WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 5-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Ladies can forget about any Women's FA Cup glory for another season after being thrashed 5-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Mark Phillips side had Lynsey Bryenton cautioned for encroaching a seventh minute free kick before conceding another five minutes later which was curled into the net by Wolves skipper Emily Westwood.
Wolves attacked in the 21st minute when Becky Hall went over the legs of a City defender. The home supporters in the crowd appealed for a free kick and were given it by the Wolverhampton based referee.
Hall picked herself up and gave Coventry keeper Gemma Smith no chance with a well placed twenty yard strike.
Much to the delight of the Sky Blues supporters,Phillips switched to a 4-4-2 formation,allowing City to press forward.
In the 27th minute,Amanda Whalley saw her close range effort from a Michelle Hickmott corner hacked off the line and fell for Julia Marshall to volley inches over the crossbar.
With Karen Weston commanding the Sky Blues defence,City kept plugging away with Hickmott firing wide from twenty yards following an Anna McLeod cross.
The main problem Coventry had,was that they were unable to retain possession and on the stroke of half-time,Wolves increased their advantage as Westwood nipped in to round Smith and slot the ball into the empty net.
Becky Hall came at City in the second half twice firing wide before the home side went four goals to the good following Amy McCann stabbing home from a free kick.
Hall continued to threaten and almost scored in the 62nd minute when a superb overhead kick from six yards bounced off Smith's right hand post.
Nine minutes later,Hall got the second goal her performance merited as she latched onto a through ball from Anne Blackham before tucking the ball past Smith for Wolves fifth of the game.
With the game coming to an end,Hall was cursing her luck. As first, Lynsey Bryenton headed a 75th minute volley off the goal line and then thirteen minutes later, the England U19 midfielder rounded Smith but saw Bryenton get back to clear the ball again off the goal line.
City boss Mark Phillips was left very disappointed with the result and is hoping for a better performance against fellow relegation battlers Manchester City this Sunday at Coventry Sphinx at 2pm.
Team
Smith,Bryenton,M.Cartwright,Healy,Lynch,Weston,
Whalley,Hickmott, Byrne (Lockyer 65),J.Marshall (S.Marshall 53),McLeod. SNU K.Cartwright,Box
The Coventry Ladies' Reserves match at Doncaster was abandoned after 55 minutes when the Belles' keeper, Megan Cuttell, sustained an injury to her neck. Referee Kevin Franklin unaccountably chose to end proceedings with 45 minutes of daylight left and 35 minutes left on the clock, claiming that "he couldn't re-start without allowing the players of both sides to have 15 minutes warm up, by which time he wouldn't be able to play two halves of equal length". Perhaps not surprisingly, with Belles' 100% home record in serious jeopardy the Doncaster side were only too quick to agree. The Sky Blues led 2-1 thanks to two quality strikes by Ria Baker on her return to the club after an absence of over two years, and were in control and looking likely to add more. Steve Clarke's protests that his side were ready to re-start and did not need 15 minutes were waved aside, amid unnecessary and inappropriate comments about a lack of consideration for the girl who had been injured.
Everyone at Coventry City Ladies FC would, of course, like to express our best wishes to Megan Cuttell for a speedy recovery.
COVENTRY CITY U16'S SKY BLUES 2-1 LEAFIELD
City U16's Sky Blues remain joint top of the league after beating previously unbeaten Leafield.
The Sky Blues took the lead in the 20th minute when Claire Hume sent a 25 yard free kick into the top corner. The visitors equalised shortly before half time.
But despite losing their goalkeeper and centre half, Coventry kept fighting and wrapped up a good performance when Sam Pattinson beat off the challenges of three opponents and crossed for Sian Jenkinson who gave herself an extra birthday present as she slotted home from six yards in the 60th minute.