COVENTRY CITY LADIES 2-1 CARDIFF CITY LADIES
City:Wood, Miles, Ladd, Simpkins, Lynch, Hollingsworth, Saulter, Barber, Sweetman-Kirk, Dermody, Dale (Reay 54). Subs Elliston, Anderson, Edwards
Cardiff: Nokes, E.Isaac, Townsend, Cousins, Hutton, Jones, Alderidge, Green, Lawrence, Stewart (K.Isaac 69), Smith. Subs Atkins, Williams
HT CCLFC 1-1 CCLFC
FT CCLFC CCLFC
Referee David Jarrett. Asst Shaun Bivens & Nicola Arrowsmith.
Booked Ladd, Green,Simpkins
Goals Ellie Smith 35, Danni Saulter 40, Courtney Sweetman-Kirk 89
---------------------------------
Coventry City Ladies snatched a 2-1 victory against Cardiff City.
In Chris Holloway's first WPL National Division game in charge, City were unchanged from the side which had progressed to the League Cup Second Round with a 2-0 win over Derby County last Sunday, meaning that new signings Natalie Reay and Becky Anderson had to start from the bench.
After the Coventry Blitz and those who have served and are serving our country were remembered with a minutes's silence, Cardiff had the early play but in the 12th minute, the Sky Blues were denied by the cross bar when Danni Saulter sent a Sweetman-Kirk cross from the right onto the woodwork.
Hollingsworth cleared for a 16th minute corner before the Welsh side won a free kick twenty yards out which Paige Stewart curled out.
Stewart went close with a long ranger in the 20th minute with Dermody firing at Nokes three minutes later.
On the half hour mark, Cardiff won a corner which Hollingsworth cleared and in the 35th minute, the visitors took a deserved lead when the ball fell for Ellie Smith who beat Sue Wood with a close range finish.
Five minutes later, City were level when Danni Saulter finished off a neat pass from Dermody and Sweetman-Kirk.
It should have been two for the Sky Blues two minutes later when Nicole Dale fired over from a Sweetman-Kirk cross, after the forward had done well to beat the offside trap.
Sweetman-Kirk sent over a long ranger five minutes into the second half on a sunny afternoon at the Bedworth United Oval.
Natalie Reay who had joined City from Leicester, made her debut in the 54th minute when she came on for Nicole Dale.
Nat Lawrence headed over and Alderidge fired at Wood, before Nokes made two saves in the 67th minute to deny Reay and Sweetman-Kirk.
Emily Simpkins, who was one of a number of hard working City players, headed a 71st minute corner wide.
The game looked to be heading for a draw until the 89th minute when Reay played in Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and the forward who celebrates her birthday this week, netted to give City the win.
Other scores Sunderland 4-1 Charlton, Man City 3-0 Leeds United, Barnet 0-2 A.Villa.
Match Report copyright of Covsupport News Service and not to be used in part or full by anyone writing for Coventry City's matchday programme without the full accreditation of Covsupport News Service.