MIDDLESBROUGH 3-0 COVENTRY CITY LADIES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Ladies proved that struggling against team's bottom of the table is not a male preserve as they crashed 3-0 at Middlesbrough.
Mark Phillips side got off to the worst possible side when the Sky Blues defence failed to clear their lines and Becky Cartwright was on hand to lash the ball past the City keeper.
With the City players failing to cope with the physical pressure from the North-East club, the Sky Blues were unable to get back into the game.
Coventry City Ladies proved that struggling against team's bottom of the table is not a male preserve as they crashed 3-0 at Middlesbrough.
Mark Phillips side got off to the worst possible side when the Sky Blues defence failed to clear their lines and Becky Cartwright was on hand to lash the ball past the City keeper.
With the City players failing to cope with the physical pressure from the North-East club, the Sky Blues were unable to get back into the game.
The closest they came to a goal was in 17th minute when Michelle Hickmott swung in a free kick,home keeper Aimi Bullen flapped at the ball before a covering defender scrambled the ball away for a corner.
On the stroke of half-time,the Billingham Synthonia based club increased their lead when player of the game Caz Watson burst through and rounded City keeper Kelly Cartwright to fire into an empty net.
Ten minutes into the second half,Coventry manager Mark Phillips threw on striker Yvette Dolphin.
The substitution changed little and in the 63rd minute,Bobby Todd muscled her way through the Coventry defence to net with ease from a Becky Cartwright cross.
Phillips' last throw of the dice was a double substitution of his two attackers,but this also back fired as City had to play the last fifteen minutes with ten players after Laura Healy was carried off with a head injury.
The players who take on title favourites Blackburn Rovers at Coventry Sphinx on Sunday were locked in the dressing room after this performance.
When Mark Phillips calmed down. He said:"Disappointing against a side that we should have done well against. "Middlesbrough were workmanlike,we did not adapt to their way of playing and the players did not do what was asked of them and got a rude awakening. "You cannot afford to give away sloppy goals but full credit to Middlesbrough,they worked hard. "We will have to learn to defend the goal for the first ten minutes and see how we get on from there bit I am disappointed to come all this way only for us to be rolled over."
Team
Kelly Cartwright,Lynsey Bryerton,Emma Lipman (Dolphin 55),Laura Healy.Natasha Lynch, Karen Weston,Amanda Whalley (Box 62),Maria Cartwright, Anna McLeod, Heidi Lockyer (Sarah Marshall 62),Michelle Hickmott. SNU Baseley,Perry
City Reserves had a miserable day at Oldham Curzon. The coach broke down before it had left Coventry, the team were then held up en route and kick off was delayed for over an hour. Two goals from Karen Clough put the Sky Blues 2-1 ahead at the interval but two second half goals made added to the miserable start to the reserves WPL Reserve Section Division 2 season.