COVENTRY CITY LADIES 2-2 ASTON VILLA LADIES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Ladies were denied their first victory of the season against local rivals Aston Villa with a late goal.
In front of a big crowd at Coventry Sphinx, Mark Phillips' team were on the attack from the start with Villa keeper Rachel Dobbins making a low diving save from a Michelle Hickmott free kick. Dobbins sent a long ball down the field and Shona Franklin raced through to fire wide.
In the eighth minute,a clash left Laura Healy and Kelly Saggs requiring treatment. Both players were able to continue and in the 15th minute,Healy fired over the bar with a 25 yard free kick.
It was Healy who looked the most likely to score and after she had fired wide from a Sarah Marshall pass,the City skipper headed over from an Amanda Whalley free kick.
As scouts from the FA and Birmingham City looked on, Lynsey Bryerton became the first player in referee Terry James book when she was pulled up for a tackle on Natalie Courtney.
Despite their lowly position in the league following midweek victories for Stockport and Manchester City, Coventry were having most of the play.
In the 38th minute,Bryerton set Hickmott free down the right flank. City's recent signing from Fulham got in a shot which Dobbins beat away for a corner.
Four minutes later,another good move saw Amanda Whalley pressure the Villa defence and she found Katy Box who forced Dobbins into a save with a right footed effort from six yards.
Seconds before the interval,Coventry took the lead when Kelly Cartwright saved a long range effort from Courtney. The Sky Blues keeper cleared her lines and some good approach play found Michelle Hickmott who jinked her way into the penalty area and hit a stunning shot which flew into the net from fourteen yards.
Villa almost scored in the first minute of the second period when a shot by Levi Penny hit the bar,as players dived in for the loose ball, Kelly Cartwright was injured and the Sky Blues awarded a free kick.
In the 61st minute, Villa drew levelled when a break down the right saw Natalie Courtney drill a low shot across the face of the goal and in at the far post.
The goal sparked the Sky Blues into life and they had regained their lead within three minutes when an audacious 35 yard effort from Michelle Hickmott flew past the raised right hand of Dobbins and the right hand post and into the goal. Villa claimed that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line but the referee awarded the goal.
Phillips who managed Villa for a spell last season, replaced Emma Lipman and Sarah Marshall with Anna McLeod and fit again Yvette Dolphin.
City were looking good for the victory but Villa had other ideas and started to stretch the City defence. Natasha Lynch and Karen Weston worked miracles at the back but could do nothing as Natalie Courtney was allowed space to thunder a 35 yard shot which flew over Cartwright and into the net.
The Sky Blues who travel to bottom club Middlesbrough on Sunday, were denied a late winner by the crossbar in the 84th minute when Amanda Whalley crashed an eighteen yard shot against the bar and the visitors scrambled the ball away.
Villa had Levi Penny cautioned late on and held on for a point.
Mark Phillips said: "We are not disappointed. If you look they were a team that has come down from the Premiership and we have come up from the Midland Combination and a point from them at home,we are quite happy with.
"We were the better side in the first half,a bit sloppy in the second but overall,we were unlucky not to get three points from the game. "All of the goals were good quality and we have another point out of it and it keeps us going. " We now prepare for Sunday against a Middlesbrough side that may be struggling,but we are going to keep on being positive for as long as we can."
TEAM
Kelly Cartwright,Bryerton,Lipman (McLeod 71),Healy,Lynch,Weston,Whalley,Cartwright, Box (Lockyer 90),Marshall (Dolphin 78),Hickmott. SNU Smith,Baseley