From the Bristol City website:
📝 REPORT: BLACKBURN ROVERS LADIES 0-1 BRISTOL CITY WOMEN
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16TH 2022
City Women made it nine games unbeaten with goal-machine Abi Harrison’s 17th-minute strike separating the Robins from Rovers.
The Reds had chances to make it a more comfortable victory but Harrison's 11th goal of the season was enough to secure all three points at the Tom Finney Stadium.
It was a tough encounter and Manager Lauren Smith will also be encouraged with a successive fourth clean sheet.
BACKGROUND
The two sides met in November this season when City put on a dominant display at Ashton Gate to win 3-0 in front of more than 3,000 supporters.
Both teams come into this game off the back of contrasting results, City beating Crystal Palace 5-4 on penalties in the FA Continental Cup and Blackburn conceding six at home to Liverpool.
City were boosted in the week with Aimee Palmer putting pen to paper on a new deal to stay at Bristol City until 2023.
The City skipper will remain in the West Country until the end of the 2022/23 campaign, with the option of a further year if the Robins return to the Barclays FAWSL in that time.
WHAT HAPPENED
City had to defend strongly early on with Ella Powell putting in a strong clearance to deny the home side an opportunity while, moments later, Leah Cataldo shielded the ball well to win a free-kick as Blackburn pressed forward.
Then came the breakthrough in the 17th minute with Harrison’s half-vollley after a scramble in the box from a City corner.
Blackburn had their chances, one falling in the 28th minute to Lauren Thomas who fired over the bar from Megan Hornby’s cross.
Mel Johnson almost doubled the lead in the 33rd minute with a volley after a ball in from the left from Ffion Morgan while Harrison tried a shot from the edge of the box that just went over the bar.
City kept pressing for a second and Chloe Bull hit shot from outside the area that went wide while Harrison is inches away from her second of the afternoon but is flagged for offside.
The Robins came out firing in the second half and after a quality ball in from Morgan on the right which Blackburn put out for a corner Murray takes a shot from the resulting set-piece which goes over.
There was a fair share of defending to do also and Brooke Aspin cleared well as Rovers tried to play Farah Crompton through on goal.
Morgan forced a save from Alex Brooks from the edge of the box, while at the other end, Jordan blasted over from a free-kick.
Chloe Bull nearly had the ball in the back of the net but her shot from just inside the box is saved by Brooks.
Rovers came close to an equaliser in the 71st minute when Hodgson won the ball back and charged into the box before shooting but her shot rolled wide.
City almost grabbed a second when replacement Aggie Beever-Jones hit a shot from the edge of the box which is deflected for a corner and, from the resulting corner, the ball is cleared off the line.
Smith made a double substitution to bring on fresh legs after 80 minutes with Gwen Davies and Izzy Cook replacing Chloe Bull and Morgan.
Fran Bentley proved a safe pair of hands when Amaya Coleman-Evans took aim from distance as City saw the game out.
🏃♀️THE TEAM
City: Bentley, Powell, Aspin (Allen 65), Murray, Cataldo, Morgan (Cook 80), Kuyken (Beever-Jones 56), Palmer (C), C Bull (Davies 80), Johnson, Harrison. Subs not used: Whitehouse, Jhamat, J Bull, Collis, Woolley.
🎥 THE GAFFER'S THOUGHTS
📸 GALLERY
🎥 GOAL-SCORER HARRISON
UP NEXT
City will travel to the Academy Stadium to take on Manchester City in the quarter-final of the FA Continental Cup on Wednesday, January 19th (7pm).
UP NEXT AT HOME
The Robins' next home game is against Charlton Athletic in the FA Championship at the Robins High Performance Centre on Sunday, January 23rd (3pm).
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