passion & desire clear for all to see but still City lacked the finesse & creativity to unlock the Coundon back line. At the hour mark City boss James Goodwin decided to change things around by replacing Lynn Millbourn with Mia Charniey & switching to a 3-5-2 formation with Mia becoming the extra body in midfield to free Jessie Flint & Sian Jenkinson so they could make more of a contribution going forward. The switch paid dividends as City took the game by the scruff of the neck, Jo & Leah should have made more of opportunities presented to them before City gained the equaliser they were pushing for.

Again Jo found herself one on one with the Coundon keeper who did brilliantly to smother her shot & push the ball wide only for Sian Jenkinson to follow up & drive the ball home expertly from a tight angle. The goal gave City a lift & they pushed for a winner, chances came & went with Jo, Mochers, Roxy & Leah all going close, then with ten minutes to go, against the run of play a clearance from a Coundon defender was missed by three City players who all seemed to swing & miss. The ball was seized upon by a Coundon forward who strode on to place the ball past the exposed Gemma Stafford. The goal was a hammer blow to City but within seconds they were level again as the ball was won by Leah wide on the left who then drove it across the pitch attempting to switch the play, the ball was read by Jo who took the ball superbly in her stride to break away from the Coundon defenders & drive towards goal before confidently hammering the ball past the keeper. It was no more than she deserved after working tirelessly all afternoon with little reward. For the remaining few minutes City pressed hard for a winner & the final whistle came too soon as far as the Sky Blues were concerned.

Overall a draw was probably a fair result with both teams battling hard in difficult conditions City had by far the better opportunities but a poor final ball & lacklustre finishing cost them dear. To be completely honest though the lack of fixtures in the last couple of months have proved to be the Achilles heel in our season, with the teams form suffering due to a lack of competitive games. Its hard for the girls to stay sharp & focused, when training week in week out without any matches to put what they’ve learnt into practice. It’s a problem that needs to be sorted out by the powers that be to help all teams at all levels & age groups to progress. Bring on the Villa!

Coventry City Girls 2 - 1 Birmingham Medics
Open Cup 25/11/07

With two wins from our last two fixtures, we were very confident of a positive outcome from this our first home game since Oct 21st & our first visit to our new surroundings at Floyds Fields. With players filtering back from injury & leave’s of absence the squad was almost back to full strength with Leah O’Loughlin (back strain) & Hayley Smith Walker (illness), the only absentees.

Birmingham got the game underway & looked from the early exchanges to be in a lot better shape since the last time the two sides met. They were a lot more organised, strong in the tackle & playing some good football when the opportunity arose. With City matching them in every department, a very close game looked on the cards. As the game developed City created by far the better chances on goal, with clear cut opportunities for Sam Pattinson x2, Joanne Ryan, Sian Jenkinson & Lauren Mochrie as well as half chances for Sinead Byrne, Jo & Sam being wasted, it wasn’t inconceivable that City could & should have gone into the break with a 3 or 4 goal advantage, with Birmingham for all their impressive approach play having failed to seriously trouble Gemma Stafford in City’s goal.

Half time acore: Coventry City 0 - 0 Birmingham Medics

City kicked off the second half & seemed to be quicker to the ball from the start, with the 50-50’s being won & also winning the second ball as well. Mochers & Jessie Wilson were combining well down the right with Sian & Gemma Clarke starting to dominate the midfield battle. Sian was particularly impressive winning challenge after challenge & using the ball well. Abbie Strong was excellent at the back & seemed to be everywhere cutting out long balls, intercepting passes & generally winning everything that came her way setting a captain’s example to others around her. With Mia Charnley, Adele Kenny & Willo following her lead Birmingham were largely restricted to long range efforts at goal. Going forward City looked hungry, upping the tempo of the game & chasing & harrying Birmingham in possession. Spud & Jo led from the front with City’s midfielders working their socks off to create an opening to provide the breakthrough. When it came it was well worked with Adele, Sian & Clarkey working hard to win the ball initially before it was played out to Sam on the left, she beat the full back & drove a low cross into the area. It was met by Jo at the near post who controlled with her chest & in the same movement turned to fire home across the keeper & into the far corner. It was no more than City deserved & within 5 mins they had doubled their advantage when after a period of concerted pressure Jessie Flint who had replaced the exhausted Clarkey was tripped on the right hand side of the area. From the resulting free kick Jo whipped the ball into the danger area where it was met by Sian, who volleyed home superbly under pressure from 6yards out. After the 2nd goal Roxanne Kinsella & Stevie Rae Roberts replaced Spud & Sam as City looked to consolidate their position. Birmingham were struggling to contain the Sky Blues as the wide players & the full backs were combining well to get in behind the back four time & again. Then out of the blue Birmingham pulled a goal back, when after another midfield scrap Flinty lost out to a Navy blue shirt. The ball bounced forward & was half cleared but only as far as the Birmingham midfielder who had initially won the ball. Without a second thought she hit a fierce shot from 25yards which dipped over Gemma & into the top corner. After that City created further chances for Sian, Flinty & Jo who missed a sitter after good work from Mochers & Willo down the right & Stevie who controlled well inside the 6yard box & shielded the ball before intelligently rolling it into the path of Jo who blazed over from 12yards. At the final whistle City celebrated a hard fought & well earned victory against a Birmingham side who have improved immensely so far this season & were a credit to themselves.

Overall it was a very pleasing performance from the side, the workrate & effort was second to none & quality individual display’s from Sian, Jo & Abbie were the icing on the cake. Well done girls !

Team : Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Mia Charnley, Abbie Strong, Lauren Mochrie, Sian Jenkinson, Gemma Clarke, Sam Pattinson, Sinead Byrne, Joanne Ryan. Subs : Roxanne Kinsella, Jessie Flint, Stevie Rae Roberts.

Racing Club Warwick 2 - 6 Coventry City Girls
County Cup 18/11/07

We knew after last weeks poor first half display that Racing would come at us early on, thinking an upset would be possible. After we gifted them two goals in 10mins, we knew they would be confident that they could repeat last weeks display & take it a step further. Jessie Flint was missing from the side but was adequately replaced by Gemma Clarke returning from injury. Hayley Smith Walker was also out of action due to a brief spell in hospital. Everyone involved with the club wishes her a speedy recovery.

The first half was exactly the opposite to last week with City starting well in control, with challenges flying in from all angles & the game being played at a fast pace. This suited City rather than Warwick so when City went behind it was more of a shock this week rather than expected. The goal when it came, came out of nothing with City defending well with Sian Jenkinson, Lauren Mochrie, Jessie Wilson & Mia Charnley winning header after header as Racing attempted to make progress down City’s right hand touchline. The ball was cleared to halfway but came straight back, everything seemed under control as Abbie Strong had it covered but at the vital moment she lost concentration & missed the ball completely as she attempted to clear. A Racing forward latched onto the loose ball & squared it across the 18yard box where it was dispatched clinically past Gemma Stafford by a Racing striker. Again conceding seemed to have an adverse affect on the Sky Blues as confidence drained from the side & all shape & cohesion disappeared. The ball became a hot potato again and Racing grew in confidence. With Leah O’Loughlin struggling with a back injury, City couldn’t hold onto possession long enough to create any worthwhile efforts on goal. Leah was constantly caught offside & her stunning hat trick last week became a distant memory. The half time whistle when it came was a relief as it gave me the opportunity to make changes & lift the side.

Half Time Score: Racing Club Warwick 1 - 0 Coventry City Girls

At half time Leah was replaced by Sinead Byrne, whom I told to work alongside Joanne Ryan up front & not give the defenders any time on the ball. To be honest I knew she was capable of scoring & causing problems for the defenders but even I never expected the impact she would go on to have upon the game. City started the half superbly and started to use the ball well bringing Mochers & Sam Pattinson into the game. Spud closed down the defenders in possession & made life for them generally a lot more difficult. Without the time on the ball we had allowed them in the first half, we exposed their frailties & made them look ordinary. A goal seemed imminent but when it arrived it took everyone by surprise including the goalscorer herself, Spud. Again she won the ball off the defender by chasing & harrying & forcing an error. But instead of playing it simple which she’d done exceptionally well so far, she opted for a shot at goal from all of 30-35yards out. The ball left her right foot & arrowed into the top corner leaving the keeper with no chance whatsoever. It was a stunning strike & gave the whole side a lift. Within minutes it was 2-1 when Jo won the ball just inside the Racing half, she nodded it forward past her marker & set off at full pelt with the ball at her feet on a bending run that left the Racing back four trailing in her wake, before sidefooting past the onrushing keeper for another quality City goal. With City back in front things seemed a little more comfortable, yet within minutes Racing had pulled themselves back level. They won a free kick 30yards from goal & Gemma in City’s goal set up her wall & looked to have things covered when unfortunately from the resulting shot at goal she miscalculated the flight of the ball & it flew into the top corner as she left it thinking it was going wide. For a few seconds I was concerned as I remembered how the side had reacted to conceding goals in recent weeks & thought they may again have another mad 10-15min spell but in fact the opposite happened. From the restart City kept possession & the ball found its way to Spud up front who raced away from the Racing back four & slotted the ball beyond the keeper & into the bottom right hand corner of the net. This goal effectively knocked the stuffing out of Racing & City continued to dominate. Jo scored a fourth when good work from Mochers on the right led to a cross cum shot which Jo finished off from a couple of yards out. Roxanne Kinsella came close moments later after coming on for Clarkey, as she broke away again after good work from Spud & Jo to force a great save from the keeper who tipped over. A fifth followed shortly afterwards as Racing fell apart, Jo again finishing brilliantly to complete her hat trick, lobbing the keeper from another breakaway. City completed the rout minutes from time as Jo again added to her tally after great build up play down the left hand side involving Adele Kenny, Sam & Roxy led to a cross coming into the area which Spud challenged the keeper for & won the ball. But instead of trying for her hat trick she unselfishly picked out Jo unmarked 12yards out who swept the ball home. 6-2 was an impressive score line considering how things looked at halftime, it could have been more with Sian & Spud both missing great chances during the half.

Overall we have to be pleased with the result, but we still need to be able to produce the second half performance over 90 minutes. So far this season apart from Walsall away our 2nd half performances have been excellent but our first half showings have been decidedly average. We need to become more consistent before we can expect to be talked about when it comes to winning trophies. On the plus side excellent individual performances from Jo, Spud, Sam, Mochers & Sian were a welcome relief. With Mia, Adele, Abbie & Jessie again impressive at the back. Clarkey came through the game with no reaction to her injury with a solid performance & Roxy looked hungry upon her introduction. Also Gemma in goal apart from one error seemed to be regaining her confidence which had seemed to be waining after conceding so many goals in recent weeks. With an opportunity for revenge next week away at Walsall the girls should feel confident in their ability to achieve a positive result.

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Abbie Strong Mia Charnley, Lauren Mochrie, Sian Jenkinson, Gemma Clarke, Sam Pattinson, Joanne Ryan, Leah O’Loughlin.
Subs: Sinead Byrne, Roxanne Kinsella.

Racing Club Warwick 2 - 3 Coventry City Girls
League 11/11/07

After last weeks poor performance, we were grateful for the opportunity to put the record straight sooner rather than later. We were strengthened by the return to fitness of Jessie Flint & Sian Jenkinson in midfield & Sam Pattison on the left flank. With next week’s fixture a repeat of this one in the county cup, it would be an interesting opportunity to gauge the level of opposition.

City started the game at a pedestrian pace with Warwick first to the ball during the early exchanges. Despite the pre match talk the girls seemed to still be suffering a hangover from last week’s collapse at Walsall. With Sian & Flinty struggling to adapt to the pace of the game, Warwick were able to string passes together without a challenge upon them which was not acceptable. City’s back line appeared nervous & clearances were being made without any thought or direction giving possession back to the opposition. A lack of communication was becoming obvious as players were leaving tackles to each other instead of taking responsibility. The first goal when it came, was a surprise as Leah O’Loughin took advantage of some sloppy defending from Racing to sidestep the keeper & slot home comfortably. But this proved to be a false dawn with City’s inconsistencies coming back to haunt them. Within minutes Racing had equalised when a ball into the box from the left hand side bobbled around dangerously with attempts to clear it proving inadequate, the ball fell to a Racing forward who prodded goalwards the shot didn’t appear too dangerous but a deflection off a city defender sent it into the bottom right hand corner of the net with City keeper Gemma Stafford going in the opposite direction. This gave Racing belief that they may get something from the game & within minutes they doubled their tally with City again failing to clear effectively or get in a challenge, which left the forward with an opportunity to score which she took easily to fire past Gemma. For the next 10 minutes City were in disarray with the ball being treated like a hot potato & the lack of confidence within the side was blatantly obvious. As a manager with the side struggling, you are looking for someone to step up to the plate & lead by example, certain players like Abbie Strong, Joanne Ryan or Sian who are stronger characters, so when Mia Charnley took the game by the scruff of the neck & got the side going again, to say it was surprising was an understatement. Mia was playing out of position at centre half but whilst having a steady game so far she hadn’t stood out. But with 15 minutes of the first half remaining. She upped her game & won challenge after challenge each time winning the ball & using it quickly and effectively, her effort and determination gave the whole side a lift. City started to take control, Lauren Mochrie & Jessie Wilson were making inroads down the right with Sam Pattison & Adele Kenny getting forward on the left, Sian & Flinty started to get a foothold in midfield & the whole side upped the tempo of the game. Halftime came too early as far as City were concerned, with them ending it firmly in control.

Half Time Score: Racing Warwick 2 - 1 Coventry City

City kicked off the second period after a verbal rollicking at half time. With the point being forced home that we needed to play at a faster pace, with the throw ins & free kicks etc being taken quickly. This advice was taken in by the side who were winning the 50-50’s & moving the ball early, using the width at every opportunity. Chances were created more frequently with Jo & Leah causing problems. Mochers was playing well & had the beating of the full back, whilst Sam was combining with Adele & Leah down the left. With City being in control the only thing missing was an equalising goal. City’s approach play was impressive at times but Racing’s keeper had still not been seriously tested. Mia was superb at the back, with Abbie starting to play like we know she can, whilst Willo & Adele were solid in their full back roles. With Leah drifting in & out of the game & Flinty tiring a change was needed, but before the opportunity arose Leah took it upon herself to turn the game on its head with another one of her moments of individual brilliance. Picking the ball up on the left near the corner flag she beat the first defender with a step over drove into the box before beating two more. With everyone on the sideline praying for her to cross it or pick out another Sky Blue shirt she dropped the shoulder jinked to her right & delivered a perfect finish to the joy of her team mates. Back on level terms City flooded forward searching for a winner; Sinead Byrne replaced Flinty & played as a forward as we switched to a 4-3-3 in an attempt to force the issue. With 5 minutes remaining Leah produced the Coup de gras, when after a long ball from Jo she found herself one on one with the keeper, who she lifted the ball over with ease to complete her hat trick. City could have increased their lead in the dying seconds when a superb cross from Jo flew across the face of goal, with Spud literally inches from heading in.

In conclusion City got out of jail when a poor first half hour almost cost them the game. The friendly result at W.B.A along with last week’s capitulation at Walsall has obviously affected confidence within the side. Again players were afraid to make a mistake which meant no one taking responsibility to deal with defensive situations, which in turn led to forwards running unchallenged at goal. Also our failure to clear our lines convincingly with attempted clearances travelling 5-10 yards rather then 30 or 40, caused untold pressure on ourselves. But on a positive note this can all be worked on in training. Also the performance in the second half, particularly from Mia who was just edged out of the man of the match award by a superbly taken hat trick from Leah, was most pleasing. She looked a ready made replacement for the departed Sam Smyth & if she keeps up that level of performance she’ll prove to be an outstanding asset to the club. Mochers & Sam were both influential on the flanks with Sian, Flinty & Jo again running their hearts out for the cause. Hopefully having turned this game around the players will believe in themselves again & can continue their revival in the County Cup fixture next Sunday.

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Abbie Strong, Mia Charnley, Lauren Mochrie, Sian Jenkinson, Jessie Flint, Sam Pattison, Joanne Ryan, Leah O’ Loughlin. Subs: Sinead Byrne, Roxanne Kinsella, Hayley Smith Walker.

Walsall Development 4 - 0 Coventry City Girls
League Shield 4/11/07

Without trying to sound like we’re fishing for excuses, we knew this would be a very tough fixture, as there was not a lot to choose between the sides when we met at the end of September. A massive factor on the outcome of this game would be how City would cope with the loss of four of our six recognised midfielders, with Gemma Clarke, Sian Jenkinson and Sam Pattinson injured and Jessie Flint unavailable for personal reasons. Also the loss of centre half Sam Smyth who has left the club, which was a huge blow. This meant a major shake up of the side with players having to play out of position for the good of the team.

The conditions for the game looked as though they may play a part, with a thick fog blanketing the pitch at kick off. Both dies started well and early on it was obvious that there wasn’t a lot of difference between the two sides. Walsall probably edged the early exchanges as their strength overpowered City’s makeshift midfield with Coventry second to the ball too often for my liking. Otherwise Joanne Ryan and Jessie Wilson battled gamely without really being able to take control of the midfield. City attempted to use the width as often as possible with Lauren Mochrie seeing a lot of the ball amiably backed up by Mia Charnley, who was also just returning to the side after injury. On the opposite flank Roxanne Kinsella and Adele Kenny did their best to get forward but were constantly pushed back and forced to concentrate on their defensive duties. City were struggling to hold onto the ball long enough to create any worthwhile goal scoring opportunities. This meant that possession was all too often gifted back to Walsall.

During the half City’s injury curse struck again as Mochers laid a ball off to Mia, which was underhit, but to Mia’s credit she attacked the ball and got there first, but was caught heavily by the advancing attacker. Although she continued till after the hour mark it proved too painful to continue and brought a premature end to her game. Also Stevie Rae Roberts was struggling upfront with a mystery leg injury that was hampering her movement. Walsall continued to edge the half and created a couple of worrying moments inside the City penalty area. With city’s only real threat to the Walsall goal coming from the direct running of Leah O’Loughlin. Half time came with neither side having troubled the opposition keeper, and the outcome of the tie still up in the air.

Half timne score: Walsall Development 0 - 0 Coventry City Girls

As the girls were sent out for the second half their mood was still upbeat and they were confident in their ability to get a positive result. The half started in the same view as the first, with both sides competing well but struggling to string together two or three passes at a time. When the breakthrough came it was a lack of concentration that cost City dear. After a City break was halted Walsall broke down the City left and delivered a cross which was dealt with but as the back four pushed out, a deflection led to the ball bouncing back into the path of the Walsall forward. With defenders asking fir offside the forward strode on and finished confidently past the exposed Gemma Stafford in City’s goal.

Suddenly the confidence was flooding through the home side who started to dominate the game entirely. City looked as if they were chasing shadows as Walsall moved the ball quickly and intelligently. Although City skipper Abbie Strong tired her utmost to keep things together at the back, City’s shape fell to pieces in a 15 minute spell that saw them concede a further three times. As Walsall runners were left unmarked to finish off opportunities that they had created during this period Mia and Roxy were replaced by Hayley Smith Walker and Sam Pattinson who was particularly impressive considering she was struggling with an injury. Jessie dropped in at right back, Adele moved to centre half and Sinead Bryne moved forward into midfield, as City desperately tried to salvage some pride. To be fair City looked the side more likely to score during the final 15 minutes, as Spud Caused problems in midfield and Jo and Leah worked hard to create openings. The two combined well to come close late on as Leah won the ball and cleverly backheeled the ball into the path of Jo who hit a first time shot which flew narrowly wide. There were further half chances for Jo, Hayley and Spud without reward. When the final whistle blew City knew they had let themselves down during a period in which they lacked the fight and spirit to get themselves back into the game. Heads went down and players looked to blame each other instead of accepting responsibility.

Overall they shouldn’t be too disheartened, it wasn’t the greatest display but there were still positives to take from the game. They cannot expect to go through the season without the odd upset and disappointment. Remember the true measure of a good side is how they respond to a setback, so bring on Racing Warwick next week, and a chance to put this result behind us!

Team: Gemma Stafford, Mia Charnley, Adele Kenny, Abbie Strong, Sinead Byrne, Lauren Mocherie, Jessie Wilson, Joanne Ryan, Roxanne Kinselle, Stevie Rae Roberts, Leah O’Loughlin. Subs: Sam Pattinson, Hayley Smith Walker

Coventry City Girls 2 - 1 Leamington Lions
County Cup 21/10/07

After a weekend without a fixture there were concerns within the city camp that this may cause a problem for the sky blues in what was expected to be their toughest test of the season so far. With three players missing through holidays and one or two struggling with niggling injuries the squad was looking slightly depleted with no attacking options available from the bench.

Leamington got the game underway and looked an accomplished and confident side during the early exchanges. City struggled at first to compete physically with their bigger and stronger opponents, but gradually gained a foothold in the game. City were playing in a new 4-5-1 formation to stifle the opposition and make use of an extra body in midfield, which was flexible and changed to a 4-3-3 when in possession with Leah O’Loughlin and Lauren Mochrie joining Joanne Ryan at every opportunity. After struggling to get to grips with their new shape City started to make use of the spare man and began to pass the ball around Leamington, avoiding the physical battle with Leah and Mochers seeing a lot of the ball. The first half was one of few goal scoring opportunities with both sides failing to take advantage of some decent build up play by wasting the final pass or cross and gifting possession back to the other side. When the breakthrough came it came from a mistake from City’s back line as a long ball was firstly cut out, but failure to clear their lines cost them dearly. As Adele Kenny and Abbie Strong both had opportunities to clear but failed to connect convincingly enough and the loose ball fell to a Leamington forward, who gleefully prodded goalwards beyond the unsighted Gemma Stafford in City’s goal. The goal was a set back but was even more so an opportunity to see how the girls reacted, as this was the first time this season they found themselves behind and for the next five minutes or so leading to the half time City suddenly upped the pace of the game and caused problems for the Leamington midfield and back four with their pace and movement. It was as if the goal had woken them up and now they had something to fight for, and when the half time whistle came it provided a welcome relief for Leamington and annoying disruption to City.

Half time score: Coventry City Girls 0 - 1 Leamington Lions

City kicked of the second half with a renewed vigour for the game and started at the pace they finished the first half. With Mia Charnley coming on for Leah, that meant Jessie Wilson pushing into the middle and Jessie Flint playing on the left of a front three. City looked hungry to get back in the game and started to create a few half chances with Leamington still looking dangerous on the break. City knew they had to keep their concentration whilst gambling and throwing more players forward. City came closest to equalising just after the hour mark when a corner from the right found its way across goal before it fell to Mochers who was denied a shot, but the ball fell to Jessie and Flinty neither of whom seemed prepared to shoot and the chance was gone. Moments later from another cross field ball Mochers had another opportunity which this time she struck goalwards only to be denied by a blatant hand ball on the line which everyone seemed to see except the one person who mattered most, the referee. This injustice spurred City on the greater things and minutes later a good ball from Flinty, who was again covering every blade of grass for the Sky Blue cause, found Jo one on one with the last defender whom she beat for pace and strode on towards goal. When inexplicably she opted to try her luck from thirty yards rather than take the ball on and slot past the exposed keeper. The shot ending up troubling the keepers back more than the back of the net as she simply bent down to pick up the weak effort. City pushed on with the players giving everything you could ask of them and more, and with fifteen minutes to go Jo finally got her reward for all the work she put in when again she found herself running at the defenders before skipping into the box and being brought down for a penalty. Jo received a damaged ankle for her efforts and required lengthy treatment only to find that because of her injury and the treatment required she wasn’t able to take the kick herself, as she was forced to leave the field of play. This meant Sam Pattinson stepping forward to take the responsibility which she did wonderfully as she dispatched the penalty into the bottom right hand corner past the keepers out stretched left hand. With the game back in the balance chances came and went for both sides with City just probably edging the tie, with the game in a stalemate extra time looked odd on, until with three minutes remaining another fantastic break from City’s midfielders, as Gemma Clarke and Sian Jenkinson battled to win the ball for the umpteenth time, it was knocked forward to Jo who turned and ran at the back four. She was joined by Jessie and Flinty both supporting her to her left, it was three on one. Jo drew the defender and released the perfect pass into Flinty’s path, who was calmness personified as she took one touch to control and another to slide the ball beyond the advancing keeper and inside the far post. Although there were no more than a couple of minutes left on the watch, there was still five or six minutes of injury time to be added on. There were still one or two further chances for City to extend their lead before the final whistle blew. Upon which the girls celebrated as if they had already won the trophy, which was really pleasing as everyone could see how much it meant to them and the fantastic team spirit which has taken them so far in such a short space of time.

Overall, it was a fantastic display of sheer courage, commitment and determination. The character shown after going a goal behind against opposition from leagues above was most pleasing, as many teams may well have folded and been beaten by three or four. The sheer guts the girls showed as many of them were walking wounded, was a fantastic example to anyone watching. They never gave up and fought for each other until the end. I can honestly say I was proud of each and every one of the. Well done girls, keep it up!

Team: Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wlison, Sam Pattinson, Abbie Strong, Adele Kenny, Lauren Mochrie, Sian Jenkinson, Gemma Clarke, Jessie Flint, Leah O’Loughin, Joanne Ryan. Subs: Mia Charnley, Sinead Byrne, Haley Smith Walker.

Birmingham Medics 1 - 7 Coventry City Girls
League Cup 7/10/07

In a game that gave City a break from league action, hopes were high of gaining a result that would see them progress to next stage of the competition. Coach James Goodwin decided to use this fixture to rest one or two players with knocks & niggling injuries & give the fringe players a chance to impress, with eyes on the County Cup competition in a fortnight’s time. So with a bench that included Leah O’Loughlin, Gemma Clarke, Mia Charnley,Sam Pattinson & Sinead Byrne, City’s strength in depth was glaringly obvious.

The game kicked off with City starting with the advantage of the sloping pitch, under instructions to push players on to try to get an early goal the girls took control during the early stages. Joanne Ryan & young Stevie Rae Roberts in a rare start caused early problems with their direct running with Roxanne Kinsella & Lauren Mochrie creating opportunities for them from the flanks. It took a mere 7 or 8 minutes to make the breakthough when good work from Mochers & Jo down the right ended with Jo finding the far bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box, it was a quality strike from distance & set the tone for the remainder of the half. City dominated possession & chances on goal became more frequent & City doubled their lead five minutes later as Stevie took advantage of defensive frailties & an indecisive keeper to fire home. Within two minutes she doubled her tally when pressure from herself & Roxy forced an error from the defender after which Stevie confidently strode on to tuck the ball beyond the keeper. City made it four shortly afterwards as more pressure from the impressive forward line & City midfielders Sian Jenkinson & Jessie Flint forced a succession of corners. One of which after a session of pinball in the box fell to Stevie who gratefully accepted her first hat trick since making the step up from the under 16’s. Birmingham’s back line were in disarray as City applied the pressure, with their lack of match practice becoming obvious. City should have added more to their tally before the end of the half, but failure to pick the right option when they outnumbered the opposition at times, kept the scoreline down to 4 at halftime.

Half Time Score: Birmingham Medics 0-4 Coventry City

Birmingham started the second half stronger then the first & with the help of the sloping pitch caused problems with the long ball as Abbie Strong & Sam Smyth struggled initially to cope with the aerial onslaught. In an attempt to swing the game back in City’s favour Leah O’Loughlin was introduced to the fray for the tiring Stevie who was more than happy with her contribution to the cause. Leah’s fresh legs and dancing feet gave Birmingham some new problems as she took the game to them, yet it was the home side that opened the scoring in the second half. Birmingham broke down City’s left and swung in a tricky cross although with no one in the immediate vicinity there looked no problems, but City keeper Gemma Stafford made an uncharacteristic error & dropped the ball at the feet of an onrushing Medics forward who despite the best efforts of full back Jessie Wilson & Gemma herself to recover the situation managed to loop the ball over everyone into the City net. City substitute Sinead Byrne was tempted to stop the effort on the line with her hand but thankfully thought better of it. Birmingham started to show a bit of character after the goal & pushed on looking for a second though City looked dangerous on the break & after a period of sustained pressure got the fifth goal their efforts had merited. After another spell of intricate football involving 5 or 6 City players down the right the cross into the danger area was cleared but only as far as Flinty who hit a shot from all of 35yds which dipped over the keeper for her first of the season. The goal gave Flinty an obvious lift as she along with Sian took control of the game, in fact its fair to say Flinty was outstanding for the final 20mins & set the standard she should be looking to strive for every game. Leah then decided it was time she got in on the act and scored a spectacular brace, the second of which was a contender for goal of the season when after leaving the back four trailing in her wake she ended up in a one on one situation with the keeper and finished with a sublime chip to round off the scoring in style. City could have added to their tally but Jo, Mochers & Sam Pattinson missed decent opportunites but overall it was a confident & hard working display which earned the deserved result.

Manager James Goodwin now has the enviable task to select a side for the next fixture from an embarrassment of riches, with everyone performing to such a high level the hard part is to decide who to leave out !. The day ended with the presentation of the Player of the Month trophy to young left back Adele Kenny. Congratulations Adele.

Team : Gemma Stafford, Jessie Wilson, Adele Kenny, Abbie Strong, Sam Smythe, Lauren Mochrie, Sian Jenkinson, Jessie Flint, Roxanne Kinsella, Joanne Ryan, Stevie Rae Roberts. Subs : Gemma Clarke, Leah O’Loug