Coventry City Ladies got their promotion campaign off to a winning start with a dominant 1-0 home victory over Midland Women's Combination League newcomers the Loughborough Foxes.
The Sky Blues were rampant, particularly after the break, and after a succession of well worked chances they finally made the breakthrough with the goal coming from an unlikely source. Captain Natasha Lynch scored the games only goal with a 40 yard piledriver as it was beginning to look like it wouldn't be City's day.
The Sky Blues dominated possession in the first period without ever looking truly threatening as they struggled to find the cutting edge that had been lacking throughout the pre-season. With former England starlet Jade Formaston now helping Aston Villa to the top of the Northern Premier it was difficult to see where a goal might come from, front pair Robyn James and Nicole Tinto were full of running but couldn't find a way through the Foxes stout defence.
As the second half began Coventry mounted a sustained period of pressure leading to a succession of corners. Last season's top scorer, Helen Dermody, came closest to breaking the deadlock with a rocket from outside the area, her rifled blast hit the underside of the bar before bouncing out to safety. Kelly Henson was next to strike the goal's frame, her drive from the edge of the box careered off the foot of the post and again fell harmlessly for the visitors.
Debutant goalkeeper Netty Manca was rarely troubled but kept her wits about her as she was called into action late on, saving low to her left to preserve the three points and hand City Manager Paul Cudby the perfect start to the campaign "The performance was solid without being spectacular" remarked Cudby, handing credit to the visitors for their stern resistance "Loughborough were well organised and didn't make things easy, they looked dangerous at times too".
"I thought we controlled the game in the second half and had we scored a second we may well have gone on to get more too. Defensively we maintained our concentration when we needed too, and I thought we were good value for the victory". Cudby can now turn his attention the visit of Sporting Club Albion on Sunday, the Baggies set the early pace after a 5-1 thrashing of Leicester City.
Team - Manca; Wilcox, Forbes (H. Miles 30), Lynch (c), Clarke; Lewycky (Whitfield 75), Henson, N. Miles, Dermody; James, Tinto (Archibald 80).