BCFC Women suffer promotion hit with defeat to Sunderland

Sunderland Women secured a third win on the bounce to move up to eighth in the Women’s Championship while Birmingham find themselves five points off table-toppers London City following a 3-1 loss at St. Andrew’s.

With both sides off the back off a series of league wins, a cagey start to proceedings was to be somewhat expected. The visitors looked the brighter from the off with Blues slow out the gates, forcing the home side long while winning the ball high up in Birmingham’s half but lacked the clinical edge in front of goal.

Sunderland looked to threaten down the right when presented with the opportunity – Neve Herron the first to cause issues, winning a free-kick on the far side but Danielle Brown’s delivery was cleared with relative ease despite the onrushing Elizabeta Ejupi.

Blues opted to try their luck from distance as they approached the half-hour mark with Abi Cowie the closest in doing so as the young right-back’s striking effort whistled narrowly past keeper Claudia Moan’s right-hand post.

The Black Cats, meanwhile, continued to threaten from set-pieces, with Emma Kelly’s searching delivery initially caught by Lucy Thomas only to be dropped and pounced on by the alert Danielle Brown but the no.10 failed to punish, tapping the ball straight back into the keeper’s grasp.

Blues failed to make note of Sunderland’s aerial threat, however, with the visitors taking the lead out of nowhere five minutes before the break. Smart work by D. Brown brought the game to life in an instant with her inch-perfect cross to the back post complimented by Emily Scarr’s powering header for the all-important opening goal.

A wake-up call for the hosts, Darren Carter’s side found another gear after going behind, with Claudia Walker going close moments later with a near-post effort almost catching Moan off-guard but the Sunderland shot-stopper was equal to it.

Birmingham followed up their best chance of the half with a sustained spell of possession in the final third, with a crucial leveller for their efforts in the 44th minute. Sunderland failed to clear the danger with Walker ready to pounce, lofting the ball over the shoulder to the far post while Jade Pennock was alert to it, heading home to level the scores going into the break. A chaotic end to an otherwise forgettable first 45 minutes.

The visitors were eager to re-establish their lead straight from the off, with Jessica Brown causing the Blues backline problems with a low ball across the face of goal turned up and behind the goal by Louise Quinn. Birmingham’s slow defensive start continued to create issues with Sunderland in the ascendancy, this time Quinn caught in possession in her own third by Ejupi, with the Kosovan international finding the unmarked Jessica Brown at the far post for a simple tap-in. A fatal mistake by the hosts.

Pennock looked to get her side back into the game for the second time on the hour-mark with a half-chance for the no.7 but her effort was easily dealt with by Moran. Down the other end, Blues failed to learn from their earlier mishaps as Christie Murray was robbed on halfway, leaving Scarr to run through on goal only to be denied one-on-one by a superb stop by the imposing Lucy Thomas.

Such save was of little benefit moments later, however, with defender Grace McCatty unmarked from the subsequent corner as the no.5’s powering header established a valuable two-goal lead for the Wearside-based club with 25 minutes left to play.

City offered little in terms of a response for the remainder of the contest with little more than half chances to show for their efforts. Both Charlie Devlin and Jamie Finn looked to go close from range with the latter stinging the keeper’s palms while substitute Lucy Quinn was denied an almost certain goal level with the penalty spot if not for a perfect recovery block from a red and white shirt.

In last chance saloon territory and it was Pennock who was presented one of the best chances of the game, the ball dropping to the no.7 10 yards out while the forward could only fire straight at the keeper – a telling sign it just wasn’t to be for Birmingham with a fourth league victory in a row not forthcoming.

Blues now find themselves fifth in the Women’s Championship as they now turn their attentions to the FA Cup with a trip to Merseyside to face WSL side Everton next Sunday.

Line-Ups:

BCFC: Thomas, Scott ©, Louise Quinn, Pennock, Finn, Murray, Hodson, Bourne, Estcourt, Walker, Cowie. (Subs: Stenson (GK), Harris, Simkin, Smith, Lawley, Green, Lucy Quinn, Devlin, Jenner). 

Sunderland: Moan, Herron, McCatty, Scarr, D. Brown, J. Brown, Kelly ©, Joice, Beer, Holmes, Ejupi. (Subs: Cowling (GK), Griffiths, Ede, McInnes, Dodds, Watson, Westrup).

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