Blues Ladies Earn Point In Feisty Draw

Birmingham City Ladies managed to hold WSL rich kids Manchester City Women to a goalless draw despite playing the second half with 10 players. Blues striker Freda Ayisi was shown a straight red card in first half injury time for punching keeper Karen Bardsley in a tussle before a corner was taken.

It was a game of few chances with the blustery wind causing all kinds of problems for both teams at the Autotech Stadium. Midfielder Jo Potter was unlucky to see her 25 yard rasping drive tipped over by Bardsley in the first half and Westwood nearly bagged all three points firing wide late on.

Man City’s Toni Duggan had a few chances in both halves but nothing seriously tested Rebecca Spencer in the Blues goal. The Blues central defence of Aoife Mannion and Kerys Harrop both held their ground well against the impressive Duggan and Nikita Parris with Emily Westwood dropping deeper later in the second half to solidify the backline further.

One sour point was an injury to second-half substitute Kirsty Linnett who had been rated doubtful prior to the game due to a knock, with the young striker grimacing in pain as she came off in a lengthy spell of second-half injury time. With Karen Carney out for a while with a back injury and Chelsea Weston having injured her ACL last week Blues Ladies are already finding their squad stretched.

Ayisi, making her full debut for the team was aggressive and strong up front but her aggression needed to be reined in with the former Arsenal player booked after just 8 minutes for a foul on Chelsea Nightingale. Having nearly scored when a free kick broke into her path in the box, Ayisi was sent off before the resultant corner was taken having got into a tussle with Bardsley in the Man City goal. The red card wasn’t shown until the linesman (who had received a fair amount of verbals himself over the incident from Man City coach Nick Cushing) attracted the attention of the referee to tell him about the incident.

The draw was the fairest result in the end and is a good one for Blues Ladies who travel to Liverpool on Wednesday evening. The crowd of 757 seemed to get into the game with a lot of vocal support for the Blues Ladies towards the end and no doubt the team will be hoping to push that attendance closer to 1000 when Blues next play at home against Notts County on April 19.

Team:

Spencer, Windell (Linnett 70, Stringer 90+5), Mannion, Westwood, Harrop, Carter, Allen, Potter, Moore, Lawley, Ayisi

Substitutes not used: Baggaley, Sargeant, Simpkins, Torkildsen

Tags: Aoife Mannion, Blues Ladies, Emily Westwood, Freda Ayisi, Jo Pottter, Kerys Harrop, Kirsty Linnett, Rebecca Spencer

Oldbluenose says:

March 29, 2015 at 6:00 pm

Well done Blues Ladies, Only 10, in 2nd half facing Monied Man/City, and without Karen Carney and a few others, — Go, Girls go, kro.

Trevor Harris says:

March 29, 2015 at 6:07 pm

I would be surprised if the Ladies team don’t face an FA inquiry if they played the “second half with 10 men”

almajir says:

March 29, 2015 at 6:11 pm

Edited – I don’t think of the word “men” in that context as meaning males in my defence – I still yell “man on” at them when someone is closing them down

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oldburyblue says:

March 29, 2015 at 6:25 pm

Hard earned point in the circumstances. Man City got what they seemed to come for…a draw. Very negative formation I thought, not taking any risks even though they were 1 player up for all the 2nd half. Just hope Kirsty is OK. Nasty tackle from behind..

LJ18 says:

March 29, 2015 at 9:15 pm

Having been to the game, it was a fair result for a match played in terrible conditions. The wind was a real factor. Regarding the red card, it was defo a red card for Ayisi but the man City goalkeeper should’ve also been shown red for the punches she threw in retaliation!!

BhamCityJulian says:

March 30, 2015 at 6:23 am

I feel that the halcyon days of the ladies team is now over. It’s a repeats of 1961 with the seemingly small minded Wiseman allowed themselves to be left behind in the wake of the removal of the Maximum Wage and four years later we were relegated.

almajir says:

March 30, 2015 at 9:21 am

What on Earth are you on about?

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March 30, 2015 at 6:25 am

Corrected:
I feel that the halcyon days of the ladies team is now over. It’s a repeats of 1961 with the seemingly small-minded Wiseman lead Board allowed themselves to be left behind in the wake of the removal of the Maximum Wage. Four years later we were relegated.

Big Al says:

March 30, 2015 at 9:46 am

Well done Daniel for supporting the cause. 750 is an excellent crowd – they’ll be thrilled.

Adrian D. Duffen says:

March 30, 2015 at 2:49 pm

I was at the game with my family. We were at the wrong end to see what happened with the sending off. Although people nearer reckon the keeper started it by elbowing her in the back of the head. Which should have meant both players sent off and a penalty for us?

It was good to see a proper “shop” there for the first time, although due to the wind it was stuck in a corner away from where more people would have used it!

Further to the sending Ayisi could have been sent off for kicking the ball away (which she tried to do on at least two occasions)!

March 30, 2015 at 8:37 pm

So the FA have today charged the man city goalkeeper with violent conduct. Apparently the ref & linesman didn’t see the elbows or punches that the keeper threw at Freda Ayisi. If the Lino saw enough to send Freda off then he must’ve seen the actions of the keeper?!!

If he had then sending the keeper off as well would’ve changed the game & blues would’ve gone on to win it