Coventry City Ladies secured the Midland Women's Combination title with a convincing 3-0 win at second placed Sporting Club Albion. Two goals from Helen Dermody as well as one from former Sporting striker Robyn James handed the Sky Blues the three points they needed to clinch top spot with three games still to play. Manager Paul Cudby was quick to spread the praise "It's been a real team effort all season, this is well deserved. It's not just about the players and the coaching staff but the back room staff as well that have helped us achieve this".
City got off to a flying start, Dermody's opener coming in just the seventh minute from a Jade Formaston cross. Natalie Wilcox had gotten forward well in support of Formaston and laid the ball back to her to deliver the cross after side stepping a challenge. It was a well placed cross to the back post where Dermody flew in and beat keeper Becky Hall to force the ball in for her thirteenth goal of the season.
It could have been two shortly afterwards as Dermody shot narrowly wide from the edge of the area as Sporting struggled to scramble a Formaston corner clear. City kept up the pressure as Meg Wilton sent Dermody down the wing to deliver a superb near post ball that Hall couldn't corral first time. James was on hand to get a touch on the loose ball but the keeper recovered quickly to thwart the striker.
Sporting's first real opportunity came moments later as Natasha Lynch played an ill-advised back pass to Netty Manca, forcing the Sky Blues' shot stopper to stoop and control the ball with her chest. Manca could only clear the ball as far as Hayley Phillipowsky who blazed wide with an open goal gaping in front of her. Coventry should have punished the glaring miss but Leanne McKenna couldn't control her 19th minute header when she was unmarked from a free kick.
The hosts were struggling to get to grips with the waves of Sky Blues' attacks and Laura McQuilkin was guilty of dragging down James to stiffle yet another Coventry raid. Emily Hanson tested Hall with the resulting free kick from an acute angle. James was again causing problems for Sporting's back line, as her tenacity won City a 39th minute penalty. McKenna stepped up but put her spot kick over the bar. Dermody almost notched her second before the break, her free kick fizzed just wide of the post with Hall stranded.
James also went close in stoppage time, hitting the bottom of the upright from a Dermody cross. After not managing a single effort on target in the first period, Sporting had an opportunity to make a mends with the second half in it's infancy. Phillipowsky beat the Sky Blues' offside trap and raced clean through the middle but shot straight at the feet of Manca who had raced out to narrow the striker's angle.
McQuilkin sent a free kick went narrowly over after a dubious decision was awarded against Nikki Miles. Manca looked to have the shot covered as she left it to go mere millimetres over the woodwork. Coventry weathered the storm and had found their flow once again when Dermody's 73rd minute free kick from near the halfway line found James in on goal, it looked like the busy forward had missed her chance when her header veered off target but with Hall stood flat footed James got a second bite of the cherry and steered her errant header inside the post with the outside of her right boot.
Victory was put beyond doubt when McQuilkin felled Formaston in the area for a second City spot kick. Dermody stepped up this time but found a formidable foe in Hall as the diminutive keeper stretched to save to her right, Dermody was first to the rebound though and made no mistake this time, firing past a helpless Hall to wrap up the game and the Championship.
"This has been a huge amount of work in the making" stated an elated Cudby after the final whistle "everything that the staff had said to the players had been worked on and again today we've worked incredibly hard against a very good Sporting Club side. I could single out every player and every single member of staff but it's been an incredible team effort throughout the course of the season. The spirit and desire that the players have shown when our backs have been against the wall has been what's ultimately seen us through. It's been a tremendous challenge and at times it was very tough but we've always responded to the challenges that we've had and that's very pleasing".
There are still three games to go as City look to maintain their record of being the only team in the top three tiers of English football yet to suffer a defeat. The celebrations will be short-lived as the Sky Blues play inner-city rivals Copsewood on Wednesday. City haven't conceded away from home in the past eight league games, an impressive streak that Copsewood will be looking to break.
Team: - Manca; Wilcox, Lynch (c), Clarke, Wilton; Formaston, N. Miles, McKenna, Dermody; Hanson (Christie 85), James (Singleton 83).
Subs Not Used: - Morgan, Newnes, Parnell.
Goals: - Dermody (3, 81), James (73).
Booked: - James, Hanson.
Sent Off: - None.