Bristol City Women 2 Sunderland 1

 

📝 REPORT: BRISTOL CITY WOMEN 2-1 SUNDERLAND LADIES

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3RD 2021

Mel Johnson’s penalty and a 40-yard wind-assisted wonder strike from Aimee Palmer secured City three points against Sunderland.

Match Report sponsor: University of the West of England

THE BACKGROUND

City Women head into the game looking to get back to winning ways after the 2-0 defeat to Durham.

Head Coach Lauren Smith makes two changes. Defender Brooke Aspin is back from suspension to replace Naomi Layzell, while there is a change up front with Mel Johnson coming in for Simran Jahmat. Ella Powell also returns to the matchday squad after recovering from a thigh injury.

WHAT HAPPENED

City had the lion’s share of chances in a first half that saw a deluge of rain fall on the Robins High Performance Centre.

Johnson had an early chance to prove her selection worth with a shot from the edge of the box that went wide.

The striker turned provider when she fed Aggie Beever-Jones who took Sunderland keeper Claudia Moan wide but Ava Kuyken couldn’t turn her shot on target. City were edging closer and Aimee Palmer’s ball over top found Beever-Jones but Moan was equal to the effort. 

Harrison then hit the bar from long-range after Johnson’s through-ball and then the striker couldn’t get her rebound from Beever-Jones’ cross on target.

The Robins had to do their fair share of defending with Aspin putting in crunching blocks on Keira Ramshaw and Maria Farrugia.

Johnson had two further chances in the first half, the best falling to her after Harrison’s cut-back but it was gathered low by Moan.

Then teams went in level at the break but City came out firing, Johnson threading a ball through to Cook but she had just strayed offside.

The breakthrough came in the 57th-minute when Johnson flicked the ball up in the box and Grace McCatty was judged to have handled. Johnson coolly dispatched the ball low to beat Moan. 

Seven minutes later Palmer lined up a freekick from 40-yards out and on the left touchline and she lofted the ball high and it travelled beyond Moan to give the Robins a two-goal cushion.

However, it was a nervy final 10 minutes as Charlotte Potts headed in to cut the deficit but City held out.

THE TEAM

City: Bentley, Cataldo, Aspin (Layzell  82), Murray, Morgan (Powell 61), Palmer ©, Kuyken, Cook, Beever-Jones (Woolley 68), Johnson, Harrison (Jhamat 82). Subs (not used): Whitehouse (GK), O’Connor, Bull, Wilde, Greenslade.